CHAPTER	O
I	O
I	O
TAKE	O
A	O
COUNTRY	O
HOUSE	O
This	O
is	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
how	O
a	O
middle-aged	O
spinster	O
lost	EVENT
her	O
mind	O
,	O
deserted	EVENT
her	O
domestic	O
gods	O
in	O
the	O
city	O
,	O
took	EVENT
a	O
furnished	O
house	O
for	O
the	O
summer	O
out	O
of	O
town	O
,	O
and	O
found	EVENT
herself	O
involved	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
those	O
mysterious	O
crimes	O
that	O
keep	O
our	O
newspapers	O
and	O
detective	O
agencies	O
happy	O
and	O
prosperous	O
.	O

For	O
twenty	O
years	O
I	O
had	O
been	O
perfectly	O
comfortable	O
;	O
for	O
twenty	O
years	O
I	O
had	O
had	O
the	O
window-boxes	O
filled	O
in	O
the	O
spring	O
,	O
the	O
carpets	O
lifted	O
,	O
the	O
awnings	O
put	O
up	O
and	O
the	O
furniture	O
covered	O
with	O
brown	O
linen	O
;	O
for	O
as	O
many	O
summers	O
I	O
had	O
said	O
good-by	O
to	O
my	O
friends	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
after	O
watching	O
their	O
perspiring	O
hegira	O
,	O
had	O
settled	O
down	O
to	O
a	O
delicious	O
quiet	O
in	O
town	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
mail	O
comes	O
three	O
times	O
a	O
day	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
water	O
supply	O
does	O
not	O
depend	O
on	O
a	O
tank	O
on	O
the	O
roof	O
.	O

And	O
then	O
--	O
the	O
madness	EVENT
seized	O
me	O
.	O

When	O
I	O
look	EVENT
back	O
over	O
the	O
months	O
I	O
spent	O
at	O
Sunnyside	O
,	O
I	O
wonder	EVENT
that	O
I	O
survived	O
at	O
all	O
.	O

As	O
it	O
is	O
,	O
I	O
show	O
the	O
wear	O
and	O
tear	O
of	O
my	O
harrowing	O
experiences	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
turned	O
very	O
gray	O
--	O
Liddy	O
reminded	EVENT
me	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
only	O
yesterday	O
,	O
by	O
saying	EVENT
that	O
a	O
little	O
bluing	O
in	O
the	O
rinse-water	O
would	O
make	O
my	O
hair	O
silvery	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
a	O
yellowish	O
white	O
.	O

I	O
hate	O
to	O
be	O
reminded	O
of	O
unpleasant	O
things	O
and	O
I	O
snapped	EVENT
her	O
off	O
.	O

"	O
No	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
said	O
sharply	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
'm	O
not	O
going	O
to	O
use	O
bluing	O
at	O
my	O
time	O
of	O
life	O
,	O
or	O
starch	O
,	O
either	O
.	O
"	O

Liddy	O
's	O
nerves	O
are	O
gone	O
,	O
she	O
says	O
,	O
since	O
that	O
awful	O
summer	O
,	O
but	O
she	O
has	O
enough	O
left	O
,	O
goodness	O
knows	O
!	O

And	O
when	O
she	O
begins	O
to	O
go	O
around	O
with	O
a	O
lump	O
in	O
her	O
throat	O
,	O
all	O
I	O
have	O
to	O
do	O
is	O
to	O
threaten	O
to	O
return	O
to	O
Sunnyside	O
,	O
and	O
she	O
is	O
frightened	O
into	O
a	O
semblance	O
of	O
cheerfulness	O
,	O
--	O
from	O
which	O
you	O
may	O
judge	O
that	O
the	O
summer	O
there	O
was	O
anything	O
but	O
a	O
success	O
.	O

The	O
newspaper	O
accounts	O
have	O
been	O
so	O
garbled	O
and	O
incomplete	O
--	O
one	O
of	O
them	O
mentioned	O
me	O
but	O
once	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
only	O
as	O
the	O
tenant	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
the	O
thing	O
happened	O
--	O
that	O
I	O
feel	O
it	O
my	O
due	O
to	O
tell	O
what	O
I	O
know	O
.	O

Mr.	O
Jamieson	O
,	O
the	O
detective	O
,	O
said	EVENT
himself	O
he	O
could	O
never	O
have	O
done	O
without	O
me	O
,	O
although	O
he	O
gave	O
me	O
little	O
enough	O
credit	O
,	O
in	O
print	O
.	O

