The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-24

laundress sent word she would like to
speak to me. and / saw her in my
private sitting-room. a small room be-
yond the dressing-rom.
Mary Anne was embarrassed. She
had rolled down her sleeves and tied
a white apron around her waist, and
she stood making folds In II with
fingers that were red and shiny from
her soap-suds.
We'll, Mary" / said encouragingly,
what's the matter? Don't dare to tell
me the soap is out"
NO, nam. Miss Innes." She haG
nervous habit OF looking first at my
ono eye and then at the other. her
own optics shifting ceaselessly, right
eye. left eye. right eye, until found
myself doing the same thing. mo
mann. / was askin' did you want tne
ladder left up the clothes chute"
The what | screeched, and was
sorry the next minute. Seeing her sus-
| picions were verified. Mary Ann had
gone white. and stood with he eyes
shifting moro wildly than ever.
! There's a ladder up the clothes
! chute. Miss Innes." she said. It's
/ up that tight l can't move 1t. and |
! didn't ike TO ask for help until j
/ spoke to you"
/ 1t was useless to dissemble; Mary
! Anne knew now az we'll as / did that
the ladder had no business TO be there.
/ | did the best / could, however, !
! put her on the defensive at once.
Then you didn't lock the laundry
| last night"
II locked 1t tight, and put the key
! In the kitchen on its nall
Very well. then you forgot a win
dow"
Mary Anne hesitated.
''Y es'm," she said at last Il
thought | locked them all, but there
was one open this morning
l went out of the room and down
the hall, followed by Mary Anne. The
door into the clothes chute was se-
! curely bolted. and when / opened il
| saw the evidence OF the woman's
story. A pruning ladder had beer
brought from where it had lair
against the stable and now stood up
right in the clothes shaft. its end
resting against the wall between the
first and second floors.
turned to Mary,
This is due to your carelessness.
| said. III we had all been murdered
in our beds il would have been you,
| fault" She shivered. Now, not q
word of this through the house. and
send Alex 10 me-
The effect on Alex was to make
him apoplectic with rage, and with
1t all | fancied there was an element
| of satisfaction. AS / look back. SC
! many things are plain to me that
! wonder 1 could not see at the time
| 1t Is all known now. and yet the whole
thing was SO remarkable that perhap p.
my stupidity was excusable.
Alex leaned down the chute and
examined the ladder carefully.
| 1T is caught" he said with a grim
| smile The fools, to have left warn
Ing like that! The only trouble Is
Miss Innes, they won't be apt TO come
| back for 'whffe. - S'''
Il shouldn't regard that In the
light of calamity" / replied.
Until late that evening Halsey and
| Alex worked at the chute They
| forced down the ladder at last, and
put new bolt on the door. AS for
myself. | sat and wondered Ii / had
/ a deadly enemy, intent on my de-
struction.
I / was growing more and more ner-
vous. Liddy had given up all pre-
tense at bravery and slept regularly in
| my dressing room on the couch, with
"a prayer book and a game knife from
the kitchen under her pillow, thus
preparing for both the natural and
the supernatural. That was the way
things stood that Thursday night.
when / myself took a hand in the
struggle.