BY ' SYNOPSIS. Miss Innes , nplnstcr nnd guardian of Ocrtrudo and Hnlsey , established summer hcrulcumrtern nt Hunnyslda , Amidst nu merous dllllcuHles the Bcrvnntfl drscrtnd As Miss Innes 16ekod tip for Uio night BIC ! waa Btartled by a dnrk flgura on the varnnda. Unseemly noises disturbed her ilurlng tlie night. In Uio morning Miss Innes found a strungo llnlc cuff-button In n Immpcr. Gertrude and Ilnlsey nrrlvod with Jack Ilalley. The house wan awak ened by ri revolver nhot nnd Arnold Aim- ktrong was found shot to death In Uio hall. Miss limes found llnlnoy'fl revolver on the lawn. IIo nnd Jnek llnlloy Imd illH- nppenred , The link ciiff-liutton tnyBterl- pu.sly dlnnppcnrrd , TJetoctlvo Jninloson Arrived. Of-rtrudo rovenlcd silo wns cn- tn ecl to Jack llalloy. with whom 8ho fnllccd In the bllllnrd room a fevmo - hientB bpforn the inurdor. J.amlcson no- cuscd Miss Innes of holding hack evi dence. IIo Impilsoned nn Intruder In an empty room. The prisoner escaped down n laundry chute. Gcrtrudo wns ( inspected. A netfro found the other half of what proved to bn Jack Ualloy'n cuff-button. Halsey ronppears and says ho anil llallqy left lir response to n toleRram. CJcrtruda euld oho had given Ilnlluy fin uti ended revolver , fonrlng to lvo him n loaded weapon. Cannier Dalloy of Taul Ann- BtroiiK's bank , defunct , was arrested for embezzlement. Ilalsoy nnld Armstrong wrecked his own bank and could clear JlalH-y. Paul Armstrong's death wes an nounced. IlnlHcy's llancee , I ) tilso Ann- ntrong , wan found at the lodge. The lodcckecper Raid Txiulso nnd Arnold had n long' ' talk the nlpht of the murder. I.ou- IRO wilfl prostrated. Louls told Ilalscy , that while slm ntlll loved him who was to marry another , find thai ho would dowplso her when ho learned the whole story. It developed that Dr. Walker nnd T-oiilBo wore toibn married. A prowler was heard In 'the' liouno , Louisa wan found at the bottom of the circular staircase. Loulso Bald she hnd heard a knock nt the door nnd answered It. Something brushed .past her on the stairway and she fainted. CHAPTER XVII. Continued. "You heard no other sound ? " the coroner asked. "Tltero was no one with Mr , Armstrong whori ho en tered ? " "It waa , 'porfcotly ' dark. There were no voices and I heard nothing. There wns Just the opening of the door , the shot'and the sound of somebody fall ing. " "Thenwhile you went through the drawing room and upstairs to alarm the household , the criminal , whoever It was , could have escaped by the east , door ? " "Yes. " "Thank you. That will do. " I flatter mysc\f \ that the coroner got , llttlo enough out of : no. I saw Mr. Jamlcson sti'HIng to himself , and Uio coroner gave tno up , after a time. I admitted I had found the body , said I had not known who Jt was until Mr , Jnrvls told me , and ended by looking up at Barbara Fltzhugh and saying that In renting the house I had not expected to bo Involvqd In any family scandal , t which sbo turned purple. , The verdict was that Arnold Arm strong ! had , met his death at the hands of , a' parson 6r' persons unknown , and wo prepared to' leave. Barbara Fltz- htlgh flounced out without waiting to speak to me , but Mr. Ilarton came up , os I know ho would. "You have dqcldnd to give up the house , I hope1 ; Miss Innes. " ho said. "Mrs. Armstrong has ' wired -mo ngalti. " , "I am not going to give It up , " I maintained , "until I understand some tilings that are puzzling mo. The day that the murderer Is discovered , I will leave. " "Then , Judging by what I have heard , you will bo back In the city Tory Boon , " ho said. And I know that ho suspected the discredited cashier of the Traders' bank. Mr. Jamlcson came up to mo as I was about to leave the coroner's of fice. fice."How "How Is your patient ? " ho asked with his odd llttlo smllo. "I have no patient , " I replied , startled. "I will PT * It In a different way , then. How is Miss Armstrong ? " "Sho she IB doing very well , " stammered. "Good , " cheerfully. "And our ghost ? Is It laid ? " "Mr. Jamleson , " I Raid suddenly , " 1 wish you would come to Sunnysldo and spend a few days there. The ghost Is not laid. I want you to spend ono night at least watching the cir cular staircase. The murder of Arnold Armstrong was n beginning , not an end. " Ho looked serious. "Perhaps I can do It , " ho said , have been doing something else , but well , I will come out to-night. " Wo , yore very silent during the trip back to Sunnysldo. I watched Gertrude closely and somewhat sadly To mo there wag ono glaring flaw In her story , and It seemed to stand out .for every ono to see. Arnold Arm strong had had no key , nnd yet she said she had locked