About nine o'clock that night Liddy came into the living-room and
reported that one of the housemaids declared she had seen two men slip
around the corner of the stable. Gertrude had been sitting staring in
front of her, jumping at every sound. Now she turned on Liddy
pettishly.
"I declare, Liddy," she said, "you are a bundle of nerves. What if
Eliza did see some men around the stable? It may have been Warner and
Alex."
"Warner is in the kitchen, miss," Liddy said with dignity. "And if you
had come through what I have, you would be a bundle of nerves, too.
Miss Rachel, I'd be thankful if you'd give me my month's wages
to-morrow. I'll be going to my sister's."
"Very well," I said, to her evident amazement. "I will make out the
check. Warner can take you down to the noon train."
Liddy's face was really funny.
"You'll have a nice time at your sister's," I went on. "Five children,
hasn't she?"
"That's it," Liddy said, suddenly bursting into tears. "Send me away,
after all these years, and your new shawl only half done, and nobody
knowin' how to fix the water for your bath."
"It's time I learned to prepare my own bath." I was knitting
complacently. But Gertrude got up and put her arms around Liddy's
shaking shoulders.
"You are two big babies," she said soothingly. "Neither one of you
could get along for an hour without the other. So stop quarreling and
be good. Liddy, go right up and lay out Aunty's night things. She is
going to bed early."
After Liddy had gone I began to think about the men at the stable, and
I grew more and more anxious. Halsey was aimlessly knocking the
billiard-balls around in the billiard-room, and I called to him.
"Halsey," I said when he sauntered in, "is there a policeman in
Casanova?"
"Constable," he said laconically. "Veteran of the war, one arm; in
office to conciliate the G. A. R. element. Why?"
"Because I am uneasy to-night." And I told him what Liddy had said.
"Is there any one you can think of who could be relied on to watch the
outside of the house to-night?"
"We might get Sam Bohannon from the club," he said thoughtfully. "It
wouldn't be a bad scheme. He's a smart darky, and with his mouth shut
and his shirt-front covered, you couldn't see him a yard off in the
dark."
Halsey conferred with Alex, and the result, in an hour, was Sam. His
instructions were simple. There had been numerous attempts to break
into the house; it was the intention, not to drive intruders away, but
to capture them. If Sam saw anything suspicious outside, he was to tap
at the east entry, where Alex and Halsey were to alternate in keeping
watch through the night.