MINEHART
BY
fly
CHAPTER I.
I Take a Country Houce.
This Is the story of how a middle-
ngcd spinster lost her mind , deserted
her domestic gods In the city , took
a furnished hounc for the summer out
of town , and found herself Involved In
ono of these mysterious crimes that
keep our newspapers and detective
agencies happy and prosperous. For
20 years I had been perfectly com
fortable ; for 20 years 1 had had tlio
window-boxes filled In the spring , the
carpets lifted , the awnings put up and
the furnlturo covered with brown
linen j for as many summers I had said
good-by to my friends , and , after
watching tholr perspiring hcgira , had
settled down to a delicious quiet in
town , where the mall comes throe
times a day , nnd the water supply
does not depend on n tank on the
roof.
roof.And
And Uicn the madness seized mo.
When I look back over tlio-months I
spent in Sunnyslde , I wonder that I
survived nt all. As it is , I show the
wear nnd tear of my harrowing ox-
purloncoa. I have turned very gray
Llddy reminded mo of It only yester
day by eaylng Uiat a little bluing In
the rinse water would inako my hair
iillvory Instond of n yellow white. I
hate to bo reminded of unpleasant
things and I snapped her off.
"No , " 1 said sharply , "I'm not going
to use bluing nt my tlmo of life , or
starch , either. "
Llddy's nerves nro gone , she says ,
olnco that awful summer , but she has
enough left , goodness knows I And
when she begins to go around with a
lump In her throat , all I have to do
is to threaten to return to Sunnysldo ,
und she Is frightened Into a semblance
of cheerfulness from which you may
judge that the summer thcro was any
thing but n success.
The newspaper accounts have Ijocn
no garbled nnd Incomplete ono of
them mentioned mo but once , and
then only us the tenant nt the time
the thing happened that I feel It my
duo to tell what I know. Mr. Jamie-
uon , tlio detective , said lilmseu ho
could never Imvo done without mo ,
although ho gave mo little enough
credit , In print
I shall have to go back several
years 13 , to bo exact to start my
story. At that tlmo my brother died ,
leaving ino his two children. Ilalsey
was 11 then and Gertrude was seven.
When Halsey had finished his elec
trical course nnd Gertrude her boardIng -
Ing school both came homo to stay.
The winter Gertrude came out was
nothing but a succession of sitting up
late ut night to bring her homo from
things , taking her to the dressmakers
between naps the next day , and dis
couraging ineligible youths with either
more money than brains or moro
brains than money. By spring 1 was
qulto tractable. So when Ilalsoy sug
gested camping in tha Adlrondncks
and Gertrude wanted Bar Harbor , wo
compromised on a good country house
with links near , within motor dis
tance of town nnd telephone distance
of the doctor. That was , how wo wont
to Sunnysldo.
Wo wont out to Inspect the property ,
nnd it seemed to deserve Its nnmo.
Its cheerful nppenranco gave no indi
cation whatever of anything out of
the ordinary. Only one thing seemed
unusual to mo : The housekeeper , who
had boon loft in charge , had moved
from the house to the gardener's lodge
a few days before. As the lodge was
far enough nwny from the house , It
Boomed to mo that either fire or
thieves could complete their work of
destruction undisturbed. The proper
ty was an oxtonslvo ono ; the house on
tno tort of a hill , which sloped away In
Kreat stretches of green lawn and
clipped hedges , to the road , and across
the valley , perhaps n couple of miles
away , was the Greenwood Club house.
Gertrude and Ilalsoy were infatuated.
The property was owned by Paul
Armstrong , the president of the
Traders' bank , who nt the time wo
took the house was In the west with
his wlfo and daughter , and a Dr.
Walker , Uio Armstrong family phy-
olclan. Ilalsoy know Loulso Arm
strong had been rather attentive to
her the winter before , but as Ilalsoy
was always attentive to somebody , 1
had not thought of It seriously , al
though she was a charming girl. 1
know of Mr. Armstrong only througl
his connection with the hank , where
the children's money was largely In
vested , and through an ugly storj
about the son , Arnold Armstrong , who
was reported to have forged his fa
ther's name for a considerable amount
to some bunk paper. However , the
story had lad no Interest for mo.
I cleared Halscy nnd Gertrude
away to a house party , and moved out
to Suunysldo the first of May.
The flrst night passed qulotlj
enough. I have always boon grntofu
for that ono night's peace ; It shows
what the country might ho under favorable
vorablo circumstances. Never nflei
that nlglit did 1 put my head on mj
pillow vlth any assurance how lout
it would bo there ; or on ray shoulders
( or that matter.
