Show PC LAP ek vax ipa AS MAW BY X WAW fue all r f SYNOPSIS llla innes spinster and guardian at oertrude and ralael Ral aey established sum trier aier headquarters nt at sunnyside Sunn Sunny yaldo side A arnold mold armstrong wua found shot hot to death in the firlie oertrude gertrude and her nance fiance jack bailey had conversed in the billiard room shortly before the murder deac tive jamieson accused M alsa as innes of 0 hold ing IHK back evidence cashier bailey of 0 paul armstrongs bank defunct was arrested tor for embezzlement paul armstrongs death was announced fi flancer flan ancla cea louise armstrong told halsey halbom that hat ahll hit she he still hlll loved him sho she was to tarr marry y another it developed that dr walker was wag the man louise louisa was waa found lit at the bottom 0 of the circular staircase she bhe said morn ething had brushed by her in tho the dark on the stairway and she aha fainted balley bailey Is IR suspected of arm strongs It murder thomas the lodge keep rr waa a found dead with ith EL a note in life hla t b bearing e a r I 1 n agthe the na nam me lucien walice rocket A ladder found out ot of place deep os n the he mystery the at stables bles were vurnm burne and in th the dark miss innes innas shot an n intruder mysteriously ducap feared ills his auto was wag found wrecked by ft freight train it develop nl d halsey had before jin n argument in the library with a woman befaro hla his disappearance new cook dla appears anis innes learned halsey was wag alive lv dr walkers face becomes livid 1 men mention tion of the name of nina barring 10 lon evidence was secured froni from a tramp hat a man supposedly II li alsey nad had been bound end and gagge basded an and thrown into an imply empty box car CHAPTER continued mr winters and alex disposed of the he tramp tr amp wi with th a warning it was evident he had told us all he knew we had occasion within a day or two to bo be doubly thankful that we had given him hla his freedom when mr jamieson telephoned that night we had news newa for him he told me what I 1 had bad not realized before that it would not be possible to find halsey at once even with this clew the cars by this time three days might be scattered over tho the union but he be said to keep on hoping that it was waa the best beat news we had had and in the meantime consumed with as we were things were happening at the house in rapid succession we had one peaceful day then lid ly took sick in tho the night j I 1 went in when hen I 1 heard her groaning and found her with a hot water bottle to her face ace and her bet right cheek swollen until it was glassy toothache I 1 asked not too gently you deserve it A woman of your age who would rather go around with an exposed nerve in her head than have the tooth pulled it would be over in a moment so would hanging liddy protested from behind the hot water bottle I 1 was hunting around for cotton and laudanum you have bave a tooth just like it yourself miss rachel she whimpered and im sure dr doyles boyles been trying to take it out for years there was no laudanum and liddy made a terrible fuss when I 1 proposed car carbolic bolle add acid just because I 1 had put too much on the cotton once and burned her mouth im sure it never did aid her any permanent harm indeed the doctor said afterward that living on liquid diet had been a splendid rest for or her stomach but she would have none of the acid and she kept me awake groaning so at last I 1 got up ind went to gertrudes door to my surprise it was locked I 1 went around bi b the hall and into her bedroom that ww way the bed was turned down and her dressing gown and nightdress night dress lay ready in the little room next but gertrude was not there she had not undressed I 1 dont know what terrible thoughts came to me in the minute I 1 stood there through the door I 1 could hear bear liddy grumbling with a squeal now via ana then when the pain stabbed harder then automatically I 1 got the lau laudanum danum and went back to her it was waa fully a halt half hour before lid dys groans subsided at intervals I 1 we went n t to the door into the hall and looked out but I 1 saw and heard nothing suspicious finally when liddy laddy had dropped into a doze I 1 even ventured as tar far as the head of the circular staircase but there floated loa tedi up to me only tho the even breathing of winters the night detective sleeping just inside the entry and then far off I 1 heard the rapping noise that had lured louise down tho the staircase that other night two weeks before it was over in my y head and very taint faint three or four short muffled taps a pause and then again stealthily repeated the sound of mr winters breathing was comforting with the thought that there was help within call something kept me from waking him I 1 did not move for a moment ridiculous things liddy had said about a ghost I 1 am not at all superstitious except perhaps in the middle of the night with everything dark things like ilka that rama back to me almost beside me was tho the clothes chute I 1 could feel it but I 1 could see nothing As I 1 stood listening intently I 1 heard a sound neur me it was vague indefinite rhen rbt n it ceased there was an uneasy movement and a grunt from the foot of the circular