Show ca R al HURY 4 an 5 40 1 ILI BY CA WN w A ey y ca I 1 SYNOPSIS miss innes spinster and guardian of gertrud gertrude and halicy halsey established sun mer mar hea at sunn elde side an aist n berous difficulties the servants deserted As al ss innes locked up for the t she was ras startled by a dark fl re 0 01 i tl a e veranda she passed a ter ble wl acl ic N v as filled with unseemly noise in the mornin AT ss innes found a strange link cuff button in a clothes hamper gertrude and halsey arrived R ditl jack ba ley TI tie a I 1 louse ouse was ras awak ened by a er sl ot A strange man R was as to fo nd slot to death in ta tie a hall it pro ed to be the body of arno d arm bt at ong on whose rhose banker father gown owned ed t tl 1 e country house miss innes found foun d il hal 1 sey 8 a e alv oher er on the lawn he ile and jack balle bailey y had d disappeared sapp eared tl TI a e ink 1 c ff button m sly disappeared de jamieson a ani n 1 the coroner arrived gertrude revealed that she as engaged to jack bailey wit whom she had talked in tl a e bill ard room a few mo ments before tl a e n arder jan leson told 11 iss innes that sl a e R was as hid as ng evidence from him he imprisoned an intruder in an empty room the p idoner escaped down a laundry chute it developed that the cintr der was probably a boman ger gel trude was suspected for the intruder left a print of a bare foot gertrude re turned home with rith her right ankle r sprained pral ned A negro f found e und the other half of what proved to be jaci jacl ba ley s cuff button halsey suddenly reappeared he ila said he and bailey had left beca bees se so they I 1 ad received a telegram gertrude said that she had give bailey an un load loaded a d re olve fearing to give him hal say s loaded weapon casi casl ler far bailey of paul armstrong a bank def net w m as a rested cl arge I 1 wit embezzle nent hal se sey y said armstrong had wrecked his own bank ank and was able to clear bailey A telegram contained news that paul arm strong was ras dead halsey trapped mrs watson the I 1 housekeeper ouse keeper while she N as abc atc empal al n hn from the I 1 ouse at the lode misa miss innes and halsey found halsey s fiancee louse lou se ar ast ong sister of the lead man she was believed to be in cal bead tornia the lode keeper told M ss innes that hat louise and arnold had had a long talk the night of the murder louise was prostrated CHAPTER XIII continued the gardener mentioned by halsey came out about tro tw 0 clock in the aft ernson and walked up from the sta tion I 1 was favorably impressed by him his references were good he had been employed by the he brays until they went ment to europe and he looked young and vigorous he ile asked for one assistant and I 1 was glad enough to get off so u easily he was a pleas ant faced young fellow with black hair and blue eyes and his name was alexander graham I 1 have been par nicular about alex because as I 1 said before he played an important part later that afternoon I 1 had a new insight into the character of the dead banker I 1 had my first conversation with louise she sent for me and against my better judgment I 1 went she held out her hand and I 1 took it between both of mine what can isay I 1 say to you miss la ix nesa she said slowly to have come like this I 1 thought she was going to break down but she did not you are not to think of anything but of getting well I 1 said patting her hand when you are better I 1 am going to scold you for not coming here at once this is your home my dear and of all people in the world halsey s old aunt ought to make you welcome she smiled a I 1 atle sadly I 1 thought I 1 ought not to see halsey she said miss innes there are a gibat many th thugs you ll 11 will III belei under stand I 1 am afraid I 1 am an imposter on your sympathy because I 1 I 1 stay here and let you lavish care on me and all the time I 1 know you are going to despise me nonsense I 1 said briskly why what would halsey do to me if I 1 even ventured such a he ile is so big and masterful that if I 1 dared to be e 6 or Q M 12 he looked young and V dorous anything any tl ing but rait no is oer oler you he 90 0 id tl I 1 low ow me 0 it of a windo v in deed lie R 0 ild be quite capable of it sl e seemed scarcely to hedi heal n y fa botious tone 1 she he had eloa blown eyes the joneses are fair and pone lione to a fei 61 ayish green oi 01 tic tl at is better for use u than appearance and they seemed now to be clouded with trou brou ble poor halsey she said softly miss innes I 1 cannot marry him and I 1 am afraid boitell to tell him I 1 am a cow ard a coal coward ird I 1 sat beside the bed and stared at her she was wag too ill to argue with and besides sick people take queer fancies yd A f ft will talk about that wl en yo i are stronger sti I 1 sad sa d gently R B t tl ere are some things I 1 must tell f rj she insisted you in mist ondi I 1 lo 10 0 I 1 came I 1 ere and why I 1 edne I 1 1 i it tt the lodge dear old 4 e W WA I 1 am very sorry you have made this decision he said thomas has been almost crazy miss innes I 1 did not know that Sunny sunnyside side was rented I 1 knew my mother wished to rent it without telling my step father but the news must have reached her after I 1 left when I 1 started east I 1 had only one idea to be alone with my thoughts