6 THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE &V MARY ❖ V- JiOBtRT MNZHART ILLUSTRATIONS BY r *V CiirrtvatT !»oa CY tu&aj -lUMtaJicm ' SYNOPSIS. Miss Innes, spinster and guardian of Gertrude and Halsey, established summer headquarters at Sunnyside. Amidst nu merous diilUulties the servants deserted. As Miss limes locked up for the night, she was startled by a dark figure on tiie veranda. She passed a terrible night, which was tilled with unseemly noises. In the morning Miss Innes found a strange link cuff button in a clothes hamper. Gertrude and Halsey arrived wilh Jack Bailey. The house was awak ened by a revolver shot. A strange man was found shot to death, in the hall. It proved to be the body of Arnold Arm strong, whose banker father owned the country house. Miss Innes found Ilal sey's revolver on the lawn. He and Jack Bailey had disappeared. The link cuff button mysteriously disappeared. De tective Jamieson and the coroner arrived. Gertrude revealed that she was engaged to Jack Bailey, with whom she had talked in the billiard room a few mo ments before the murder. Jamieson told Miss Innes that she was hiding evidence from him. He imprisoned an intruder in an empty room. The prisoner escaped down a laundry chute. It developed that the intruder was probably a woman. Ger trude was suspected, for the intruder left a print of a bare foot. Gertrude re turned home with her right ankle sprained. A negro found the other half of what proved to be Jack Bailey's cuff button. Halsey suddenly reappeared. He said he and Bailey had left because they had received a telegram. Gertrude said that she had given Bailey an un loaded revolver, fearing to give him Hal sey's loaded weapon. Cashier Bailey of Paul Armstrong's bank, defunct, was ar rested, charged with embezzlement. Hal sey said Armstrong had wrecked his own bank, and was able to clear Bailey. A telegram contained news that Paul Arm si rong was dead. Halsey trapped Mrs. Watson, the housekeeper, while she was stealing from the house. CHAPTER Xll.—Continued. "I reckon you bettah come in Mis' Innes," he said, speaking cautiously. "It's got so I dunno what to do, and it's boun' to *omo out some time er ruther." He threw the door open then, and I stepped inside, Halsey close behind. In the sitting room the old negro turned with quiet dignity to Halsey. "You bettah sit down, salt," he Baid. "It's a place for a woman, sah." Things were not turning out the way Halsey expected. He sat down on the center-table, with his hands thrust in his pockets, and watched nte as I followed Thomas up the nar row stairs. At the top a woman was standing, and a second glance showed me it was Kosle. She shrank back a little, but I said nothing. And then Thomas motioned to a partly open door, and I went in. The lodge boasted of three bed rooms upstairs, all comfortably fur nished. In this one, the largest and airiest, a night lamp was burning, and by its light I could make out a plain white metal bed. A girl was asleep there —or in a half stupor, for she muttered something now and then. Rosle had taken her courage in her hands, and coming in had turned up the light. It was only then that I know. Fever-flushed, ill as she was, I recognized Louise Armstrong. I stood gazing down at her in a stupor of amazement. Louise here, hiding at the lodge, ill and alone! Rosie came up to the bed and smoothed the white counterpane. "I am afraid she is worse tonight," she ventured at last. 1 put my hand on the sick girl's forehead. It was burning with fever, and I turned to where Thomas lingered in the hall way. "Will yon tell me what you mean, Thomas Johnson, by not telling me this before?" I demanded indignantly. Thomas quailed. "Mis' Louise wouldn't let me," he said earnestly. "I wanted to. She ought to 'a' had a doctor the night she came, but she wotildn' hear to it. Is she very bad. Mis' Innes?" "Mad enough," 1 said coldly. "Send Mr. tones tip." Ilalsey came up the stairs slowly, looking rather Interested and Inclined to be amused. For a moment he could not *<•«• anything distinctly In the d>irk<-:.ed room; he stopped, glanced lit Itosle and at me, and then his eyes fell OB the restless heud on the pil low I think he felt who It was before he really saw her; he crossed the room In a couple of strides and bent over the bed "Louise!" he said softly; but she did not reply, und her eyes showed no recognition Ilalsey was young, and Illness was new to him He straight ened hiuiself slowly, still watching her. and taught my arm "She's dying. Aunt llay!" he said huskily. hying! Why, she doesn't know in*!" Fudge!" I snapped, b«lllg apt to grow irritable when my sympathies are aroui d She's doing nothing of the sort tad don't pim hmy arm If you want soiin thing to do, go and choke Thomas." Hut at that moment Louise roused froiu her Stupor to cough, and at the •nd of ibe paroxysm, a Itn-du laid her tl.K'k ttgli:lli*tt«| he km * UN That w*a all Hal ey wanted, to Mm con st lousnesa was recovery He dropped or. Ills km Im id* the betl, and tried to t> || in r the was all right, and we would bring her around iu a hurry, and iow bi.i'itliiii <ih< looked ..