the east door. IIo must have boon admitted from wlthlr the house ; over and over 1 repeated 1 to myself. That night , as gently as I could , told Loulso the story of her step brother's death. She sat In her big , pillow-filled chair , and heard mo through wjtlfout Interruption. It was clear that she was shocked beyond words ; If I had hoped to learn any thing from her expression , I had ( ailed , i She , waai ns much in the dark ' ' ' CHAPTER XVIII. . A Hole In the Wall. My taking the dotectlvo out to Sun- uysldo raised an unexpected storm of protest from Gertrude and Halsey. I not prepared for it , and I scarcely know how to account for It To mo Mr. JamloBon was far less formldnblo under my eyes , where I know what ho was doing , than ho wns off In the city , twisting circumstanced and niollvua In suit lilinsrlf ami learning what ho wished to know about events at Sun nysldo in some occult way. I was glad enough to have him there , when excitements began to cotno thick and fast A now clement was about to enter Into affairs ; Monday , or Tuesday at the latest , would flnd Dr. Walker back In his green and whllo house In the village , and Louise's attltudo to him In the Immediate future would signi fy Halsey's happiness or wretched ness , ns it might turn out. Then , too , the return of her mother would mean , of course , J-liat she would have to leaveus , and I had become greatly at tached to her. From the day Mr. Jamlcson came to Runnysldo , there wan n subtle cliango In Gertrude's manner to me. It was elusive , dlfllcult to analyze , hut It was thoro. She was no longer frank Llddy heaved a sigh. "Girl and woman , " she said , "I've been with you 25 years , Miss Hachol , through good temper and bad " the Idea ! and what I have taken from her In the way of sulks ! "but I guess I can't stand it any longer. My trunk's packed. " "Who packed It ? " I aakcd , expecting from lior to no tn bo told she had wakened to flnd If'dono by some ghostly hand. "I did ; Miss Rachel , you won't be- llovo mo when I toll you this house Is haunted. Who was It fell down the clothes chute ? Who was It scared Miss Loulso almost Into her grave ? " "I'm doing my best to find out , " I said. "What In the world are you driving at ? " She drew a long breath. "Thero is a hole In the trunkroom wall , dug out since last night. It's big enough to put your head in , and the plaster's all over the place. " "Nonsense ! " I said. "Plaster is al ways falling. " But Llddy clenched that. "Just ask Alex , " she said. "When There Was Something Baffling In the Girl's Eyeo. with mo , although I think her affec tion never wavered. At the time 1 laid the change to the fact that I had for bidden all communication with John Bailey , and had refused to acknowl edge any engagement between the two. Gertrude spent much of her tluio wandering through the grounds , or' taking long croas-country walks. Halsey played golf nt the Country club day after day , and after Loulso loft , as she did the following week , Mr. Jamlcaon and I were much to gether. IIo played a fair game of cribbage - bago , but ho cheated at solitaire. The night the detective arrived , Saturday , I had a talk with him. I told him of the experiences Loulso Armstrong had had the night before on the circular staircase , ami about the man who had so frightened Roslo on the drive. I saw that ho thought the information was Important , and to my suggestion that wo put an addi tional lock on the east wing door ho opposed a strong negative. "I think It probable , " ho said , "that our v"ltor ) v-Ml bo back again , and the thing to do Is to leave things ex actly as they are , to avoid rousing suspicion. Then I can watch for at least a part of each night and prob ably Mr. Innes will help us out. 1 would say as llttlo to Thomas as pos sible.1 The old man knows uioro than ho is willing to admit. " I suggested that Alex , the gardener , would probably bo willing to help , and Mr. Jamleson undertook to make the arrangement. For ono night , however - over , Mr. Jamleson preferred to watch alone. Apparently nothing occurred. The detective sat In absolute dark ness on the lower stop of the stairs , dozing , ho said afterwards , now and then. Nothing could pass htm In either direction , and the door In the morning remained as securely fast ened as It had been the night before. And yet ono of the most Inexplicable occurrences of the whole affair took place that very night. Llddy came to my room on Sunday morning with a face as long as the moral law. She laid out my things ns usual , but I missed her customary garrulousucsB. I was not regaled with the new cook's extravagance as to eggs , ami b . ' oven