for a time lo 10 bury myself here then I 1 must have taken a cold on the train you came east in clothing suitable for california I 1 said and like all young girls nowadays I 1 don t suppose you wear flannels but she was not listening miss innes she said has my stepbrother arnold gone away awaya what do you meana I 1 asked startled but louise was literal he ile didn dian t come back that night she said and it was so important that I 1 should see him I 1 believe he has gone away I 1 re plied uncertainly isn t it something that we could attend to Instead 9 but she shook her head I 1 must do it myself she said dully halsey came to the door at that mo ment and I 1 could hear him coaxing liddy for admission to the sick room shall I 1 brin bring him ina I 1 asked un uncertain certai n what to do the girl seemed to shrink back among her pillows at the sound of bis his voice I 1 was ras vaguely irritated with her there are few young fellows like hal sey straightforward ard honest and will ing to sacrifice everyll ng for the one woman roman I 1 knew one once more than 30 1 0 years ago who was like that he died a long time ago and sometimes I 1 take out his picture with its cane and its queer hat and look at it bi t of late years it has grown too painful he is always a boy and I 1 am in ol 01 oil I 1 woman I 1 m a 0 ild not bring him bick if I 1 could perhaps it v as some s ich tell mem ory tl at made me call out sharply con e in hal ey and then I 1 took mv my sewn and went into the bo dior beyond to play propriety pro I 1 dil nit ti kiy y to hear wl at they sa d but avei eveia y R wold oi d came tl ti rough the open door with curious distinctness halsey had ell bently gone over to the bed and I 1 suppose he kissed hei there was ras si lence tor for a moment as if words s peril 0 s things I 1 hae bale been almost wild sweet heal t halsey s i voce 0 cc why didn dian t yo i trust me and send for me b forea it R was as beca se I 1 co ilan t trust my self si e said in a low tone I 1 am too weak real to today oh oli hal sey u i ow I 1 I 1 ave wanted to see you there was something I 1 ill all I 1 not hear then halsey igalo NN e coi cot id go av am ay he A as say ng what does it in knittel ittai about any one in the m orld b it j st ta tie e tv two 0 ot of usa I 1 10 0 b al ays together like this I 1 and in hand lo 10 ise don t tell me it isn t go gong ng to be I 1 wont belie believe a you you don t know 3 0 i don t know knor lou se rei rel bated dully halsey I 1 care you know that but not enough to many mariy you that is not true lo 10 use he said sternly you cannot look at me with yo i honest eyes and say that I 1 cannot marry yo i she repeated mise miserably its bad enough isn t it ita I 1 don t make it worse some day be fore long yo i will be glad then it is because you have never loved me there were depths of hurt pride in his voice I 1 lou ou saw how much I 1 loved yo I 1 i and you let me think you cared for a while no that isn t like you louise there is something you haven t told me Is it because there is some one elsea yes almost inaudibly louise oh I 1 don t believe it it it is true she sa d sadly halsey you must not try to see me again As soon as I 1 can I 1 am going away aray from here I 1 ere you ou are all so in ch kind er than I 1 deserve and whatever you hear about me try to think as well of me as you can I 1 am going to mar ry another min how you must hate me hate met me I 1 could hear halsey cross the room to the window then after a pause he went back to her again I 1 could hardly sit still I 1 wanted to go in and give her good shaking then its all over he was saying with a long breath the plans we made together the hopes the all of it over well not be a baby and give you up the minute you say I 1 don t love you and I 1 do love some one else I 1 can not say that she breathed but very soon I 1 shall marry the other man I 1 could hear halsey s low atrium pliant laugh I 1 defy him he said sweetheart as long as ou care for me I 1 am not afraid the wind slammed the door between the two rooms just then and I 1 could hear nothing more although I 1 moved my chair quite close after a dis creet interval I 1 went wept into the other room and found louise alone she was staring with sad eyes at the cherub painted on the ceiling over the bed and because she looked tired I 1 did not disturb her CHAPTER XIV an egg nog and a telegram we had discovered louise at the lodge tuesday night it was wednes day I 1 had my interview with her 1 thursday and friday were uneventful save sale as they marked improvement in our patient gertrude certrude spent almost all the time with her and the two had grown to be great fi lends but tain things hi lit i g over me constantly the coroners coio coi ners inquest on the death of arnold armstrong to be held satur day and the alrh arrival al of mrs arm strong and oung dr walker bring ing the body of the dead president of the bradeis bank we had not told lo 10 ise of either death then too I 1 v as andio is abo it the children with their mo I 1 er s ingerl tince wept swept away in the wieck rieck of the bank and with their love loie aft ilis ill s in a licastro lis astro is condition ondi tion things could sc scarcely at cely be boise n oi se A I 1 led to tl it the cool and li idy I 1 ai a flare up over the proper ray M av