6
THE CIRCULAR STURCASE
BKmarY ❖
•>' ROBERTS
❖ RINEHART
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
CCtPYklUif itot or aOA&A -H£Mlufc+ T
SYNOPSIS.
Miss Innes, spinster and gunrdlan of
Gertrude and Halsey, established sum
mer headquarters at Sunnyside. Arnold
Armstrong was found shut to death in
the hull. Gertrude and her tlance, Jack
Bailey, had conversed in tho billiard
room shortly before tin murder. IJetee
tive Jamieson accused Miss Innes of hold
lns back evidence. Cashier Bailey of Paul
Armstrong's bank, defunct, was arrested
for embezzlement. I J aul Armstrong s
death was announced. Halsey's fiancee,
Louise Armstrong, told Halsey that while
she slill loved him. she was to marry an
other It developed that Dr. Walker was
the man l,ouise was found unconscious
at the bottom of the circular staircase.
She said something had brushed by her
In the dark on the stairway and she
fainted. Bailey is suspected of Arm
strong's murder. Thomas, the lodgekeep
er. was found dead with a note in his
f locket bearing the name "I.ucien Wal
aee " A ladder found out of place deep
ens the mystery. The stables were
burned, and in the dark Miss Innes shot
an intruder. Halsev mysteriously disap
peared. His auto was found wrecked by
ft freight train. It developed Halsey had
an argument in the library with a woman
before his disappearance. New cook dis
appears. Miss Inn»s learned Halsey was
alive. Dr. Walker's face becomes livid
at mention of the name of Nina Carring
ton Evidence was secured from a tramp
that a man, supposedly Halsey, had been
bound and gagged and thrown Into an
empty box car.
CHAPTER XXVlll.— Continued.
Mr. Winters and Alex disposed of
the tramp with a warning. It was evi
dent he had told us all he knew. We
had occasion, within a day or two, to
be doubly thankful that we had given
him his freedom. When Mr. Jamie
son telephoned that night we had news
for him; he told me what I had 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 the
union. But he said to keep on hoping,
that it was the best news we had had.
And in the meantime, consumed with
anxiety as we were, things were hap
pening at the house in rapid succes
sion.
We had one peaceful day—then
<3y took sick in the night. I went in
when I heard her groaning, and found
her with a hot-water bottle to her
face, and her right cheek swollen un
til It was glassy.
"Toothache?" I asked, not too gent
ly. "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 pro
tested, from behind the hot-water bot
tle.
I was hunting around for cotton and
laudanum.
"You have a tooth Just like it your
self. Miss Rachel," she whimpered.
"And I'm sure Dr. Boyle's been trying
to take it out for years."
There was no laudanum, and Liddy
made a terrible fuss when I proposed
carbolic acid, just because I had put
too much on the cotton once and
burned her mouth. I'm sure It never
did her any permanent harm; Indeed, !
. the doctor said afterward that living
on liquid diet had been a splendid rest
for her stomach. But she would have
none of the acid, and she kept me
awake groaning, so at last I got up
and went to Gertrude's door. To my
surprise it was locked.
I went around by the hall and into
her bedroom that way. The bed was
turned down, and her dressing-gown
and night-dress lay ready in the little
room next, but Gertrude was not there.
She had not undressed.
I don't know what terrible thoughts
came to me in the minute I stood
there. Through the door I could hear
Kiddy grumbling, with a squeal now
and then when the pain stabbed
harder. Then, automatically, I got the
laudanum and went back to her.
It was fully a half-hour before Kid
dy's groans subsided At intervals I
went to the door into tho hall and
looked out, hut 1 saw and heard noth
ing .suspicious. Finally, when Liddy
had dropped into a doze, I even ven
tured ;t far as the head of lite circular
staircase, but there floated up to me
only the t'Ven breathing of Winters,
the night detective, sleeping just in
side the entry. And then, far off, I
heard the rapping noise that had lured
Louise down the staircase that other
night, two weeks before. It was over
my head, and very faint —three or four
short innllled taps, a pause, and then
again, stealthily repeated.
The sound of Mr. Winters' breath
ing was comforting; with the thought
thai there was help within call, some
thing kept me from waking him. I did
not move for a moment; ridiculous
thing-. Liddy had said about a ghost—
I aia not at all superstitious, except,
perhaps, in thu middle of the night,
with everything dark things like that
cam • back lo me Almost b< dde me
was the clothes chute 1 could feel It,
but I could see nothing As I stood,
I's'.' iriiK Intently, I heard a sound
mar ine It was vague, Indefinite
Then It censed; there was an uneasy
movement and a grunt from the foot
of the circular staircase, ami silence
again I .I.hml perfectly skill, hardly
il.tr In;; to breathe.
