The Tupelo journal., 1910-09-16
CHAPTER xxIII-continued.

CHAPTER xXIIl-Continued.
Apparently only a few minutes
elapsed, during which my eyes were
becoming accustomed to the darkness.
Then | noticed that the windows were
rejecting a faint pinkish light; Liddy
noticed it at the same time, and 1
heard her jump up. At that moment
Sans deep voice doomed from some
where just below.
"Fire!" he yelled. The stables on
fire."
up and down on the drive, AID a mo
ment later Halsey joined him. Alex
was awake and running down the
stairs, and in five minutes from the
time the fire was discovered three OF
the maids were sitting on their trunks
in the drive, although, excepting a few
sparks, there was no fire nearer than
100 yards.
Gertrude seldom loses her presence
of mind, and she ran to the telephone.
But by the time the Casanova volun-
teer fire department came toiling up
the hill the stable was a furnace, with
the Dragon Fly safe but blistered,
in the road. Some gasoline exploded
just as the volunteer department got
to work, which shook their nerves as
well as the burning building. The
stable, being on a hill, was a torch to
attract the population from every di-
rection.
The stable was off the west wing. /
hardly know how l came to think OF
the circular staircase and the I'M
guarded door at it's foot. Liddy was
putting my clothes into sheets, pre-
paratory to tossing them out the win
dow. when | found her, and l could
hardly persuade her to stop.
81 want you to come with me,
Liddy," l said. Bring a candle and a
couple of blankets"
She Jagged behind considerably
when she saw me making for the east
wing, and at the top of the staircase
she baked.
II am not going down there" she
said firmly.
There is no one guarding the door
down there" / explained. Who
knows?-this may be a scheme to
draw everybody away from this end
of the house, and let some n in
here"
The instant / had said it / was CON
WINGED | had hit on the explanation,
and that perhaps it was already too
late. 1t seemed to me as | listened
that / heard stealthy footsteps on the
east porch, but there was so much
shouting outside that it was impos-
sible to tell. Liddy was or the point
of retreat.
Very WE'LL" / said, then l shall go
down alone. Run back to Mr.. Halsey's
room and get his revolver. Don't
shoot down the stairs if you hear a
noise; remember shall be down
there. And hurry"
l put the candle on the floor at the
top of the staircase and took off my
bedroom slippers. Then | crept down
the stairs, going very slowly, and
listening with all my ears. Just at the
foot of the stairs / stubbed my toe
against Halsey's big chair, and had to
stand on one foot in a soundless agony
until the pain subsidized to a dull ache.
And them knew | was right. Some
one had put a key into the lock, and
was turning it. For some reason it
refused to work, and the key was
withdrawn. There was a muttering of
voices outside; | had only a second.
Another trial, and the door would
open. The candle above made a faint
CLEAN down the well-like staircase,
and at that moment, with a second,
no more, to spare, l thought of a plan.
The heavy oak chair almost filled
the space between the newell post and
the door. With a craah | had turned
it on it's side, wedging 1t against
the door, its legs against the stairs. l
could hear a faint scream from Liddy
at the crash and then she came down
the stairs on a rum, with the revolver
held straight out in front of her.
Thank Cod" she said, in a shaking
voice. Il thought it was you"
| pointed to the door, and she un-
derstood.
"Call out of the windows at the
other end of the house, | whispered.
Run. Tell them not to wait for any
thing"
She went up the stairs at that, two
at a time. Evidently she collided
with the candle, for it went out, and
! was left in darkness.
/ was really astonishingly cool. I
remember stepping over the chair and
gluing my ear to the door, and / shall
never forget feeling it give an inch or
two there III the darkness, under a
steady pressure from without. But
the chair held, although / could hear
an ominous cracking Of n Of the
legs. And then, without the slightest
warning, the cardroom window broke
with a crash. I had my finger on the
trigger Of the revolver, and as !
Jumped It went Oh, right through the