On the following morning Llddy and
Mrs. Ralston , my own housokoopei
bad n difference of opinion , and Mrs
llalsUm left on the 11 train. Just afte
luncheon. Burke , the butler , was taken
.IP I
FIMT FLOOR. FVw
unexpectedly with n pain In his right
side , much worse when 1 was within
licarlng distance , and by afternoon ho
was started cityward. That night the
cook's sister had a baby the cook ,
seeing Indecision In my face , made It
twins on second thought and , to bo
short , by noon the next day the house
hold staff was down to Llddy nnd
myself. And this in a house with 22
rooms nnd five baths !
Liddy wanted to go back to the city
nt once , but the mllkboy said that
Thomas Johnson , the Armstrongs'
colored butler , was working as n
waiter at the Greenwood club nnd
might como back. I have the usual
scruples about coercing people's serv
ants nwny , but few of us have any
conscience regarding Institutions or
corporations witness the way wo
beat railroads and street car compan
les when wo can so I called up the
club , and about eight o'clock Thomas
Johnson came to BOO rao. Poor
Thomas !
Well , it ended by my engaging
Thomas on the spot , nt outrageous
wages , and with permission to sleep
In the gardener's lodge , empty since
the house' was rented. The old man
ho was white-haired nnd n little
stooped , but with an immense Idea of
his personal dignity gave mo hln
reasons hesitatingly.
"I ain't sayln' nothing' , Mis' Innes , "
10 said , his hand on the door-knob , "but
.hero's been goln'n on hero this las' '
ow months as ain't natclml. 'Taln't
ono thing an * 'taint another It's jest
i door sfiuoalln * hero , an * a winder
up , Miss Rachel ! " she auavcrcd.
"Why , there's a dozen French windows
dews In the drawing room and the bil
liard room wing , und every ono opens
on a porch. And Mary Anne said that
last night there was a man standing
by the stable when she locked the
kitchen door. "
"Mary Anne 'was n fool , " I said
sternly. "If there had been n man
there she would have had him In the
kitchen and been feeding him what
was left from dinner , inside of an hour ,
from , force of habit. Now don't bo
rldlcillous. Lock up the house and go
to bed. I am going to read. "
But Llddy set her lips tight and
stood still.
"I'm not going to bed , " she said. "I
am going to pack up , nnd to-morrow
I am going to leave. "
"You'll do nothing of the sort , " I
snapped. Llddy nnd I often dcslro to
part company , but never at the same
tlmo. "If you nro afraid , I will go
with you , but for goodness' sake don't
try to hide behind me. "
The house was a typical summer
residence on an extensive scale.
Wherever possible , on the first floor ,
the architect had done away with par
tltlons , using arches and columns In
stead. The effect was cool nnd spacl
ous , but scarcely cozy. As Llddy and
I went from one window to another ,
our voices echoed back at us uncom
fortably. There was plenty of light
the electric plant down In the village
supplied us but there were long vis
tas of polished floor , nnd mirrors
which reflected us from unexpected
That Completed Our Demoralization ,
closing * there , hut when doors an *
winders gets to cuttln * up capers nnd
there's nobody nigh 'em , It's tlmo
Thomas Johnson sleeps somowhar's
else. "
Llddy , who scorned to bo never
more than ten feet nwny from mo that
night , and was afraid of her shadow
In that great barn of n place , screamed
a little , and turned a yellow-green.
But I nm not easily alarmed.
It was entirely in vain I represented
to Thomas ttyat wo were alone , and
that ho would have to stay In the
house that night. Ho was politely
llrm , but ho would como over early
the next morning , and If I gave him a
key , ho would como In tlmo to get
Bomo sort of breakfast. I stood on
the hugo veranda and watched him
shuttle along down the shadowy drive
with mingled feelings Irritation at
his co\\ardlco nnd thankfulness at get
ting him at all. I am not ashamed
to say that I double-locked the hall
door when" I went In.
"You can lock up the rest of the
house and go to bed , Llddy , " I said
severely. "You give mo the creeps
standing there. A woman of your ago
ought to have bettor sense. " It usual
ly braces Llddy to mention her ago ;
ihe owns to 40 which Is absurd. Her
nether cooked for my grandfather ,
uul Llddy must bo nt least ns old as
I. But that night she refused to
brace.
"You're not going to ask mo to lock
corners , until I felt some of Llddy's
foolishness communicate itself to mo.
The house was very long , n rectan
gle In general form , with the main en
trance in the center of the long side.