Tien I knew I had been right. Home
oat wa." Healthily pa* ting the head of
the Htiilita*" and coining toward nte
In the dark. I leaned attain >t the wall
fttr Ktii'S"it t -my Uiii • s were giving
way. Tin- steps were close now, ami
suddenly I thought of Gertrude. Of
<m->< It v. :«s Gertrude I put out one
baud lu front of me, hut I touched
S" lui.w \l) voire sliiiij it turn d utu
When I Came To It Was Dawn.
but I managed to gasp out, "Ger
trude!"
"Good Lord!" a man's voice ex
claimed, just beside me. And then I
collapsed. I felt myself going, felt
some one catch me, a horrible nausea
—that was all I remembered.
When I came to it was dawn. I was
lying on the bed in Louise's room,
with the cherub on the ceiling staring
down at me, and there was a blanket
from my own bed thrown over me. I
felt weak and dizzy, but I managed to
get up and totter to the door. At the
foot of the circular staircase Mr. Win
ters was still asleep. Hardly able to
stand, I crept back to my room. The
door into Gertrude's room was no lon
ger locked; she was sleeping like a
tired child. And in my dressing room
Liddy hugged a cold hot-water bottle
and mumbled in her sleep.
"There's some things you can't hold
with hand-cuffs," she was muttering
thickly.
CHAPTER XXIX.
A Scrap of Paper.
For the first time in 20 years I kept
my bed that day. Liddy was alarmed
to the point of hysteria, and sent for
Dr. Stewart Just after breakfast. Ger
trude spent the morning with me,
reading something—l forget what. I
was too busy with my thought to lis
ten. I had said nothing to the two
detectives. If Mr. Jamieson had been
there I should have told him every
thing, but I could not goto these
strange men and tell them my niece
had been missing in the middle of the
night; that she had not gone to bed
at all; that while I was searching for
her through the house I had met a
stranger who, when I fainted, had car
ried me into a room and left me there,
to get better or not, as it might hap
pen.
And there was something else: The
man I had met in the darkness had
been even more startled than I, and
about his voice, when he muttered his
muffled exclamation, there was some
thing vaguely familiar. All that morn
ing, while Gertrude read aloud, and
Liddy watched for the doctor, I was
puzzling over that voice, without re
sult.
Dr. Walker came up, some time just
after luncheon, and asked for me.
"Go down and see him," I instructed
Gertrude. "Tell him I am out —for
mercy's sake don't say I'm sick Find
out what he wants, and from (his time
on, Instruct the servants that ho Is
not to be admitted. I loathe that
man."
Gertrude came hack very soon, her
face rather flushed.
"He came to ask us to get out," she
said, picking up her book with a jerk,
"lie says Louise Armstrong wants to
come here, now that she Is recover
ing"
"And what did you say?"
"I said we were very sorry we could
not leave, but we would be delighted
to have IxmUe come up here with ill.
He looked daggers at me. And he
wanted to know If we would recom
mend Kllxa as u cook lie has brought
a patient, a man, out from town, and
is increasing his establishment -that's
the way he put lt. M
"I wish him Joy of KlUa," I said
tartly. "Did he ask for llulaey?"
"Yes. I told him that we were on
the trai k hot night, itnd that It was
■ lily a question of time He said he
aas glad, although he didn't appear
to he, but h>' said uol to he too san
guine,"
Ho yoti know what I believe?" I
a iked "I believe, as firmly us I be
lli ie anything, that Ui Walker knows
-.i.n,. thing ikMl ll.>i i > .mi that he
I "i.ld put his linger on hliu, if he
I WUMtnd til"
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1910.
There were several things that day
that bewildered me. About three
o'clock Mr. Jamieson telephoned from
the Casanova station and Warner
went down to meet him. I got up and
dressed hastily, and the detective was
shown up to my sitting room.
"No news?" I asked, as he entered.
He tried to look encouraging, without
success.
"It won't be long now, Miss Innes,"
he said. "I have come out here on a
peculiar errand, which I will tell you
about later. First, I want to ask some
questions. Did any one come out here
yesterday to repair the telephone, and
examine the wires on the roof?"