I	O
shall	O
have	O
to	O
go	O
back	O
several	O
years	O
--	O
thirteen	O
,	O
to	O
be	O
exact	O
--	O
to	O
start	O
my	O
story	O
.	O

At	O
that	O
time	O
my	O
brother	O
died	EVENT
,	O
leaving	EVENT
me	O
his	O
two	O
children	O
.	O

Halsey	O
was	O
eleven	O
then	O
,	O
and	O
Gertrude	O
was	O
seven	O
.	O

All	O
the	O
responsibilities	O
of	O
maternity	O
were	O
thrust	EVENT
upon	O
me	O
suddenly	O
;	O
to	O
perfect	O
the	O
profession	O
of	O
motherhood	O
requires	O
precisely	O
as	O
many	O
years	O
as	O
the	O
child	O
has	O
lived	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
man	O
who	O
started	O
to	O
carry	O
the	O
calf	O
and	O
ended	O
by	O
walking	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
bull	O
on	O
his	O
shoulders	O
.	O

However	O
,	O
I	O
did	O
the	O
best	O
I	O
could	O
.	O

When	O
Gertrude	O
got	O
past	O
the	O
hair-ribbon	O
age	O
,	O
and	O
Halsey	O
asked	EVENT
for	O
a	O
scarf-pin	O
and	O
put	EVENT
on	O
long	O
trousers	O
--	O
and	O
a	O
wonderful	O
help	O
that	O
was	O
to	O
the	O
darning	O
.	O

--	O
I	O
sent	EVENT
them	O
away	O
to	O
good	O
schools	O
.	O

After	O
that	O
,	O
my	O
responsibility	O
was	O
chiefly	O
postal	O
,	O
with	O
three	O
months	O
every	O
summer	O
in	O
which	O
to	O
replenish	O
their	O
wardrobes	O
,	O
look	O
over	O
their	O
lists	O
of	O
acquaintances	O
,	O
and	O
generally	O
to	O
take	O
my	O
foster-motherhood	O
out	O
of	O
its	O
nine	O
months	O
'	O
retirement	O
in	O
camphor	O
.	O

I	O
missed	O
the	O
summers	O
with	O
them	O
when	O
,	O
somewhat	O
later	O
,	O
at	O
boarding-school	O
and	O
college	O
,	O
the	O
children	O
spent	O
much	O
of	O
their	O
vacations	O
with	O
friends	O
.	O

Gradually	O
I	O
found	O
that	O
my	O
name	O
signed	O
to	O
a	O
check	O
was	O
even	O
more	O
welcome	O
than	O
when	O
signed	O
to	O
a	O
letter	O
,	O
though	O
I	O
wrote	O
them	O
at	O
stated	O
intervals	O
.	O

But	O
when	O
Halsey	O
had	O
finished	EVENT
his	O
electrical	O
course	O
and	O
Gertrude	O
her	O
boarding-school	O
,	O
and	O
both	O
came	EVENT
home	O
to	O
stay	O
,	O
things	O
were	O
suddenly	O
changed	EVENT
.	O

The	O
winter	O
Gertrude	O
came	EVENT
out	O
was	O
nothing	O
but	O
a	O
succession	O
of	O
sitting	O
up	O
late	O
at	O
night	O
to	O
bring	O
her	O
home	O
from	O
things	O
,	O
taking	O
her	O
to	O
the	O
dressmakers	O
between	O
naps	O
the	O
next	O
day	O
,	O
and	O
discouraging	O
ineligible	O
youths	O
with	O
either	O
more	O
money	O
than	O
brains	O
,	O
or	O
more	O
brains	O
than	O
money	O
.	O

Also	O
,	O
I	O
acquired	O
a	O
great	O
many	O
things	O
:	O
to	O
say	O
lingerie	O
for	O
under-garments	O
,	O
"	O
frocks	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
gowns	O
"	O
instead	O
of	O
dresses	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
beardless	O
sophomores	O
are	O
not	O
college	O
boys	O
,	O
but	O
college	O
men	O
.	O

Halsey	O
required	O
less	O
personal	O
supervision	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
they	O
both	O
got	O
their	O
mother	O
's	O
fortune	O
that	O
winter	O
,	O
my	O
responsibility	O
became	O
purely	O
moral	O
.	O

Halsey	O
bought	EVENT
a	O
car	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
learned	EVENT
how	O
to	O
tie	O
over	O
my	O
bonnet	O
a	O
gray	O
baize	O
veil	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
after	O
a	O
time	O
,	O
never	O
to	O
stop	O
to	O
look	O
at	O
the	O
dogs	O
one	O
has	O
run	O
down	O
.	O