*ly to !><• ik t§< mi utterly and have to •lop And at that I taiwi* to uty s< i- « s, and put him out This instant'" I ordered, as tie he* |tai> d ' Kiel :i ml Mo# ■ lim' He did HIM so tai tlx sat on the |n> ie|» of tha «i .11 tint< |, , ,n, i. t< >"•»" loi a. d lie sad - 1 1 lug iu H'Ulcili i *») hi hi* *s*»ru« « to ft'ill a. I'a If 1 <l* kl' 4*a) fill.I! ly, by sending him to fix up the car as a sort of ambulance, in case the doctor would allow the sick girl to be moved. He sent Gertrude down to the lodge loaded with all manner of impossible things, including an arm ful of Turkish towels and a box of mustard plasters, and as the two girls had known each other somewhat be fore, Louise brightened perceptibly when she saw Gertrude. When the doctor from Engiewood— the Casanova doctor, Dr. Walker, be ing away—had started for Sunnyside, and I had got Thomas to stop trying to explain what he did not understand himself, I had a long talk with the old man, and this is what I learned. On Saturday evening before, about ten o'clock, he had been reading in the sitting room downstairs, when some one rapped at the door. The old man was alone, Warner not having arrived, and at first he was uncertain about opening the door. lie did so finally, and was amazed at being con fronted by Louise Armstrong. Thomas was an old family servant, having been with the present Mrs. Armstrong since she was a child, and he was overwhelmed at seeing Louise. He saw that she was excited and tired, and he drew her into the sitting room and made her sit down. After a while he went to the house and brought Mrs. Watson, and they talked until late. The old man said Louise was in trouble, and seemed frightened. Mrs. Watson made some tea and took it to the lodge, but Louise made them both promise to keep her presence a secret. She had not known that Sunnyside was rented, and whatever her trouble TO " u 1 Amazed at Being Confronted by Louise Armstrong. was, this complicated things. She seemed puzzled. Her stepfather and her mother were still In California— that was ull she would say about them Why she had run away no one could Imuglne. Mr. Arnold Armstrong was at the Greenwood club, aud at last Thomas, not knowing what else to do, went over there along the path. It was almost midnight Fart way over he met Armstrong himself and brought him to the lodge. Mrs Wat son had gone to the house for some bed linen, it having been arranged that under the circumstances Nnilse would be better ut the hxjg.i until morning Arnold Armstrong and Louise hud u long conference, during which he was heard to stortu and be come very violent When he left It was after two. He had gone up to the house Thomas did n<>t know why -and at three o'clock he was shot at the foot of the circular staircase. The following morning Louise hud been ill She had asked lor Arnold, and was told he had left towu. Thomas had not the moral courage to tell her of the crime She refused a doctor, and shrank morbidly frum hav ing her presence known Mr* Wat ou and Thomas had had their hands full, and at last Itoate had heeu en listed to help the 111 Mh* carried noc e sary provisions little enough to the lodge, and help'd to k"«p the secret Thomas told Me itulte frankly that he had been anxious to keep Louisa s prt»«ne« hidden fur this r« »»ou They I.ad all si'-n Arnold Ami»irong that night, and he, him»-lf. fur one, waa known to hate had no very friendly feeling for the dead man V» lu the r« a "ii for Irfiul ■ s Might 11inn fall turn is, or why she had not gone lu thi Filihughs'. or to tuiui id le-i p> o |iU in town. h» had no luotw miiuma ti'<n tha* I had With lbs -i■ •' l l* ol CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1910. her stepfather and the prospect of the immediate return of the family, things had become more and more impossible. I gathered that Thomas was as relieved as I at the turn events had taken. No, she did not know of either of the deaths in the family. Taken all around, I had only substi tuted one mystery for another. If I knew now why Rosie had