"Yes," I said promptly; "but it was
not the telephone. He said the wiring
might have caused the fire at the
stable. I went up with him myself,
but ho only looked around."
Mr. Jamieson smiled.
"Good for you!" he applauded.
"Don't allow any one in the house
that you don't trust, and don't trust
anybody. All are not electricians who
wear rubber gloves."
He refused to explain further, but
he got a slip of paper out of his
pocket-book and opened it carefully.
"Listen," he said. "You heard this
before and scoffed. In the light of re
cent developments I want you to read
it again. You are a clever woman,
Miss Innes. Just as surely as I sit
here, there is something in this house
that is wanted very anxiously by a
number of people. The lines are clos
ing up, Miss Innes."
The paper was the one he had found
among Arnold Armstrong's effects,
and I recall it again:
——by altering the plans for
rooms, may be possible. Tho best way,
In my opinion, would be to the plan
for In one of the rooms chim
ney.
"I think I understand," I said
slowly. "Some one is searching for
the secret room, and the invaders—"
"And the holes in the plaster—"
"Have been in the progress of
his—"
"Or her—lnvestigations."
"Her?" I asked.
"Miss Innes," the detective said,
getting up, "I believe tlmt somewhere
in the walls of this house is hidden
some of the money, nt least, from the
Traders' bank. I believe, Just as sure
ly. that young Walker brought home
from California the knowledge of
something of the sort, and, failing in
his effort to reinstall Mrs. Armstrong
and her datiKhter here, he, or a con
federate, has tried to break Into the
house. On two occasions I think he
succeeded."
"On three, at least," 1 corrected.
And then I told him übout the night
before. "I have been thinking hard,"
I concluded, "and I do not believe the
man at the head of the circular stalr
cuse was Dr. Walker. 1 don't think he
could have got in, and the voice was
not his."
Mr. Jamieson got up and paced tho
Door, his hands behind him
"There Is something else that pus
sies me," he said, stepping before me.
"Who and what Is the woman Nina
('arrlngton? If It was she who came
here as Mattie llllss, what did she
tell Halsey that sent hliu racing to
Or Walker's, and then to Miss Arm
strong? If we could find that woman
we would taav< the whole thing."
"Mr Jami* •«. did you ever think
! that I'nul Am itrnng might not have
| died a natural d< till?"
"Thai is tlm thing wii are going to
I try to find out," he replied And then
Gertrude came in announcing n man
lii'luw to see Mr. Jamiesoti.
"I want you present at this Inter
i view. Miss Innes," he said May
ttii-its tome up? He has left l»r
\\ uiki i and h<- liae something h«
wauls to tell ua."
Riggs came into the room diffident
ly, but Air. Jamieson put him at his
ease. He kept a careful eye on me,
however, and slid into a chair by the
door when he was asked to sit down.
"Now, Riggs," began Mr. Jamieson
kindly. "You are to say what you
have to say before this lady."
"You promised you'd keep it quiet,
Mr. Jamieson." Riggs plainly did not
trust me. There was nothing friendly
in the glance he turned on me.
"Yes, yes. You will be protected.
But, first of all, did you bring what
you promised?"
Riggs produced a roll of papers
from under his coat, and handed them
over. Mr. Jamieson examined them
with lively satisfaction, and passed
them to me. "The blue-prints of Sun
nyside," he said. "What did I tell
you? Now, Riggs, we are ready."
"I'd never have come to you, Mr.
Jamieson," he began, "if it hadn't been
for Miss Armstrong. When Mr. In
nes was spirited away, like, and Miss
Louise got sick because of it, I
thought things had gone far enough.
I'd done some things for the doctor
before that wouldn't just bear looking
into, but I turned a bit squeamish."
"Did you help with that?" I asked,
leaning forward.
"No, ma'm. I didn't even know of
it until the next day, when it came
out in the Casanova Weekly Ledger.
But I know who did it, all right. I'd
better start 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 married to
Miss Armstrong, and we all expected
it. First thing I knew, I got a letter
from him in the west. He seemed to
be excited, and he said Miss Arm
strong had taken a sudden notion to
go home and he sent me some money.
I was to watch for her, to see if she
went to Sunnyside, and wherever she
was, not to lose sight of her until he
got home. I traced her to the lodge,
and I guess I scared you on the drive
one night, Miss Innes."
"And Rosle!" I ejaculated.