forbore to mention "that Jamleson , " on whore arrival she had looked with silent disfavor. "What's the matter. Llddy ? " I asked , at last. "Didn't you sleep last night ? " "No , ma'am , " she said sillily. "Did you have two cups of coffee at your dinner ? " I Inquired. "No , nm'm , " indignantly. I sat up and almost upset my hot water I always take a cup of hot wa ter with a pinch of salt , before I got up. It tones the stomach. "Llddy Allen , " I said , "atop combing that switch and toll mo what Is wrong with you. " he put the now cook's trunk there last night the wall was as smooth as this. This morning it's dug out , and there's plaster on the cook's trunk. Miss Rachel , you can got a dozen detectives and put ono on every stair In the house , and you'll never calch any thing. There's some things you can't handcuff. " Liddy was right. As soon as I could , I went up to the trunkroom , which was directly over my bedroom. The plan of the upper story of the house was like that of the second floor , In the main. Ono end , however , ever Iho east wing , had been left only roug- ly finished , the intention having been to convert it Into a ballroom at some future time. The maids' rooms , trunk- room , and various storerooms , includ ing a large airy linen room , opened from a long corridor , like that on the second floor. And In the trunkroom , as Llddy had said , was a fresh break in the plaster. Not only in the plaster , but through the lathing , the aperture extended. I reached into the opening , and three foot away , pernnps , I could touch the bricks of the partition wall. For some reason the architect In building the house had left a space there that struck me , oven In the surprise of the discovery , as an excellent place for a conflagration to gain headway. "You are sure the hole was not here yesterday ? " I asked Llddy. whoso ex pression was a mixture of satisfaction and alarm. In answer she pointed to the now cook's trunk that necessary adjunct of the migratory domestic. The top was covered with line white plaster as was the floor. But there were no largo pieces of mortar lying around no bits of lathing. When I mentioned this to Llddy she merely raised bet eyebrows. Being quite confident that the gap was of unholy origin , she die : not concern herself with such trifles as a bit of mortar and lath. No doubt they wore even then heaped neatl > on a gravestone in the Casanova churchyard ! I brought Mr. Jamloson up to see the hole In the wall , ' directly after breakfast. Ills expression was vor > odd when ho looked at It , and the flrs thing ho did was to try to discovoi what object , If any , such a hole couh have. IIo got a piece of candle , am by enlarging the aperture a little was able to examine what lay beyond. The result was nil. The trunkroom , al though heated by steam heat , like the rest of the house , boasted of a fire place and mantel as well. The open Ing had been made between the flue and the outer wall of the houso. There was revealed , however , on inspection only the brick of the chimney on one side and the outer wall of the house on the other ; in depth the space ex tended only to the flooring. The breach had been made about four fco from the floor , and inside were all the missing hits of plaster. It had been a methodical ghost. It was very much of a disappoint ment. I had expected a secret room , at the very least , nnd I think oven Mr. Jamlcson had fancied he might at last have a clew to the mystery. There was evidently nothing more to be dis covered ; Llddy reported that every thing was serene among the servants , and that none of them had been dis turbed by the noise. The maddening Ihing , however , was that the nightly visitor had evidently more than ono way of gaining access to the house , and wo made arrangements to redouble our vigilance as to windows and doors that night. Halsey was Inclined to pooh-pooh the whole affair. IIo said a break In the plaster might have occurred months ago and gone unnoticed , and that the dust had probably been stirred up the day before. After all , wo had to let It got at that , but wo put in an uncomfortable Sunday. Gertrude trudo went to church , and Ilalsoy took a long walk in the morning. Loulso was able to sit up , nnd she allowed Halsey and Liddy to assist her down stairs late in the afternoon. The east veranda was shady , green with vines and palms , cheerful with cushions and lounging chairs. Wo put Louise In a steamer chair , and she sat there passively enough , her hands clasped In her lap. Wo wore very Bllent. Halsey sat on the rail with a pipe , openly watching Louise , as she looked broodingly across the valley to the