The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1912-05-24

4 Halsey, i asked gravely. leaning
forward. have you the slightest sus-
picion who killed Arnold Armstrong
The police think he was admitted
from within. and that he was shot
down from above. by some one on the
circular staircase"
II know nothing OF t." he main
tained: but Z fancied 7 cersh. /: sue
den glance at Gertrude. flash of
something that died as Il care.
As quietly. as calmly as I could. Z
went, over the whole story, from the
night Liddy and I had been alone up
to the strange experience of Rosie
and her pursuer. The basket stili
stood on the table. q mute witness to
this last mysterious occurrence.
There is something else" I said
hesitatingly, at the last. "Halsey, I
have never told this even to Gertrude.
but the morning after the crime I
found. in a tulip bed. a revolver. tt
1t was yours, Halsey.s
For an appreciable moment Halsey
stared at me. Then he turned to Ger
trude.
my revolver. Trude!" he exclaimed.
Why. Jack took my revolver with
him. didn't her"
"Oh. for heavens sake don't say
that" implored. The detective
thinks possibly Jack Bailey came back,
and-and the thing happened then"
He didn't come back" Halsey said
stsrnly. Gertrude. when you brought
down q revolver that night for Jack
to take with him. what one did you
bring! Miner
Gertrude was defiant now.
mo. Yours was loaded. and I was
afraid OF what Jack-might do. gave
him one have had for q year or two
1t was empty"
Halsey threw up both hands do.
spairingly.
IF that isn't like q girl" he said.
why didn't you do what I asked you
to, Gertrude! You send Bsiley on
with an empty gun. and throw mine
In a tulip bed. of all places on earth!
Mine was a 80 caliber. The inquest
will show, of course. that the bullet
that killed Armstrong was IS. Then
where shall l be?"
"You forget" | broke in. that l
have the revolver. and that no one
knows about II"
But Gertrude had risen angrily.
81 cannot stand 1t; 1t Is always
with me-" she cried. "Halsey, did not
throw your revolver into the tulip
nj
self"
They stared at each other across
the big library table, with young eyes
all at once hard, suspicious. And
then Gertrude held out both hands to
him appealingly.
I'VE must not" she said brokenly.
"Just now, with so much at stake, 1t
is shameful. l know you are as ig-
norant as l am. Make me believe 1t,
Halsey"
Halsey soothed her as best he could,
and the breach seemed healed. But
long after | went TO bed he sat down
stairs in the living room alone. and !
knew he was going over the case as
he had learned IL. Some things were
clear to him that were dark to me.
He knew, and Gertrude, too, why Jack
Bailey and he had gone away that
night, as they did. He knew where
they had been for the last AS hours,
and why Jack Bailey had not returned
with him. It seemed to me that with
out fuller confidence from both the
children-they are always children TO
mel should never be able to learn
anything
AS | was finally getting ready for
bed. Halsey came upstairs and knocked
at my door When | had got into a
negligee-I used to say wrapper be-
fore Gertrude came back from school
Il let him in. He stood in the door
way a moment, and then he went into
agonies of silent mirth. ! sat down
on the side of the bed and waited in
severe silence for him to stop. but he
only seemed to grow worse. When
he had recovered he took me by the
elbow and pulled me in front of the
mirror.
How 10 be beautiful" he quoted
"'Advice to maids and matrons, by
Beatrice Fairfax" And then | saw
myself. ! had neglected to remove
my wrinkle eradicators, and presume
my appearance was odd. | believe
that 1t is a woman's duty to care for
her looks. but IL is much like telling
a necessary falsehood-one must not
be found out. BY the time got them
of Halsey was serious again. and
listened TO his story.
Aunt Ray" he began. extinguish-
ing his cigarette on the back of my
ivory hair-brush. 81 would give a lot
TO tell you the whole thing. Butt
can't. for a day or so, anyhow. But
one thing ! might have told you long
time a ago II you had known It. you
would not have suspected me for a
moment of-of having anything to do
with the attack on Arnold Armstrong.
Goodness knows what ! might do 10
q fellow like that. II there was enough
provocation. and ! had a gun in my
hand-under ordinary circumstances.
BptrTl carr. a great. deal about Louise
Armstrong. Aunt Ray. hope to mar
~ her some day. Is II likely I would
kill her brotherr
But the whole thing Is absurd" !