Riggs grinned sheepishly.
"I only wanted to make sure Miss
Louise was there. Rosie started to
run, and I tried to stop her and tell
her some sort of a story to account
for my being there. But she wouldn't
wait."
"And the broken china —in the
basket?"
"Well, broken china's death to rub
ber tires," he said. "I hadn't any
complaint against you people here,
and the Dragon Fly was a good car."
So Rosie's highwayman was ex
plained.
"Well, I telegraphed the doctor
where Miss Louise was and I kept an
eye on her. Just a day or so before
they came home with the bo4y I got
another letter, telling me to watch
for a woman who had been pitted
with smallpox. Her name was Car
| rington, and the doctor made things
! pretty strong. If I found any such
woman loafing around, I was not to
; lose sight of her for a minute until
I the doctor got back.
"Well, I would have had my hands
full, but the other woman didn't show
up for a good while, and when she did
; the doctor was home."
"Riggs," I asked suddenly, "did you
get into this house a day or two after
I took it, at night?"
"I did not, Miss Innes. I have never
been in the house before. Well, the
Carrlngton woman didn't show up un
til the night Mr. Halsey disappeared.
She 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
didn't come back, she was in an awful
way. She wanted iue to hunt him,
anil when he didn't appear, she called
him names; said he couldn't fool her.
There was murder being done, and
she would see him swing for it.
(TO HE CONTINUED.)
Dresden China.
Judging by your recent note, writes
a correspondent. It seems that the
geographical knowledge possessed by
girl typists Is about on n level with
that possessed by the damsels who
represent the postiuast«r general be
hind the counters of our suburban
post officei. Having occasion recently
to telegraph funds to a town In Ger
i many. It became necessary for the
! clerk to consult the post office guide,
j After a long and fruitless search I
ventured to suggest that she mum not
likely to tind the town 1 wanted In th«
section devoted to the culrstlal en
plre, where she was looking. "Not
under China" she retorted supercili
ously. "You sutd liresden, didn't
you?"
The C onto ling Volume
There was a buck ward student al
Haldol who, for failure to puss an el
animation In Greek, was ' an-nt down."
j Ills toother went to see the master,
Ur. Jowett, and explained to tilm what
an e*eellettt lud her son was. "ll i» s
hard experience for tiliu, this dls
grace," said the old lady; but lie will
have the consolatiuu of rellglou. autl
there la always one book to which li*
' cau turn " Jowett e)ed her lor a mo
tuetit and then answered. 'Yea, ma
iiaui. the Uiwek giatautivwd
| morula^"
CHEERFUL WORDS FOR
SUFFERING WOMEN.
No woman can bo healthy with sick
kidneys. They are often the true
cause of bearing-down pains, head-
Fvrry flrlure jm*. BChes, dIZ/.ITIeSS,
lei Is A Slory mVS
jjry nervousness
etc. Keep the
kidneys well
jM// and health 1>
I oas "- v main
/ tained. Doan'a
I K1 dn 0 y pll,s
J ' ™|ir/f make strong,
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rua, 0„ says; "I
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I was attended by several doctors but
they all failed to help me. Doan's Kid
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given up all hope and soon cured me.
I have had no kidney trouble in three
years."
Remember the name—Doan's.
For sale by all dealers. 50 cents a
box. Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y.
Had Been Done.
Got Out of the Habit.
"I see you have got a young man
stenographer?"
"Yes."
"Don't you think a pretty girl stenog
rapher adds a great deal to the at
tractiveness of an office?"
"I suppose she does, but I can't
dictate to a woman somehow. I
s'pose it's because I have been mar
ried so long."
ARE YOU THE MAN?
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Youthful Wisdom.
Father—Why did my little boy send
his papa a letter with only a capital
T written on the page while he was
nway?
Little Son —Because I thought you'd
go around among your friends with It
and say: "My boy is only four years
old, and just see the capital letter he
writes!" —Judge.
Deafness Cannot Be Cured
by ocal applications. as they cannot reach the dis
eased portion of the ear. There 1s only one way to
cure deafness, and that 13 t» constitutional remedies.
I)eafness is caused by an Inflamed condition of the
mucous lining of the Eustachian Tube. When this
tube is inllamed you have a rumbling sound or Im
perfect hcariug. and when It Is entirely closed. Deaf
ness is the result, and unless tha Inflammation can be
taken out and this tube restored to its normal condi
tion. hearing will be destroyed forever; nine cases
out of ten are caused by Catarrh, which is nothing
but an inflamed condition of the mucous surfaces.