The brick-paved entry opened Into a
short hall , to the right of which , sepa
rated only by a row of pillars , was a
huge living room. Beyond that was
the drawing room , nnd In the end the
billiard room. Off the billiard room ,
In the extreme right wing , was a den ,
or cnrdroom , with a small hall open
ing on the east veranda , and from
there wont up n narrow circular stair
case.
Llddy and I got as far as the card-
room and turned on nil the lights. I
tried the small entry door there ,
which opened on the veranda , and ex
amined the windows. Everything was
secure , and Liddy , a little loss ner
vous now , had just pointed out to mo
the disgraceful dusty condition of the
hard-wood floor , when suddenly the
lights wont out. Wo waited n mo
ment ; I think Llddy was stunned with
fright or she would have screamed.
And then I clutched her by the arm
and pointed to ono of the windows
opening on the porch. The sudden
change throw the window Into relief ,
an oblong of grayish light , and showed
us n flguro standing close , peering in.
As I looked It darted across the ver
anda and out of sight in the darkness.
CHAPTER II.
A Link Cuff-Button.
Llddy's knees teemed to glvo away
under her. Without a sound she sank
down , leaving me staring at the win
dow In petrified amazement. Llddy
began to moan under her breath , and
In my excitement I reached down and
shook her.
"Stop it , " I whispered. "It's only n
woman maybe a maid of the Arm
strongs' . Got up and help mo find the
door. " She groaned ngaln. "Very
well , " I sold , "then I'll have to leave
you hero. I'm going. "
She moved at that , and , holding to
my sleeve , wo felt our way , with nu
merous collisions , to the billiard-room ,
and from there to the drawing-room.
The lights came on then , and , with
the long French windows unshuttered ,
I had a creepy feeling that each ono
sheltered a peering face. In fact , In
the light of what happened afterward ,
I nm pretty certnln wo were undei
surveillance during the entire ghostly
evening. We hurried over the rest of
the locking-iip and got upstairs . , as
Quickly as wo could. I left the lights
all on , and our footsteps echoed ca-
vcrnously. Llddy had a stiff neck the
next morning , from looking back over
her shoulder , and she refused to go
to bed.
"Let mo stay in your dressing room ,
Miss Rachel , " she begged. "If you
don't I'll sit In the hall outside the
door. I'm not going to be murdered
with my. eyes shut. "
It was 11 o'clock when I finally prepared -
pared for bed. In spite of my assump
tion of Indifference , I locked the door
Into the hall , nnd finding the tran
som did not catch , I put a chair cau
tiously before the door It was not
necessary to rouse Llddy and climb
ing up put on the ledge of the tran
som a small dressing-mirror , so that
any movement of the frame would
send It crashing down. Then , secure
in my precautions I went to bed.
I did not go to sleep at onco. Llddy
disturbed me just as I was growing
drowsy , by coming In nnd peering un
der the bed. She \vns afraid to speak ,
however , because of her previous
snubbing , and went back , stopping In
the doorway to sigh dismally.
Somewhere down-stairs a clock
with a chime sang away the hours
cloven-thirty , forty-five , twelve. And
then the llglits went out to stay. The
Casanova Electric Company shuts up
shop and goes homo to bed at mid
night : when ono has a party , I be
lieve It Is customary to fee the com
pany , which will drink hot coffee and
keep awake a couple of hours longer.
But the lights were gone for good
that night. Liddy had gone to sleep ,
as I knew she would. She was a very
unreliable person : always awake and
ready to talk when she wasn't wanteJ
and dozing off to sleep when she was
I called her once or twice , the only re
sult being an explosive snore that
threatened her very windpipe then 1
got up and lighted n bedroom candle.
My bedroom and dressing room
wore above the big living room on
the first floor. On the second floor a
long corridor rro. the length of the
house , with rooms opening Irom both
sides. In the wings were small corridors
riders crossing the main ono the
plan was simplicity Itself. And just
as I got back into bed , I heard a
sound from the east wing , apparently ,
that made me stop , frozen , with one
*
bedroom slipper half off , and listen. It
wns n rattling metallic sound , and it
reverberated along the empty halls
llko the crash of doom. It was for all
the world as if something heavy , per
haps a piece of steel , had rolled clat
tering nnd jangling down the hard
wood stairs leading to the card-room.
In the silence that followed Llddy
stirred and snored again. I was ex
asperated ; flrst she kept me awake
by silly alarms , then when she was
needed she slept like Joe Jefferson , or
Rip they are always the same to me.