People	O
are	O
apt	O
to	O
be	O
so	O
unpleasant	O
about	O
their	O
dogs	O
.	O

The	O
additions	O
to	O
my	O
education	O
made	O
me	O
a	O
properly	O
equipped	O
maiden	O
aunt	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
spring	O
I	O
was	O
quite	O
tractable	O
.	O

So	O
when	O
Halsey	O
suggested	EVENT
camping	O
in	O
the	O
Adirondacks	O
and	O
Gertrude	O
wanted	O
Bar	O
Harbor	O
,	O
we	O
compromised	EVENT
on	O
a	O
good	O
country	O
house	O
with	O
links	O
near	O
,	O
within	O
motor	O
distance	O
of	O
town	O
and	O
telephone	O
distance	O
of	O
the	O
doctor	O
.	O

That	O
was	O
how	O
we	O
went	EVENT
to	O
Sunnyside	O
.	O

We	O
went	EVENT
out	O
to	O
inspect	O
the	O
property	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
seemed	O
to	O
deserve	O
its	O
name	O
.	O

Its	O
cheerful	O
appearance	O
gave	O
no	O
indication	O
whatever	O
of	O
anything	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
ordinary	O
.	O

Only	O
one	O
thing	O
seemed	O
unusual	O
to	O
me	O
:	O
the	O
housekeeper	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
left	O
in	O
charge	O
,	O
had	O
moved	EVENT
from	O
the	O
house	O
to	O
the	O
gardener	O
's	O
lodge	O
,	O
a	O
few	O
days	O
before	O
.	O

As	O
the	O
lodge	O
was	O
far	O
enough	O
away	O
from	O
the	O
house	O
,	O
it	O
seemed	O
to	O
me	O
that	O
either	O
fire	O
or	O
thieves	O
could	O
complete	O
their	O
work	O
of	O
destruction	O
undisturbed	O
.	O

The	O
property	O
was	O
an	O
extensive	O
one	O
:	O
the	O
house	O
on	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
a	O
hill	O
,	O
which	O
sloped	O
away	O
in	O
great	O
stretches	O
of	O
green	O
lawn	O
and	O
clipped	O
hedges	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
road	O
;	O
and	O
across	O
the	O
valley	O
,	O
perhaps	O
a	O
couple	O
of	O
miles	O
away	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
Greenwood	O
Club	O
House	O
.	O

Gertrude	O
and	O
Halsey	O
were	O
infatuated	O
.	O

"	O
Why	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
everything	O
you	O
want	O
,	O
"	O
Halsey	O
said	EVENT
"	O
View	O
,	O
air	O
,	O
good	O
water	O
and	O
good	O
roads	O
.	O

As	O
for	O
the	O
house	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
big	O
enough	O
for	O
a	O
hospital	O
,	O
if	O
it	O
has	O
a	O
Queen	O
Anne	O
front	O
and	O
a	O
Mary	O
Anne	O
back	O
,	O
"	O
which	O
was	O
ridiculous	O
:	O
it	O
was	O
pure	O
Elizabethan	O
.	O

Of	O
course	O
we	O
took	EVENT
the	O
place	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
my	O
idea	O
of	O
comfort	O
,	O
being	O
much	O
too	O
large	O
and	O
sufficiently	O
isolated	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
servant	O
question	O
serious	O
.	O

But	O
I	O
give	O
myself	O
credit	O
for	O
this	O
:	O
whatever	O
has	O
happened	O
since	O
,	O
I	O
never	O
blamed	O
Halsey	O
and	O
Gertrude	O
for	O
taking	EVENT
me	O
there	O
.	O

And	O
another	O
thing	O
:	O
if	O
the	O
series	O
of	O
catastrophes	O
there	O
did	O
nothing	O
else	O
,	O
it	O
taught	O
me	O
one	O
thing	O
--	O
that	O
somehow	O
,	O
somewhere	O
,	O
from	O
perhaps	O
a	O
half-civilized	O
ancestor	O
who	O
wore	O
a	O
sheepskin	O
garment	O
and	O
trailed	O
his	O
food	O
or	O
his	O
prey	O
,	O
I	O
have	O
in	O
me	O
the	O
instinct	O
of	O
the	O
chase	O
.	O

