Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1910-08-13
CHAPTER xvI.-continued.

gan, partly, 1 think, because I had
slept during the afternoon. Liddy
brought me some hot milk at ten
o'clock and 1 slept until IL. Then /
wakened and-I got to thinking about
things, and worrying, so / could not
go to sleep
81 was wondering why I had not
heard from Arnold since the-since /
saw him that night at the lodge. 1
was afraid he was i'll, be-
cause-he was to have done
something for me, and he had not
come back. It must have been three
when 1 heard some one rapping.
sat up and listened, to be quite sure,
and the rapping kept up. 1 was eau
tious, and 1 was about to call Liddy
Then suddenly I thought knew what
it was. The east entrance and circu-
lar staircase were always used by
Arnold when he was out late, and
sometimes, when he forgot his key, he
would rap and I would go down and
let him in. I thought he had come
back to see mel didn't think about
the time, for his hours were always
erratic. But 1 was afraid I was too
weak to get down the stairs. The
knocking kept up, and just as was
about to call Liddy, she ran through
the room and out into the hall 1 got
up then, feeling weak and dizzy, and
put on my dressing-gown. If it was
Arnold, knew 1 must see him.
1T was very dark everywhere, but,
of course, l knew my way. / felt along
for the stair-rail, and went down as
quickly as / could. The knocking had
stopped, and I was-afraid I was too
late. 1 got to the foot of the stair
case and over to the door on to the
east veranda. 1 had never thought of
anything but that it was Arnold, until
reached the door. 1t was unlocked
and opened about an inch. Everything
was black; it was perfectly dark out
side. l felt very queer and shaky.
Then I thought perhaps Arnold had
used his key; he did-strange things
sometimes, and I turned around. Just
as 1 reached the foot of the staircase
/ thought / heard some one coming
| My nerves were going anyhow, there
in the dark, and I could scarcely
| stand. 1 got up as far as the third
or fourth step: then I felt that some
one was coming toward me on the
staircase. The next instant a hand
met mine on the stair-raiI. Some one
brushed past me, and screamed
| Then I must have tainted"
That was Louise's story. There
could be no doubt of its truth, and the
/ thing that made it inexpressibly awful
to me was that the poor girl had creep
down to answer the summons of
brother who would never need he
kindly offices again Twice, now, with
out apparent cause, some one had en-
tered the house by means of the cas-
entrance; had apparently gone his
way unhindered through the house
and gone out again as he had entered
Had this unknown visitor been Their,
q third time, the night Arnold Arm
| strong was murdered? Or a fourth
the time Mr. Jameson had locke,
some one in the clothes chute?
Sleep was impossible. 1 think, 70
any Of U.S. We dispersed finally t,
battle and dress, leaving Louise littl
the worse for her experience. But
| determined that before the day wa
over she must know the true state O
affairs Another decision made, an,
I put it into execution Immediate,
after breakfast I had one of tn,
unused bedrooms in the east WING
back along the small corridor, pre
pared for occupancy, and from tina
time on Alex, the gardener, slep
there. One man in that barn of
house was an absurdity. with thing
happening all the time, and must sa
that Alex was as unobjectionable a
any one could possibly have been
The next morning, also, Halsey an
I made an exhaustive examination Q
the circular staircase, the small entr
at its foot, and the cardroom openin
from it. There was no evidence Q
anything unusual the night before. an