The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-18
The
Circular Staircase.
BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART
COPYRIGHT 1908 BY THE BoBBs MERRILL COMPANY
COPYRIGHT 1908 BY THE BoBBs-M MERRILL COMPANY
BY MARY ROBERTS RISEHARr

Thomas cranped hand. Mr. Jawie-
son read it then hc gave il 90 me.
II was an address IN fresh ink
Lucien Wallace, - Elm street Etch-
field
AS the card went around. think
both the detective and I watched Tor
pny possible effect it might have. but.
beyond perplcxity. thrre esn"d 50 ne
none.
II tt-i141rftt 11.- tseTrrudr oTc iaiWed.
Why Elm street is the main street;
don't yen remember. ialsey 3"
'I.ucion Wallace ilaley said.
That is the child SteNa spoke of
at the inquest
Warmer. with his mechanics In
stinct. had reached for tho key. What
he said was not surprise.
Yale lock" he said, Probably
key to the east entry
There was no reason why Thomas,
an old ard trusted servant. should
not have had n key To that paEtlcu-
lar door, although the servants en-
try was in the west wing But / had
not known Of tnis key, and IL opened
up new field OF conjecture, Just
| nov. however, there were many thinga
to Ice attended to. and. leaving War
uer with the body, We ali went back
TO the house. Mr.. Jsmieson walked
with me-. while llalsey and Gertrude
followed.
Il suppose shall have 20 notify
! the Armstrong;, / said They VIII
! know II Thomas had any people and
how To reach them. OF course, I cX-
pect to defray the expenses of the
funeral hut his relatives must be
found. What do ynu think frlghten-
, ed him. MIR Jameson ?"
1t IL hard to say" he replied slow
~. but | think we may he certain
/ IL was fright, and that ne Was hiding
/ from something. | am sorry in more
than enc way. ! have always believed
| that Thomas knew something, or sus-
pected something, that he would not
tell. DO yea know how much money
there was in that WORKOUT wallet of
| hIs' Nearly hundred dollars Al
most two months wages--&nd yet
I those darktes seldom have a penny.
Well---what Thomas knew viii be
/ buried with him.
! Haisey suggested that the grounds
| he searched. hut Mr.. Jameson vetoed
the suggestion.
"Yrn would find nothing he said
"A person cieNer enough to get into
Sunnysidc and tear q Mole in the wall.
while / watched DOWNSTAIRS, Is not
&c be found by going around the
shrubbery with a lantern"
With the death Of Thomas, felt
that "a climax had come IN affairs at
Sunnyside. The night that followed
was quiet enough. llalsey watched
at the foot Of the staircase. and
complicated system of bolts ou the
other doors seemed to be cfTectua}.
/ once in the night Weakened and
! thought / heard the tapping again.
! But all was quiet. and / had reach
! ed the stage where / refused to lie
disturbed for minor occurrences.
! The Armstrongs were notified of
| Thomas death. and had my first M
| teryiew with Doctor walker as IA re-
/ suit, lie came up early the next
/ morning. just as We finished break
| fast. ia "a professional looking car with
| a black hood. / found him striding
! mp and down the liYing-r0om. and,
i in spite of my preeonceiNed dislike.
/ had to admit that the man was
/ presentahle. n big fellow he was. tall
and dark, az Gertrude had said,
smooth shaver and erect, with proni-
nent features ana "a square jaw. He
I was painfully spruce in his appear
ance, and his manner was almost
! obtrusively polite.
Il must make a double excuse for
} this early visit. Miss lines" he said
| as he sat down. The chair was lower
! than he expected. and his dignity
| Required collecting before he went on
Ny professional durres are urgent
/ and long neglected. and'--a fail to
/ the eVery-d something
/ must he done about that body" ..a,
I es,," ! said, sitting on the edge
of my chair. Il merely wished the
address OF Thomas people. You
7 might have telephoued II you were
! busy"
He smiled.
II wished To see YOU about sprne~
! thing else he said AS tor Thomas
1t IL Mrs. Armstrong; wish that you
allow her to attend to The exIters~
Aboni his relatives, have already
notified his brother, In the village.
1t was heart disease / think. Thoma,
always had n bad heart"
Heart disease and fright | said
! stu on the edge of my chair. Eut the
doctor had no intention OF leaving
Ito he continued