Were	O
I	O
a	O
man	O
I	O
should	O
be	O
a	O
trapper	O
of	O
criminals	O
,	O
trailing	O
them	O
as	O
relentlessly	O
as	O
no	O
doubt	O
my	O
sheepskin	O
ancestor	O
did	O
his	O
wild	O
boar	O
.	O

But	O
being	O
an	O
unmarried	O
woman	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
handicap	O
of	O
my	O
sex	O
,	O
my	O
first	O
acquaintance	EVENT
with	O
crime	O
will	O
probably	O
be	O
my	O
last	O
.	O

Indeed	O
,	O
it	O
came	O
near	O
enough	O
to	O
being	O
my	O
last	O
acquaintance	EVENT
with	O
anything	O
.	O

The	O
property	O
was	O
owned	O
by	O
Paul	O
Armstrong	O
,	O
the	O
president	O
of	O
the	O
Traders	O
'	O
Bank	O
,	O
who	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
we	O
took	EVENT
the	O
house	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
west	O
with	O
his	O
wife	O
and	O
daughter	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
Doctor	O
Walker	O
,	O
the	O
Armstrong	O
family	O
physician	O
.	O

Halsey	O
knew	O
Louise	O
Armstrong	O
,	O
--	O
had	O
been	O
rather	O
attentive	O
to	O
her	O
the	O
winter	O
before	O
,	O
but	O
as	O
Halsey	O
was	O
always	O
attentive	O
to	O
somebody	O
,	O
I	O
had	O
not	O
thought	O
of	O
it	O
seriously	O
,	O
although	O
she	O
was	O
a	O
charming	O
girl	O
.	O

I	O
knew	O
of	O
Mr.	O
Armstrong	O
only	O
through	O
his	O
connection	O
with	O
the	O
bank	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
children	O
's	O
money	O
was	O
largely	O
invested	O
,	O
and	O
through	O
an	O
ugly	O
story	O
about	O
the	O
son	O
,	O
Arnold	O
Armstrong	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
reported	O
to	O
have	O
forged	EVENT
his	O
father	O
's	O
name	O
,	O
for	O
a	O
considerable	O
amount	O
,	O
to	O
some	O
bank	O
paper	O
.	O

However	O
,	O
the	O
story	O
had	O
had	O
no	O
interest	O
for	O
me	O
.	O

I	O
cleared	EVENT
Halsey	O
and	O
Gertrude	O
away	O
to	O
a	O
house	O
party	EVENT
,	O
and	O
moved	EVENT
out	O
to	O
Sunnyside	O
the	O
first	O
of	O
May	O
.	O

The	O
roads	O
were	O
bad	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
trees	O
were	O
in	O
leaf	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
were	O
still	O
tulips	O
in	O
the	O
borders	O
around	O
the	O
house	O
.	O

The	O
arbutus	O
was	O
fragrant	EVENT
in	O
the	O
woods	O
under	O
the	O
dead	O
leaves	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
the	O
way	O
from	O
the	O
station	O
,	O
a	O
short	O
mile	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
car	O
stuck	EVENT
in	O
the	O
mud	O
,	O
I	O
found	EVENT
a	O
bank	O
showered	EVENT
with	O
tiny	O
forget-me-nots	O
.	O

The	O
birds	O
--	O
do	O
n't	O
ask	O
me	O
what	O
kind	O
;	O
they	O
all	O
look	O
alike	O
to	O
me	O
,	O
unless	O
they	O
have	O
a	O
hall	O
mark	O
of	O
some	O
bright	O
color	O
--	O
the	O
birds	O
were	O
chirping	EVENT
in	O
the	O
hedges	O
,	O
and	O
everything	O
breathed	O
of	O
peace	O
.	O

Liddy	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
born	O
and	O
bred	O
on	O
a	O
brick	O
pavement	O
,	O
got	O
a	O
little	O
bit	O
down-spirited	EVENT
when	O
the	O
crickets	O
began	O
to	O
chirp	EVENT
,	O
or	O
scrape	EVENT
their	O
legs	O
together	O
,	O
or	O
whatever	O
it	O
is	O
they	O
do	O
,	O
at	O
twilight	O
.	O

The	O
first	O
night	O
passed	O
quietly	O
enough	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
always	O
been	O
grateful	O
for	O
that	O
one	O
night	O
's	O
peace	O
;	O
it	O
shows	O
what	O
the	O
country	O
might	O
be	O
,	O
under	O
favorable	O
circumstances	O
.	O

Never	O
after	O
that	O
night	O
did	O
I	O
put	O
my	O
head	O
on	O
my	O
pillow	O
with	O
any	O
assurance	O
how	O
long	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
there	O
;	O
or	O
on	O
my	O
shoulders	O
,	O
for	O
that	O
matter	O
.	O