hills. There was something baffling In the girl's eyes ; and gradually Halsey's boyish features lost their glow at seeing her about again , and settled Into grim lines. Ho was like his father just then. then.Wo Wo sat until late afternoon , Halsey growing more and more moody. Short ly before six he got up and went into the house , and in a few minutes he ame out and called mo to the tele- ihone. It was Anna Whitcomb , In own , and she kept mo for 20 minutes , elllng me the children had had the measles and how Mmo. Sweeny had jotched her new gown. When I finished , Llddy was behind me , her mouth a thin line. "I wish you would try to look cheer ful , Llddy , " I groaned , "your face vould sour milk. " But Llddy seldom replied to my gibes. She folded her Ip § a little tighter. "Ho called her up , " she said oracu- arly , "he called her up , and asked her to keep you at the telephone , so ho could talk to Miss Louise. A thank- ess child Is sharper than a serpent's tooth. " "Nonsense ! " I said brusquely.'I night have known enough to leave .hem. It's a long time since you and I were in love , Liddy , and we for get. " Liddy sniffed. "No man ever made a fool of me , " she replied virtuously. "Well , something did , " I retorted. CHAPTER XIX. Concerning Thomas. "Mr. Jamieson , " I said , when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night , "the inquest yesterday seemed to mo the merest recapitula tion of things that were already known. It developed nothing now be yond that story of Dr. Stewart's , and that was volunteered. " "An Inquest is only a necessary for mality , Miss Innes , " ho replied. "Un less a crime is committed In the open the Inquest does nothing beyond get ting evidence from witnesses whllo events are sUll in their minds. The police step In laler. You and I bolh know how many important things never transpired. For Instance : The dead man had no key , and yet Miss Gertrude , testified to a fumbling at the lock , and then the opening of the door. The piece of evidence you men tion , Dr. Stewart's story , Is one of those things wo have to take cautious ly ; the doctor has a patient who wears black and does not raise her voll. Why , it is the typical mysteri ous lady ! Then the good doctor comes across Arnold Armstrong , who was a graceless scamp de mortuls what's the rest of It ? and ho Is quar reling with n lady in black. Behold , says the doctor , they are one and the same. " ( TO BE CONTINUED. ) Sameness. "There is a certain sameness about natural scenery , " said the man who looks bored. "Do you mean to compare a mng- iiillcent mountain with the broad ex panse of the sea ? " "Yes. Wherever you flnd a spot of exceptional beauty somebody Is sure to decorate It with sardine tins and biscuit boxes. " Not So Bad. j Nervous Lady Don't your experi ments frighten you terribly , professor ser ? I hear that your assistant met with a hgrrlblo death by falling 4,000 feet from a balloon. Professor Oh , that report was greatly exaggerated. Nervous Lady Exaggerated ! How ! Professor It wasn't much more than 2,500 feet that ho foil. Puck , PHOTOGRAPHER WAS CRAFTY Rural Bride Was an Easy Prey When Assured That Her Frecklea Would Not Show. Obviously , they were on their ton oymoon. That they were from th country was also patent , says the Bui tlmoro Star. Ho , attired In a now ready-to-wear suit in which ho waa most uncomfortable , felt himsnlt the center of admiring glances as ho walked down Baltimore street , with his blushing bride clutching jealous ly his arm as though she feared some of the fashionably atlired clly glrla would steal her handsome swain. She also wore a new dross , but It wasn't made In Paris , or even Now York. The peregrinating man with the picture taking machine marked them as legitimate prey. "Como along , " ho shouted to the newlyweds , "bo a sport. Got your picture taken to take back to the country. Only a dime. I'll take you In any position. " The pair halted. Ho wanted hla photograph taken. She didn't. The peregrinating photographer know hla business. Ho wasted no time on the swain. Ho wns easy prey. On the bashful bride lie focused all the blan dishments of his art. "Come along , " ho coaxed , "this is a wonderful ma chine. It will make J-ou look beauti ful. You can hand the picture down to your grandchildren to admire. " The brldo blushed deeper. The swain had straightened his four- in-hand tie , bought already tied. Ho was ready for the ordeal. But the brldo hung coyly back. Finally she summoned courage and slipping her arm from that of her husband oho approached preached the photographer and whis pered in his ear. The photographer didn't smile. Ho was out