The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1910-11-25
TIL CIRCULAR STAIRCASE
HEIIlNI''l9

G-l-l--1llIIll-..l.2zk "a ~ |
was Halsey's idea that John Bailey |
come to the house as a gardener, and |
pursue his investigations as he could. /
His smooth upper lip had been suffi-
cient disguise, with his change of
clothes, and a haircut by a country
barber
So it was Alex, Jack Bailey, who
had been our ghost. Not only had he
alarmed Louise-and himself, he ad-
mitted-on the circular staircase, but
he had dug the hole in the trunkroom
wall, and later sent Eliza into hysteria
The note Liddy had found in Ger
| trude's scrap-basket was from him,
and 1t was he who had startled me
| into Inconsistencies by the clothes
| chute, and, with Gertrude's help, had
carried me to Louise's room. Ger
| trude, learned, had watched all
| night beside me, in an extremity of
anxiety about me-
| That old Thomas had seen his mas
ter. and thought he had seen the Sun
nyside ghost, there could be no doubt
Of that story of Thomas, about see
ing Jack Bailey in the footpath be-
tween the club and Sunnyside, the
night Liddy and heard the noise on
the circular staircase-that, too, was
right. On the night before Arnold
Armstrong was murdered, Jack Bailey
had made an attempt to search for
the secret room. He secured Arnold's
keys from his room at the club and
got into the house, armed with a golf
stick for sounding the walls. He ran
against the hamper at the head of
the stairs, caught his cuff-link in it,
and dropped the golf-stick with a
crash. He was glad enough to get
away without an alarm being raised,
and he took the "owl' train to town.
The oldest thing to me was that
Mr.. Jameson had known for some
time that Alex was Jack Bailey. But
the face of the pseudo-gardener was
very queer indeed when, that night,
in the cardroom, the detective turned
to him and said:
How long are you and l going to
play our little comedy, Mr.. Bailey?"
Well, it is all over now. Paul Arm
l strong rests in Casanova churchyard,
and this time there is no mistake. l
D went to the funeral, because l wanted
to be sure he was really buried, and
/ l looked at the step of the shaft
: where had sat that night, and won.
1 dered If it was all real. Sunnyside is
E for sale-no, l shall not buy it, Little
Lucien Armstrong is living with his
step-grandmother, who is recovering
4 gradually from troubles that had ex
: tended over the entire period of hel
q second marriage. Anne Watson lies
not far from the man she killed, and
who as surely caused her death
e Thomas, the fourth victim of the con
e spiracy, is buried on the hill. Will
: Nina Darlington, five lives were sac
It riffced in the course of this grim con
# spiracy.
II There will be two weddings befor
L long. and Liddy has asked for m,
4 heliotrope poplin to wear to tn,
o church. l knew she would. She ha
p wanted it for three years, and sh,
l. was quite ugly the time spilled col
q fee on it. We are very quiet, just tn
p two of US. Liddy still 'clings to he
a. ghost theory, and points to my we
and muddy boots in the trunkroom a
-e proof. am gray, admit, but
* haven't felt as well in a dozen years
a Sometimes, when l am bored, 1 rim
se for Liddy, and we talk things oveI
E. When Warner married Rosie, Lidd
III shifted and said what took for faitt
IN fulness in Rosie had been nothing bu
mawkishness. have not yet outlive
Id Liddy's contempt because l gave ther
lg silver knives and forks as a weddin
lie gift.
e, So we sit and talk, and sometime
as Liddy threatens to leave, and often
TX discharge her, but we stay togethe
er somehow. l am talking of renting
~ house next year, and Liddy says to b
'e' sure there is no ghost. To be perfec
ey ly frank. l never really lived unit
IT, that summer. Time has passed sine
sc l began this story. My neighbors al
at packing up for another summer Lido
er is having the awnings put up, and ii
le- window-boxes filled. Liddy or no Ii
dy, I shall advertise tomorrow for
ed. house in the country, and don't cal
ey if it has a Circular Staircase.
he THE END.