The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-08-18
he Is willing to admit

he is willing to admit
| suggested that Alex, the gardener,
would probably be willing to help, and
Mr.. Jameson undertook to make the
arrangement. For one night, how
ever, Mr.. Jameson preferred to watch
alone. Apparently nothing occurred.
The detective sat in absolute dark
ness on the lower step OF the stairs,
doing, he said afterwards, now and
then, Nothing could pass him In
either direction, and the door in the
morning remained as securely fast.
ened as it had been the night before.
And yet one of the most inexplicable
occurrences of the whole affair took
place that very night.
Liddy came to my room on Sunday
morning with a face as long as the
moral law. She laid out my things as
usual, but | missed her customary
garrulousness. | was not RECALLED with
the new cooks extravaganza as to
eggs, and she even forbore to mention
that JAMESON" on whose arrival she
had looked with silent disfavor.
What's the matter, Liddy?" asked.
at last. Didn't you sleep last night?"
mo, ma'am," she said stifny.
Did you have two cups of coffee
at your dinner?" | inquired.
NO, MAN," Indignantly,
| sat up and almost upset my hot
water-l always take a cup of hot wa
ter with a pinch of salt, before | get
up. r. tones the stomach.
"Iiddy Allen ! said, stop combtng
thst switch and tell me what is wrong
with YOU"
Liddy hoaved a sigh.
Girl and woman size said, I've
beer with you % years, Miss Rachel,
through good temper and bad" the
idea, and what | have taken from
her in the way of sulks,-"but | guess
| can't stand it any longer. My trunks
packed"
who packed it?" ! asked, expecting
from her one to be told she had
wakened to find it done by some
gEostly hand.
rieiy,. AIDE Mief, P"e@n' yu0-tnrs- ifodse
IA haunted. Who was it fell down the
clothes chute? Who was it scared
Miss Louise almost into her grave?"
I'm doing my best to find out" I
said. What in the world are you
driving at?' She drew IA long breath.
There is a hole in the trunkroom
wall, dug out since last night. It's big
enough to put your head in, and the
plaster's all over the place"
Nonsense" said. Plaster Is al
ways falling"
But Liddy clenched that.
Just ask Alex" she said. when
he put the new cooks trunk there last
night the wall was as smooth as this.
This morning it's dug out, and there's
plaster on the cooks trunk. Miss
Rachel, you can get a dozen detectives
and put one on every stair in the
house. and you'll never catch any
thing. There's some things you can't
handcuff."
Liddy was right. AS soon as | could.
l went up to the %trunkroom. which
was directly over my bedroom. The
plan of the upper story of the house
was like that of the second floor, in
the main. One end, however, over
the east wing, had been left only roug.
ly finished, the intention having been
to convert 1t into a ballroom at some
future time. The maids rooms, trunk.
room, and various storeroOms, includ-
ing a large airy linen room, opened
from a long corridor, like that on the
second floor. And in the trunkroom,
as Liddy had said, was a fresh break
in the plaster.
Not only in the plaster, but through
the lathing, the aperture extended. l
reached into the opening, and three
feet away, perhaps, | could touch b
bricks of the partition wall. For some
reason the architect in building the
house had left a space there that
struck me, even in the surprise OF the
discovery, as an excellent place for a
confagration to gain Roadway.
You are sure the hole was not here
yesterday" asked Liddy, whose ex-
preston was a mixture Of satisfaction
and alarm. In answer she pointed to
the new cooks trunk-that necessary
adjunct of the migratory domestic. The
top was covered with fine white plaster,
as was the floor. But there were no
large pieces of mortar lying around
no bits of lathing. When l mentioned
this to Liddy she merely raised her
eyebrows. Being quite confident that
the gap was Of unholy origin. she did
not concern herself with such trifes
as a bit Of mortar and lath. No doubt
they were wen then heaped neatly
on a gravestone In the Casanova
churchyard!
Ito be continueG.)