for the money. A contented smile suffused her sunburned face at his reply. Aft er patting her hair , she stood besldo her husky swain and the photographer snapped the camera. The reporter was curious. Report ers generally are. After the couple had departed to spend another ten cents on some other attracllon , ho asked the voluble photographer what the brldo had whispered to him. The photographer smiled , and It was good to sco so hard working a man smile. "Sho asked mo If her freckles would show In the picture , " ho con fided. "I told her that this machine was made especially to conceal freckles in a photograph. " Our Files and Mosquitoes. They were discussing the fact that there are no flies or mosquitoes In Now York except In the parks and perhaps in a few places where the standard of cleanliness Is not hold high enough , according to the New York Press. "I don't think It Is quite true , " drawled the western man , "that there are no files or mosquitoes In Now York , but there aren't enough to go around. There are so many people that they outnumber the Insects and there Isn't even one fly nplcco for you. Now , I'd like to ask if each of you hasn't seen at least one mosquito this season. " Reluctantly the Now York ers admitted that each had such an experience. "Then that is your mos quito. You may have another this year. If you should have you would bo robbing some other follow , who then would not have any and who would stoutly maintain that there are none In your fair city. There are sev eral millions of you. Now , several millions of mosquitoes or files would make a big showing In a small town. Every rltlzen would have all ho could possibly use , but spread out over New York they don't make much of a show. " Childish Sayings. From Boston comes the tale of some children whoso tender mother had promised them a bedtlmo story , a promise held in abeyance by the in opportune appearance of vlsllors. Ap peals for drinks of water nnd oven for a chance to say certain forgotten prayers proving futile , the eldest boy , aged seven , played his trump card In a final effort to lure the dear mother upstairs. "I guess you/d better como up for a mlnuto or two If you can , momslo , " ho pleaded over the bannisters In a shrill whisper , "for the baby's nose Is coming awfully unwlped. " "Mother , " sighed young Michael , weary llttlo mainstay of that mother In the matter of caring for the already generous quota of household bless ings , "I don't want to seem mean when you're just getting over such a bad headache , but I don't think you ought to have lot the doctor play It off on us Hko this , oven if wo do ewe him money. We've got plenty of chil dren , anyway , without even ono more baby , and I do think you needn't have taken two. " "Dog Days. " The first of the Canicular , or Dog Days , Is BO called from the ancient custom of sacrificing a brown dog to appease the wrath of Slrlus as soon as that star became visible to the naked eye. Slrlus was supposed to cause the hot , sultry weather usually attendant on 'its appearance , and the ancients believed that on the first morning of Its rising the sea boiled , wine turned sour , dogs grew mad and that man be came nllllctcd with burning fevers , hysterics and frenzies. At Argos a festival was hold during the Dog Days called CyuonphontOB , from four Greek words signifying "from killing dogs , " when It was the custom to kill every canine creature that was met with. WILLY WAS TOO LIBERAL Ovcrsupply of Alcoholic Stimulants Disturbed Schedule of Funeral Arrangements. Dean Ramsay's memoirs contain nn anecdote of an old woman of Straths pey. Just before her death she sol emnly Instructed her grandnephew : "Willy , I'm dceln' , and as yo'll hao the charRo o' a * I have , mind now that as much whisky Is to bo used at my fu neral as there was at my baptism. " Willy , having no record of the quan tity consumed at the baptism , decided tn tlvo every mourner as much as ho wished , with the result that the fu neral procession , having to traverse ten miles to the churchyard on a short November day , arrived only at nightfall. Then It was discovered that the mourners , halting at a waysldo Inn. had rested the coffin on a dyke and left It there when they resumed their Journey. The corpse was a day late In arriving at the grave. The Motive Power. "A western editor says nobody waa ever hurt whllo taking a 'joy ride' on the handles of a plow. " "That's where he's mistaken. Many a gpod man has been kicked by a mule. " Birmingham Age-Herald. After marrying for money , many a man wishes ho had been brought up to work for a living. 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