The Tupelo journal., 1910-07-08
CHAPTER discontinued.


They stared at each other across
the big library table, with young eyes
all at once hard, suspicious. And
then Gertrude held out both hands to
him appealingly.
1--WE must not" she said brokenly.
Gust now, with so much at stake, 1t
lis shameful. / know you are as lg-
norant as / am. Make me ellie 1t,
Halsey."
Halsey soothed her as best he could,
and the breach seemed healed. But
long after l went to bed he sat down
stairs in the living room alone, and |
knew he was going over the case as
he had learned it. Some things were
clear to him that were dark to me.
He knew, and Gertrude, too, why Jack
Bailey and he had gone ava that
night, as they did. He knew where
they had been for the last 4S hours,
and why Jack Bailey had not returned
with him. 1t seemed to me that with
GU fuller confidence from both the
children-they are always children to
mel should never be able to learn
anything.
AS l was finally getting ready for
bed, Halsey came upstairs and knocked
at my door. When | had got into a
negligee-I used to say wrapper be-
fore Gertrude came back from school
Il let him in. He stood in the door
way a moment, and then he went into
agonies of silent mirth. | sat down
on the side of the bed and waited in
severe silence for him to stop, but he
only seemed to grow worse. When
he had recovered he took me by the
elbow and pulled me in front of the
mirror.
"eHow to be beautiful" he quoted.
"'Advice to maids and matrons, by
Beatrice Fairfax" And then l saw
myself. 1 had neglected to remove
my wrinkle eradicators, and l presume
my appearance was odd. l believe
that it is a woman's duty to care for
her looks, but it is much like telling
a necessary falsehood-one must not
be found out. By the time l got them
off Halsey was serious again, and l
listened to his story.
Aunt Ray" he began, %extinguish-
ing his cigarette on the back of my
ivory hair-brush, Il would give a lot
to tell you the whole thing. Butt
can't, for a day or SO, anyhow. But
one thing l might have told o a long
time a ago. If you had known it, you
would not have suspected me for a
moment of-of having anything to do
with the attack on Arnold Armstrong.
Goodness knows what l might do to
a fellow like that, if there was enough
provocation, and / had a gun in my
hand-under ordinary circumstances.
Butt care a great deal about Louise
Armstrong, Aunt Ray. / hope to mar
~ her some day. Is it likely would
kill her brother"
"But the whole thing is absurd" l
argued. and besides, Gertrude's
sworn statement that you left before
Arnold Armstrong came would clear
you at once"
Halsey got up and began to pace
the room, and the air of cheerfulness
dropped like a mask.
"She can't swear it," he said finally.
"Gertrude's story was true as far as
it went, but she didn't tell everything.
Arnold Armstrong came here at 2:30
came into the billiard room and left
in five minutes. He came to bring
something"
"Halsey," I cried, you must tell me
the whole truth. Every time l see
q way for you to escape you block it
yourself with this wall Of mystery.
What did he bring?
"a telegram-for Bailey" he said.
at came by special messenger from
town, and was-mosti important. Bailey
had started for here, and the mesaen-
ger had gone back to the city. The
steward gave it to Arnold, who had
been drinking all day ana couldn't
sleep, and was going for a stroll In
the direction of Sunnyside."
"And he brought it,"
Eyes"
81 can tell you-as soon as certain
things are made public. 1t is only a
matter of days now" gloomily.
"And Gertrude's story of a tele-
phone?"
Poor Trude!" he half whispered.
poor loyal little girl! Aunt Ray,
there was nc such message. No doubt
your detective already knows that and
discredits all Gertrude told him."
And when she went back, it was to
ket-the telegram"
Probably" Halsey said slowly.
sWhen you get to thinking about 1t,
Aunt Ray, it looks bad for all three
of us, doesn't it? And yeti will take
my oath none of us eve inadvertent-
sy killed that poor devil"
/ looked at the closed door into
Gerturde's dressing room, and low.
cred my voice.
@The same horrible thought keeps
recurring to me-" / whispered. Hal