taken the basket of dishes, I did not know who had spoken to her and followed her along the drive. If I knew that Louise was in the lodge, I did not know why she was there. If I knew that Arnold Armstrong had spent some time in the lodge the night before he was mur dered, I was no nearer the solution of the crime. Who was the midnight in truder who had so alarmed Liddy and myself? Who had fallen down the clothes chute? Was Gertrude's lover a villain or a victim? Time was to answer all these things. CHAPTER XIII. Louise. The doctor from Engiewood came very soon, and I went up to see the sick girl with him. Halsey had gone to supervise the fitting of the car with blankets and pillows, and Gertrude was opening and airing Louise's own rooms at the house. Her private sit ting room, bedroom and dressing room were as they had been when we came. They occupied the end of the east wing, beyond the circular staircase, and we had not even opened them. The girl herself was too ill to notice what was being done. When, with the help of the doctor, who was a fa- therly awn with a family of girls at home, we got her to the houso and up thu stairs Into bed. she dropped into a feverish sleep, which lasted until morning. Dr. Stewart—that was the Knglewood doctor —stayed almost all night, giving thu medicine himself, and watching her closely. Afterward he told me that she had had a narrow escape from penumonla. and that the cerebral symptoms had been rather alarming I said I was glad It wasn't an "Itls" of boiim kind, anyhow, and he smiled solemnly. He left after breakfast, saying that he thought the worst of the danger was over, and that she must be kept very quiet. "The shock of two deaths, 1 sup pose, has done this,"he remarked, picking up his case "It has beon very deplorable," I hastened to set him right. "Hhe does not know of either, doc tor," I said "i'leasw do uot locution them to her." llk looked as surprised as a no dical man ttver docs "1 do not know the family," he said, preparing to get into his top buggy. Young \Valk<<r, down in Casanova, has be*B attending them I uad«r stand he Is going to marry this youitg lady " "You have been Mlalnfor HI >'«!," I said study "Miss Armstrong la go ing lo marry tuy nephew " The doctor smiled as he picked up th« rviu* "Young ladl»» are rhangeublti these days," h* said "W» thought the *ed ain« to atur stain Well, i will stop in this afternoon to see how my patient hi Sell III* ftlttag ' Mo«m« time about ntMU of that day, Wekla. day Mrs tigUm lluhugh tab photted ISo I kava thu barest at' «4U*i||t«!|t» H I 111 i Id fal w«t tin bu4<«l mi iUv Old Ladies' home and ruins their di gestion by sending them ice cream and cake on every holiday. Beyond that, and her reputation at bridge, which is insufferably bad —she is the worst player at the bridge club —I know little of her. It was she who had taken charge of Arnold Arm strong's funeral, however, and I went at once to the telephone. "Yes," I said, "this is Miss Innes." "Miss Innes," she said volubly, "I have just received a very strange tele gram from my cousin, Mrs. Arm strong. Her husband died yesterday in California and —wait, I will read you the message." I knew what was coming, and I made up my mind at once. If Louise Armstrong had a good and sufficient reason for leaving her people and coming home, a reason, moreover, that kept her from going at once t© Mrs. Ogden Fitghugh, and brought her to the lodge at Sunnyside instead, it was not my intention to betray her. Louise herself must notify her people. I do not justify myself now, but re member, I was in a peculiar position toward the Armstrong family. I was connected most unpleasantly with a cold-blooded crime, and my niece and nephew were practically beggared, either directly or indirectly, through the head of the family. Mrs. Fitzhugh had found the mas sage. " 'Paul died yesterday. Heart dis ease,' " she read. " 'Wire at once if Louise is with you.' You see, Miss Innes, Louise must have started east, and Fanny is alarmed about her." "Yes," I said. "Louise is not here," Mrs. Fitzhugh went on,"and none of her friends— the few who are still in town—have seen her. I called you because Sunny side was not rented when she went away, and Louise might have gone there." "I am sorry, Mrs. Fitzhugh, but I cannot help you," I said, and was im mediately filled with compunction. Suppose Louise grow worse? Who was I to play Providence in this case? The anxious mother certainly had a right to know that her daughter was in good hands. So I broke in on Mrs. Fitzhugh's voluble excuses for disturbing me. "Mrs. Fitzhugh," I