We will give One Hundred Dollars for anv case of
Deafness (caused by catarrh) that cannot be cured
by Hall's Catarrh Cure. Send for circulars, free.
F. J. CHENEY A CO.. Toledo. O
Sold by Drusrgists. 75c.
Take Hall's Family Pills for constipation.
Curing Conceit.
"He used to have a good opinion of
himself."
"Hasn't he now?"
"No; ho ran for office recently, and
wasn't even close when the votes
were counted." —Detroit Free Press.
DISTEMPER
In all its forms among all ages of horses,
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Agents wanted. Spohn Medical t'o., Spec.
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Not a Harmless Sport.
Friend—You fought bareheaded?
French Duelist—Yea, and got a fine
sunstroke. —Journal Aiuusant.
Pettit's Eye Salve for 25c.
Relieves tired, congested, inllamed and
; sore «>.-<, quickly stops eve nclies. All
drugguts or Howard liros., Ituflalo, X. Y.
Somehow the average met her
doesn't think she is doing her duty
unless .she spoils her children.
AN EFFECTIVE HOME MADE
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Easily Prepared Medicine Which la
Said to Regulate tlie Kidneys
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I To make up enough of the "Dando-
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good Prescription Pharmacist one-half
ounce fluid extract Dandelion; one
ounce Kargon Compound mid three
ounces Compound Syrup of Sarsapa
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i In teaspoonful doses after each tueal
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Those who have tried It say It acts
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A well known medical authority rec
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the moment you ausiwet any Kidney,
Madder or Urinary dl '»rdi r or feel a
constant dull Hackaehe. or If the urine
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tilght
This Is a real harmless vegetable
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1 hi* Is surely worth tr>lng. as It li
Nihil) totted at home or any druggist
will do It for you, slid doesn't cost
[ 'UUcU.
OWES
HER
UFETO
Lydia E. Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound
Chicago, 111.—"I %vaa troubled with
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';i-i'■'■!^ors-tcould not
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0' rTTl T knew I could noi
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fiKSf so I wrote to
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SfPjt > fW. about my health
\ _j£L A# and you told ma
\\ **" JriM what to do. After
■ ! taking Lydia E.
- Pinkham's Vegeta
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' /■/llllillft Purifier lam
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AHRENS, 9SB W. 21st St., Chicago, IIL
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Every such suffering woman owes it to
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If you would like special advice
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The Wretchedness
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Can quickly be overcome by
CARTER'S LITTLE 49^
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Purely vegetable
CARTERS
Ever. Cur. jgWCW »«TTLK
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Dew, and Imiigestion. Tbey do dab duty.
Small PIQ, Small D«M, Small Pric*. 112
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HCl«an*ea iS txaatlflu Uif^ak
Promotes ft loxorUnl growth.
Never Falle to Heftor® Gray
Hair to Its Youthful Color.
Kidding Worse Than Cutting.
Talk about making good with your
frleuds, a New Orleans man told
everybody he knew that he was going
to Philadelphia for the dual purpose
of seeing the world's baseball series
and having a slight surgical operation
performed. Reaching this city, h«
consulted a specialist, and was told
that an operation was not necessary.
"But, doctor," the New Orleans
party urgently interposed, "it must be
done."
"Why must It?" wonderlngly quer
ied the surgeon.
"Because," was the startling re
joinder of the Southern man,"l told
nil the boys at home that 1 was going
to have an operation performed, and
if I don't make good they will kid the
life out of me." —Philadelphia Tele
graph.
Mixing His Oates.
There is a story of a man who was
so transportfd with joy as he stood
up at the altar rail to be married,
that his thoughts reverted to a day
when he stood up at the
bar In a court of Justice to plead
"guilty" or "not guilty" to a criminal
<hirge. So powerfully did that, the
most painful event of his life, obtrude
Itself upon his mind, that when the
clergyman put the question, "Wilt
thou have this woman t<> be thy
wedded wife?" and so on, the poor
distracted bridegroom answered with
Hurtling distinctness, "Not guilty, so
lelp ire (toil!" From Tuckerman's
"Personal Uncollect lons."
\
"Don't
Argufy"
A single dish ul
Post
Toasties
with and cream ti-lls
the whole Story — I
"The Memory Lingers"
l /