staircase and silence ogain igieln I 1 stood perfectly still hardly darins daring to breathe then I 1 knew I 1 had been right some oaf ws was stealthily pa passing the head of the staircase and coming toward me in the dark I 1 leaned against the wall tor for support my knees were giving way ay the steps were cloae cloa cloi e now and suddenly ud denly I 1 thought of gertrude of ourse bourse it was gertrude I 1 put out one liand in front of me but I 1 touched ot othine bling mr voice almost refused me c when I 1 came to it was dawn but I 1 managed to gasp out gertrude good lord I 1 a mans voice exclaimed just beside me and then I 1 collapsed I 1 felt myself going felt some one catch me a horrible nausea that was ill all I 1 remembered when I 1 came to it was dawn I 1 was lying on the bed in louises room with the cherub on the ceiling staring down at me and there was a blanket from my own bed thrown over me I 1 felt weak and dizzy but I 1 managed to get up and totter to the door at the foot of the circular staircase mr air winters was still asleep hardly able to stand I 1 crept back to my room the door into gertrudes room was no longer locked she was sleeping Ble like a tired child and in my dres dressing slug room liddy hugged a cold hot water bottle and mumbled in her sleep theres some things you cant hold with handcuffs hand cuffs she was muttering thickly CHAPTER A scrap of paper for the first time in 20 years I 1 kept my bed that day liddy was alarmed to the point of hysteria and sent for dr stewart lust just after breakfast gertrude spent the morning with me reading something I 1 forget what I 1 was too busy with my thought to listen I 1 had bad said nothing to the two detectives it if mr jamieson Jam leson had been thero there I 1 should have told him everything but I 1 could not go to these strange men and tell them my niece had bad been missing in the middle of the night that she had bad not gone to bed at all that while I 1 was searching for her through the house I 1 had met a stranger who when I 1 fainted had carried me into a room and left me there to get better or not as it might happen and there was something else the man I 1 had bad met in the darkness had been even more startled than I 1 and about his voice when he muttered his muffled exclamation ercla matlon there was waa something vaguely familiar all that morning while gertrude read aloud and liddy watched for the doctor I 1 was puzzling over that thai voice without result dr walker came up some time just after luncheon and asked for me go down and see him I 1 instructed gertrude tell him I 1 am out for gercys sake dont say im sick find out what he wants and from this time on instruct the servants that he ha is not to be admitted I 1 loathe that man gertrude camo came back very soon her face rather flushed ile he came to ask us to get out she said picking up her book with a jerk lie ile says louise armstrong wants to lo come here now that she Is recover ing and what did you say 1 I said we were very sorry we could not leave but we would be delighted to have lourse come up here with us ile he looked daggers at me and he be wanted to know if we w would recommend eliza as a cook ife he has brought a patient a man out from town and la Is increasing his establishment the way he put it 1 I wish him joy of ellza eliza I 1 said tartly did he ask for halsey yes I 1 told him that we were on the track last night and that it was only a question of time ile he said he was glad although he be appear to be but he be said not to be too sanguine do you know what I 1 believe I 1 asked 1 I believe as firmly as I 1 bellevo believe anything that dr walker knows something about Ilal halsey soy and that he could put his bid finger anger on him it he be wanted to there were several things that day that bewildered raa me about three mr jamieson Jam leson telephoned from the casanova station and warner went down to meet him I 1 got up and dressed hastily and the detective was shown up to my sitting room no news I 1 asked as he entered ile he tried to look encouraging without success it wont be long now alias innes he said 1 I have come out here on a peculiar errand which I 1 will tell you about later first I 1 want to ask some questions did any one come out here yesterday to repair the telephone and examine the wires on the root roof yes I 1 said promptly but it was not the telephone he said the wiring might have caused the fire are at the stable I 1 went up with him myself but he be only looked around mr jamieson Jam leson smiled good for youl you he applauded dont allow any one in the house that you dont trust and dont trust anybody all are not electricians who wear rubber gloves to further but he got a slip of paper out of his bis pocketbook pocket book and opened it carefully listen he said you heard this before and scoffed in the light of recent developments I 1 want you to read it again you are a clever woman miss innes just as surely as I 1 sit here there Is something soi in this house bouse that la Is wanted very anxiously by a number of people the lines are closing up miss innes the paper was the one he had found among arnold armstrongs effects and I 1 recall it again by altering the plans for rooms room may be possible the best beat w way ay in my opinion