said. "I was go ing to let you think I knew nothing about Louise Armstrong, but I have changed my mind. Louise is here, with me." There was a clatter of ejaculations at the other end of the wire. "She is ill, and not able to be moved. Moreover, she is unable to see any one. I wish you would wire her mother that she is with me, and tell her not to worry. No, Ido not know why she came east." "But my dear Miss Innes!" Mrs. I Fitzhugh began. I cut in ruthlessly. "I will send for you as soon as she 1 can see you," 1 said. "No, she is not in a critical state now, but the doctor says she must have absolute quiet. When I had hung up the receiver, I sat down to think. So Louise had fled from her people in California, and had come east alone! It occurred to me that l)r. Walker might be concerned !in it. might possibly have bothered her with unwelcome attentions; but 1 it seemed to me that Louise was hard | iy a girl to take refuge In flight under I such circumstances. She had always 1 been high-spirited, with the well -1 poised head and buoyant step of the I outdoors girt. It must have been much more in keeping with Louise's char | acter, as 1 knew it, to resent vigorous ly any unwelcome attentions from Dr. Walker, it was the suitor whom I [ should have expected to see in head long flight, not the lady In the case. The puzzle was no clearer at the end of the half hour. I picked up the morning papers, which were still full of the looting of the Traders' bunk, the Interest at fever height again, on account of I'aul Armstrong's death. The bunk examiners were working on | the books, and said nothing for publi cation; John Huiiey hud beeu released on bond The body of Paul Armstrong would arrive Sunday and would be buried from the Armstrong tow* : house. There were rumors thut the ' dead man's estate had been a com paratively small one The last para graph was the Important one Walter I' Broad hurst of the Ma ; rlue bunk had produced -"<» American Traction bonds, w hlch had been placed I as security with the Murinn bank for a i loan of |lHO.uuo, mude to I'aul Arm strong just before his California trip The bonds were 14 purt at the missing traction bonds from the Traitors' j bunk' While this lutolvod the laie president of th»< wrecked bank, to my mind It by no menus cleared its cashier <T'» to: CONTIMt'IP.) Why Ms Old Not Com*. "Why didtt l >nu cmue, Hobby, when I first called to you asked a mother wt her sU yvar old son "Because you told ute last wi<«k, mamma," replied I lobby shrewdly, | ui'%' r to accept an invitation unless It , was Wpanted Hu many poople Invito yuu > out of pullteuoss but rually dun l want you tu coate." «l the Aitrit, Punm Ilet«.«da. a population ul • 1""" »• tUs U«n >uii) m i i*l*nda ARE YOUR KIDNEY S WELL?. The kidney secretions tell if disease !s lurking in the system. Too frequent or scanty urination, discolored urine, lack of control at. night indicate that the kidneys are dis ordered. Doan's Kid ney Pills cure sick kidneys. S. E. Vaugban, 601 E. South St., lola, Kan., says: "Diabetes had set in and I ex pected to live but a short time. Kidney secretions were milky white and back pains were terrible. 1 was sr ? 11 1 < ■ so dizzy my wife had to lead me. After trying everything else, I began with Loan's Kidney Pills and was soon helped. Continued use cured me." Remember the name—Doan's. For sale by all dealers. 50 cents a box. Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y. OF COURSE. illl i'ri'b'l patent medi cine seems to have gained a great rep utation for curing people. To what do you attribute its great curative powers ? Tho Boss—To extensive and judi cious advertising. Tough Luck. "I thought you said this was a young chicken," remarked Newed, as he sawed away at a portion of the bird. • "And I thought it was," rejoined his better half. "I looked in its mouth and It showed no indication of having out a single tooth yet. The dealer must have imposed upon me." "Did he tell you it was a young chicken?" queried her husband. "No," replied Mrs. Newed. "But I'm Bure he must have extracted its teeth before offering It for sale." His Pet. Darker —Think I'll try to sell old Stuffem some pet dogs. Barker —Useless job. All he thinks about is eating. Darker —Hasn't any four-legged friends, eh? Barker—Only one, and that's the dining room table. Not He. "The fare in this hotel is fierce." "But the scenery is sublime." "The landlord doesn't deserve any credit for that." Freedom is the only soil in which great and good men grow—freedom of mind and body. 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