Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1911-01-06
~ dear girI:.. bel uttefeu.

MY dear girl. ne uttered.
She turned n w%oebegOne face to his.
"Such a time as they had trying to get
It in the window! They were saucy
because the window was too small
and one OF them pulled It IN with a jerk.
and il struck the chandelier-the pieces
Of glass fell on my Wedgwood vase.
aud that Is broken! III am quite dis
couraged"
With n restless glance toward the
parlor. where the gigantic bedstpad lay
like some dark shadow on his little
home. and with an unpleasant recol.
lection Of the snoring %janitor below
stairs and OF the generous tip It would
require to reduce him 10 his custom
airy state Of patronizing familiarity.
Winchester endeavorpd TO soothe his
wife's shattered nerves. and together
they obeyed Norah's ummons 10 a be-
lated dinner.
At table Mrs. winchester drew g
folded paper from her gown.
This is the page | copied from the
diary Of Nancy Gray. Harry" she
said. spreading II open before her. II
thought ! would refresh my memory
as TO the exact location Of the secret
spring.
"'Richmond. Va. April 81. 1854"
read Mrs. Winchester In solemn ac-
cents. "'I I'M greatly alarmed for the
safety of Grandmother Biupnh's dia-
monds. and have vninly tried to find
a hiding place for them. The Yankees
are digging up every inch Of ground
on the adjacent plantations searching
for buried treasure. and | am quite at
a loss to hnd a safe place for cur
1eirlooms.
"'April 22.-Such. an excellent idea
: have just recollected that there is a
secret hiding place In Grandmother
Binpah's mahogany bedstead. will
conceal the Jewels there and will de
scribe their hiding place so that in
case anything happens 10 me one Of
our family may be able 10
them. even If the bedstead should be
carried away.
First. one must observe the row
Of %hideously grinning f~aces-"gar-
goyles." grandfather called them-that
outline the top of the headbOard;
there are twenty-five Of these gar
goyles in all. and one must press the
right y Of the thirteenth gargoyle
from either end. when the face will
swing outward. disclosing a cavity.
Into this cavity ! have dropped the
leather bag containing the unset gems
they are worth many thousands OF
dollars-and l hope 10 recover them
when the war is over"
Armed with hammer and screw
driver. husband and wife repaired to
the parlor and locked themselves with
IN. greatly TO the disgust Of the in
terested Norah, who availed herself
Of the keyhole as the only salve to
her wounded self respect.
MY dear girl. how do you think I'm
going to handle this thing alonei 1t
weighs a ton. Why wasn't 1t put in
the guest roomT"
THE instant / saw 1t in the wagon
/ knew II would never at into that
room. so ! told them to put It iu here.
We can remove II to the cellar after
WARRIOR store It"
1T fits in here" remarked Win
chester.
LET us rip or the covering-I be-
Iieve / know just where to place my
finger on the spring! This is the head
board. Of course. and here are the gar
goyles." cried Flora excitedly.
Winchester took u his knife and
leisurely opened the blade. He lifted
one corner OF the bedstead. groaned
and dropped It heavily.
There was a stralning and swapping
Of cords as be applied his knife to the
wrappings.o
"oh. Oh. ! am just as ervou as
I can be-" cried Flora. regardless OF
her husbands groan as he dragged
aside the covering and disclosed the
rounded. polished top outlined by a
semiclrcle Of hidiousiy carved faces.
"Jove. what a beautg CALCULATED
Winchester, yet with a note OF respect
IN his tone. What a nightmare
Fancy wishing a guest pleasant
dreams and then introducing him TO
that couch! whewl Now, which face.
Flora. lover"
Mrs. Winchester triumphantly pro
duced the paper from her laces and
read solemnly: THE thirteenth gar
goyle from either end"