would be b to the plan for to r in one of the rooms cai chimney lm ne YI 1 I think I 1 understand I 1 1311 said id slowly some one Is searching for the secret room and the invaders and the holes in the plaster have been in the progress pro gresa of his or her investigations iler her I 1 asked miss jones innes the detective defective said getting up 1 I believe that somewhere in the walls of this house bouse la Is hidden some of the money at least from the traders bank I 1 believe just as surely that young walker brought home from california the knowledge of something of the sort and falling failing in his effort to reinstall mrs lira armstrong and her daughter here he or a confederate has tried to break into the house on two occasions I 1 think list h succeeded succeed ea on three at least I 1 corrected and then I 1 told him about the night before 1 I have been thinking hard I 1 concluded and I 1 do not believe the man at the head of the circular staircase was dr walker I 1 dont think he could have got in and the voice was not his mr air jamieson Jam leson got up and paced the floor his hands behind him there la Is something else that puzzles me he said stepping before me who and what is the woman nina carrington it it was she who came here as mattle bliss what did she tell that sent him racing to pr dr walkers and then to miss arm strong it we could find that woman we would have the whole thing mr jamieson Jam leson did you ever think that paul armstrong might not have died a natural death that Is the thing we are going to try to find out he replied and then gertrude elms came in announcing a man below io to see mr jamieson Jam leaon 1 I want you present at this interview miss innes he said mar riggs come up apt lie has ba left dr walker and he hoj has something he wants wanta to tell us ua 1 illges s came into the room diffident ly but mr jamieson Jam leson put him at his ease lie ile kept a careful eye on me however and slid into a chair by the door when he be was asked to sit down now riggs began mr jamieson Jam leBon kindly you are to say what you have to say gay before this lady you promised keep it quiet mr jamieson Jam leson riggs plainly did not trust me there was nothing friendly in the glance he turned on me yes yes you will be protected hut but first ot of all did you bring what you promised riggs produced a roll of 0 papers from under his coat and handed them over mr air jamieson Jam leson examined them with lively satisfaction and passed them to me the blueprints blue prints of sun bun he said bald what did I 1 tell you now biggs we are ready id never have come to you mr jamieson Tam leson he began it it been for miss bliss armstrong when mr innes was spirited away like and miss louise got sick because of it I 1 thought things had gone far enough id done some things for the doctor before that just bear looking into but I 1 turned ii a bit asque did you help with aaa I 1 asked leaning forward no mam I 1 even know of it until the next nest day when it came out in the casanova weekly ledger but I 1 know who did awall it all right id better start star tat at the beginning when dr walker went away to california with the armstrong family there was talk in the town that when he came back he would be miss armstrong Armstro jg g and we all expected it first thing I 1 knew I 1 got a letter from him in the west lie seemed to be excited and he said bald miss armstrong had taken a sudden notion to go home and he sent me some money I 1 was to watch for her to see if she went to sunnyside Sunny side and wherever she was wai not to lose sight of her until ho he got home I 1 traced her to the lodge and I 1 guess I 1 scored scared you on the delv daiv one night miss innes and roble I 1 ejaculated riggs grinned sheepishly 1 I only wanted to make sure miss louise was there started to run and I 1 tried to stop her and tell her some sort of a story to account tor for my being there but she watt wait and the broken china la the fc basket well broken chinas cainas death to rubber tires he said 1 I any complaint against 1 you people here and the dragon fly was a good car so roslea highwayman was explained pla ined well I 1 telegraphed the doctor where miss louise was and I 1 kept an eye jn in her just a day or so before they cime came home with tho the body I 1 got another letter telling me to watch tor for a woman who had been pitted fitted with smallpox iler her name was carrington ring ton and the doctor made things pretty strong it if I 1 found any such woman loafing around I 1 was not to lose sight of her for a minute until the doctor got back well I 1 would have had my hands full but the other woman show up for a good while and when she did the doctor was home riggs I 1 asked suddenly did you get into this house a day or two after I 1 took it at night 1 I did not miss innes I 1 have never been in the house before well the carrington woman show up until the night mr disappeared bap came to the office late and the doctor was out she waited around walking the floor and working herself into a passion when the doctor come back she was in an awful way she wanted me to hunt him and when he appear she called him names said he fool her there was murder being done and she would see him swing for it TO BH BE CONTINUED |