I went in and aroused her , and I glvo
her credit for being wide awake the
minute I spoko.
"Got up , " I said , "If you don't want
to be murdered In your bed. "
"Whore ? How ? " she yelled vocifer
ously , nnd jumped up.
"There's somebody In the house , " I
said. "Get up. We'll have to go to
the telephone. "
"Not out In the hall ! " she gasped ;
"Oh , Miss Rachel , not out In the
hall ! " trying to hold me buck. But I
am a large woman and Llddy is small.
\Vo got to the door , somehow , and
Llddy held a brass nndlron , which it
was all she could do to lift , let alone
brain anybody with. I listened , nnd ,
hearing nothing , opened the door a
little and peered Into the hall. It was
n black void , full of terrible sugges
tion , and my candle only emphasized
the gloom. Llddy squealed and drew
mo back again , and as the door
slammed , the mirror I had put on the
transom came down and hit her on
the head. That completed our de
moralization. It was some tlmo before
I could persuade her she had not been
attacked from behind by a burglar ,
and when she found the mirror
smashed on the floor she wasn't mucn
better.
( TO BU CONTINUED. )
JUST A "LITTLE MITE DEAF"
Circumstantial Evidence That Emma
Salter Needed Some Artificial
Aid In Hearing.
"fou know how Emma Salter used
to say she was a mile deaf , but when
sh was real deaf she'd buy her some
kind of a contrivance so's to inako It
easy for her friends , " said Mrs. Jen
nings to her daughter ; and the young
woman nodded , forbearing to remind
her mother that the span of her rccol-
tlons was not precisely the duplicate
of the old lady's.
"Sho never bought one , nnd she
never will , now , " said Mrs. Jennings ,
who had an exhausted air.
" 1 hollered to her all the way out to
the Light , nnd all the way back ; and
while wo were vlsltln * Mis' Qorham
the sunset gun sounded and made a
great noise.
"I thought sure she'd hear that , and
/didn't suspicion how she'd hear it till
Bert Gorham como into tlio room a
second nfter.
" 'You've grown considerable heavl-
er'n you were , Bert , ' Emma said to
nlm. ' 1 heard you coming up the stairs
plain as day ! ' " Youth's Companion
Catarrh Cannot Bo Cured
with LOCAL APPLICATIONS , u they cannot react )
the scat o ( the dltease. Cntarrh h a blocxl or consti
tutional clUcase , and la order to curi It you must take
Internal remedies. Hall's Catarrh Cure Is taken In
Urnalljr , and acts directly upon the blood nnd muroiu
mrfaccs , Hall'r Catarrh Cure la not a quack modi
cine. It was prescribed by ono ot the best physician !
In this country for years and Li a regular prescription.
It Is composed or the brat tonics known , combined
with the beat blood purifiers , acting dlrcctljr on the
mucous surfaces. The perfect combination ot tha
two Ingredients ts what produces ouch wonderful re-
fulti In curing catarrh. Bend ( or testimonials , free.
F. J. CHENEY & CO. . Props. . Toledo. O.
Bold by DruKitlsts. price 75c.
Take Uall'f Fimlljr run ( or constipation.
His Future.
Ella What did your aged suitor say
when ho proposed to you ?
Stella Will you bo my widow ?
Arithmetic.
Teacher If 1 glvo you ono apple
Young American Don't do It , teach
er , and you won't start any of that
trouble that Adam and Eve got into.
Too Lavish.
Mrs. Dobbs was trying to find out
the likes and dislikes of her new
boarder , and all she learned Increased
ber satisfaction.
"Do you want pie for breakfast ? "
she asked.
"No , I thank you , " said the now
boarder , with a smile. "Pie for break
fast seems a little too much. "
"That's Just the way I look at it , "
said Mrs. Dobbs , heartily. "I say pie
for dinner Is a necessity , and pie for
supper gives a kind o' finishing touch
to the day ; but pie for breakfast is
what I call putting on airs. " Youth's
Companion.
Importation of Leeches.
Leeches are enumerated by the bu
reau of statistics under its general
head of animals imported , the total
value of the Imports of this species
In 190S having been $5,341 ; In 1907 ,
5G.922 ; In 1900. $4,494 ; In 1905 , $3.862 ;
In 1904 , $3,589 ; In 1903 , $3,240 , and In
1902 , $2,412 the commerce in leeches
being thus of a growing character.