to nake n ake beef tea tor for louise and of c I 1 ise se the cook cool left mrs watson I 1 id been gad g ad enough I 1 think to turn I 1 ouis to our care and I 1 11 ion on as ll 11 went ent ip 11 night and n orning to greet his young mis tress tro fro ii the doorway poor tl TI amis omis ho ile had the faculty found stil in some old neli u os o s wl 0 cling to the tradition of beavery bid very days of making his employer employers s interest his it was ras ilas N e with ttomas I 1 miss I 1 im sorel pip smoking kina abse luious not avei reliable lindly old man on mr nir the arm strongs legal adviser called up from town he ile had been advised I 1 e said that mrs armstrong was ras coming east with her his hi stands body and would rould arrive arrine monday he ile came with some hesitation at last to he fact that he had been further instructed to ask me to relinquish my lease on sunny bide side as it was mrs armstrong s de sire tu to come directly there I 1 was aghast here I 1 said surely you are mistaken mr harton I 1 should think after what happened here only a few days ago she would never wish to come I 1 ack nevertheless he replied she Is most anxious to come this Is what sl e says use every possible means to have sunnyside Sunny side vacated must go 90 there at once mr harton I 1 sa d testily I 1 am no going to do anything of the tho kind I 1 and mine have suffered enough at the hands of this family I 1 rented the house at an exorbitant figure and I 1 I 1 lave ave noved oved n out here for the summer my city home Is dismantled and in the h ands of decorators I 1 have been here one week during which I 1 have had not a single night of uninterrupted sleep and I 1 intend to stay until I 1 have recuperated moreover it if mr armstrong died insolvent as I 1 believe a as the case his V widow ought to be bee glad to be rid of so expensive a eleew of property rabe lawyer cleared his throat I 1 am very sorry you have made this decision he said miss innes mrs fitzhugh tells me louise arm strong Is with you she Is has she been informed of this double bereavements 7 9 not yet I 1 said she has been very III perhaps tonight to night she can be told it la Is very sad very sad he said I 1 have a telegram for her miss in nes shall I 1 send it out better open it and read it to me I 1 sug suggested geste it if it Is important that will III save time me there was a pause while mr liar har ton opened the telegram then he read it slowly judicially watch for nina carrington home monday signed F L W hum I 1 said watch for nina carrington home monday very well mr harton I 1 will tell her but she Is 1 not in condition to watch for any one well miss innes if you decide er relinquish the lease let ma me know the lawyer said I 1 shall not relinquish it I 1 replied and I 1 imagined his irritation from the way he hung up the receiver I 1 wrote the telegram tele giam down word for word rord afraid to trust my memory and SL decided to ask dr stewart how soon louise might be told the truth the closing of the traders bank I 1 considered unnecessary for her to know but the death of her step stepfather fathey and stepbrother must be broken to hez be soon or she might hear it in some unexpected and shocking manner dr stew stev art came about tour four ci clock bringing his leather satchel into the house with a great deal of care and open opening ilir it at the foot of the stairs to show me a dozen big yellow eggar nesting among the bottles real eggs he sald proudly none of your anemic store eggs but the real thing some of them still warm feel them eggnog for miss louise he ile was beaming with satisfaction and before he left he insisted on go ing back to the pantry and making an eggnog egg nog with his own hands somehow all the time be ile was doing it 1 had a vision of dr willoughby my nerve specialist in the city trying to make an egg nog I 1 wondered if he ever prescribed anything so plebeian elaw 1 9 and so delicious and while dr stewart whisked the eggs he talked I 1 said to mrs stewart he con aided a little red in the face from the exertion after I 1 went home the ott oti ea e day that would think me an old gossip for saying what I 1 did about walker and miss louise nothing of the sort I 1 protested the fact Is he went on evidently justifying iusti tying himself I 1 got that piece ol 01 information just as we get a lot ol 01 things through the kitchen end of the ho bo ise young walker s chauffeur walkers walker s more fasl fashionable conable than I 1 am and he goes around the country in a stanhope car well his chauffeur comes to see our servant girl and he told her the whole thing I 1 thought it t was ras probable because walker alker spent i a lot of time up here last summer finhen hen the family was here and be sides Riggs man hae ha a lery ry pat little story about the doc toi 01 s b a hoise on this proper ty ju just jut t at the foot of ane hill the sugar 1 ahe I he egg eggnog nog v was as ed drop by drop the liquor had cooked the egg and now with a final whisk a last 4 toss in n the hake shake it wag ready roady a synia hony bony in gold and white thy the doctor griffea s ened it real eggs real ml k and a of acal u kentucky ghib ay iy he said he ile insisted on dairying cair ying it up hinr hini self bit at the foot foa of the stairs he aused paused riggs said |