On	O
the	O
following	O
morning	O
Liddy	O
and	O
Mrs.	O
Ralston	O
,	O
my	O
own	O
housekeeper	O
,	O
had	O
a	O
difference	EVENT
of	O
opinion	O
,	O
and	O
Mrs.	O
Ralston	O
left	EVENT
on	O
the	O
eleven	O
train	O
.	O

Just	O
after	O
luncheon	O
,	O
Burke	O
,	O
the	O
butler	O
,	O
was	O
taken	O
unexpectedly	O
with	O
a	O
pain	EVENT
in	O
his	O
right	O
side	O
,	O
much	O
worse	O
when	O
I	O
was	O
within	O
hearing	O
distance	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
afternoon	O
he	O
was	O
started	EVENT
cityward	O
.	O

That	O
night	O
the	O
cook	O
's	O
sister	O
had	EVENT
a	O
baby	O
--	O
the	O
cook	O
,	O
seeing	EVENT
indecision	O
in	O
my	O
face	O
,	O
made	EVENT
it	O
twins	O
on	O
second	O
thought	O
--	O
and	O
,	O
to	O
be	O
short	O
,	O
by	O
noon	O
the	O
next	O
day	O
the	O
household	O
staff	O
was	O
down	O
to	O
Liddy	O
and	O
myself	O
.	O

And	O
this	O
in	O
a	O
house	O
with	O
twenty-two	O
rooms	O
and	O
five	O
baths	O
!	O

Liddy	O
wanted	EVENT
to	O
go	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
city	O
at	O
once	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
milk-boy	O
said	EVENT
that	O
Thomas	O
Johnson	O
,	O
the	O
Armstrongs	O
'	O
colored	O
butler	O
,	O
was	O
working	O
as	O
a	O
waiter	O
at	O
the	O
Greenwood	O
Club	O
,	O
and	O
might	O
come	O
back	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
the	O
usual	O
scruples	O
about	O
coercing	O
people	O
's	O
servants	O
away	O
,	O
but	O
few	O
of	O
us	O
have	O
any	O
conscience	O
regarding	O
institutions	O
or	O
corporations	O
--	O
witness	O
the	O
way	O
we	O
beat	O
railroads	O
and	O
street-car	O
companies	O
when	O
we	O
can	O
--	O
so	O
I	O
called	EVENT
up	O
the	O
club	O
,	O
and	O
about	O
eight	O
o'clock	O
Thomas	O
Johnson	O
came	EVENT
to	O
see	O
me	O
.	O

Poor	O
Thomas	O
!	O

Well	O
,	O
it	O
ended	O
by	O
my	O
engaging	EVENT
Thomas	O
on	O
the	O
spot	O
,	O
at	O
outrageous	O
wages	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
permission	EVENT
to	O
sleep	O
in	O
the	O
gardener	O
's	O
lodge	O
,	O
empty	O
since	O
the	O
house	O
was	O
rented	EVENT
.	O

The	O
old	O
man	O
--	O
he	O
was	O
white-haired	O
and	O
a	O
little	O
stooped	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
an	O
immense	O
idea	O
of	O
his	O
personal	O
dignity	O
--	O
gave	EVENT
me	O
his	O
reasons	O
hesitatingly	O
.	O

"	O
I	O
ai	O
n't	O
sayin	O
'	O
nothin	O
'	O
,	O
Mis	O
'	O
Innes	O
,	O
"	O
he	O
said	EVENT
,	O
with	O
his	O
hand	O
on	O
the	O
door-knob	O
,	O
"	O
but	O
there	O
's	O
been	O
goin	O
's	O
-	O
on	O
here	O
this	O
las	O
'	O
few	O
months	O
as	O
ai	O
n't	O
natchal	O
.	O

'	O
Tai	O
n't	O
one	O
thing	O
an	O
'	O
'	O
tai	O
n't	O
another	O
--	O
it	O
's	O
jest	O
a	O
door	O
squealin	O
'	O
here	O
,	O
an	O
'	O
a	O
winder	O
closin	O
'	O
there	O
,	O
but	O
when	O
doors	O
an	O
'	O
winders	O
gets	O
to	O
cuttin	O
'	O
up	O
capers	O
and	O
there	O
's	O
nobody	O
nigh	O
'em	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
time	O
Thomas	O
Johnson	O
sleeps	O
somewhar	O
's	O
else	O
.	O
"	O