The total raltio of the leeches Im
ported into the United States In the
decade ending with 1908 , Is about $10.-
000. Leeches are Imported free of
duty. Snails were nt ono time enu
merated as an article of Importation ,
the records from 1891 to 1898 showing
snails Imported to the extent of about
15,000 ; but the snail trade so dwin
dled , showing only $2i of Imports In
1898 , that the bureau discontinued its
statements of this article.
Really a Serious Dilemma.
"Tho chap who works on ono side of
me , " said an office man , "has been mar
ried six weeks and ho sneaks to the
telephone about four times a day and
calls up his wife , and then I hear him
saying : 'Dear , how Is your headache
now ? I hope you are feeling better. "
Then pretty soon ho comes back to his
desk and goes to work again all smi
ling.
ling."Tho
"Tho man who works on the other
side of me has been married six years
and ho goes to the telephone only
when he's culled and then I hear him
saying : 'Why , I can't possibly do that ,
I can't spare the money , ' and then "he
comes back to his desk all scowling.
"And really , when I hear the way
these two men go on I don't know
what to do. I don't know whether to
get married or stay a bachelor. "
A Pleasing Sense of Health and
Strength Renewed and of
Ease and Comfort
follows the use of Syrup of Figs anil
Elixir of Senna , ns it acts gently on
the kidnej's , liver and bowels , cleans
ing tlio system effectually , when con-
stipnfcd , or bilious , and dispels colda
and headaches.
To get its beneficial effects , always
buy the genuine , manufactured bjr.
the California Pig Syrup Co.
Is what you are worrying about
really worth while ?
Dr. Horce'n Pleasant Polloti rrfmlstn and lnrl > >
r.ito atouinoli , llror nnd bowels. Hngar-ooaUa.
lnjgranulos , easy to tako. Do not grip * .
Truth is said to bo stranger than
fiction , yet It is only in fiction they get
'
married and llvo happily ever after.
160 Acres Land Free
n Colorado. Good water , rich soli ,
flno climate. Write W' P. Jones , 700
Majestic Dldg. , Denver , Colo. , for free
Book and Map of Land.
His Way. .
Knlcker Is Jones charitable ?
Rocker Well , ho doesn't let his
right foot know whom hla left foot
kicks.
CUT THIS OUT
\nd mall to the A. II. Lewis Medicine Co. ,
3t. Louts , Mo. , nnd they will send you froa
i 10 day treatment of NATURE'S REME
DY ( NR tablets ) Guaranteed for Rheu
matism , Constipation. Sick Headache , LJv-
er. Kidney and Blood Diseases. Sold by
ill Drupelets. Better than Pills for LJvei
Ilia. It's free to you. Write today.
New Work for Women.
Mrs. Frederick H. Snyder is the
only woman impresario on earth , she
says. She decided that grand opera
would bo a good thing for St. Paul and
made her flrst venture so successful
that she has continued In the business
after the fashion of men engaged in
the same work.
One Type of Religion.
"Too many people , " said Rer.
Charles F. Aked , at a luncheon in New
York , "regard their religion as did the
little boy In the jam closet.
"Ills mother pounced on him sud
denly. He stood on tiptoe , ladling jam
with both hands from tie jam pot
to his mouth.
" 'Oh , Jacky ! " his mother cried.
'And last night you prayed to bo made
a saint ! '
"His face , an expressionless mask
of jam , turned towards her.
" 'Yes , but not till after I'm dead. ' ho
explained. "
Shows Value of Steel Car.
the steel car is of great value
as a protection to passengers In the
event of collision was demonstrated
In a recent clash of two trains In
the Hudson tunnel , New York city.
There was no such telescoping aa
would probably have occurred with
wooden cars , und the Injuries were
merely such as resulted from the pas
sengers' being thrown down by the
shock of the collision.
An Interruption.
Among the primary pupils enrolled
In a Baltimore school this term is the
son of a prominent business man ot
that city.
One afternoon , at close of school , the
youngster sought out his father in his
ofllco , to him he suld :
"Dad , I'm getting tired of school. I
think I'll quit. "
"Why ? " asked the astonished par
ent ; "what's the matter , Tommy ? I
thought you wore fond of going to
school. "
"So I am , dad , " responded the young
ster , suppressing a yawn , "but it
breaks up Uio day so. " Harper's Mag
azine.
Some Sweet Day
You may be served
with
and Cream
Then you will know
what a dainty , tempt
ing food you have been
missing.
Every serving wins I
a friend
Popular pkg. lOc " "
"TheMemory Lingers"
Family size ISc.
Sold by Grocers.
Postum Cereal Co. , Ltd. , Battle Creek , Mich.
