trying to explain what he did not understand himself, I had a long talk
with the old man, and this is what I learned.

On Saturday evening before, about ten o'clock, he had been reading in
the sitting-room down-stairs, when some one rapped at the door. The
old man was alone, Warner not having arrived, and at first he was
uncertain about opening the door. He did so finally, and was amazed at
being confronted by Louise Armstrong. Thomas was an old family servant,
having been with the present Mrs. Armstrong since she was a child, and
he was overwhelmed at seeing Louise. He saw that she was excited and
tired, and he drew her into the sitting-room and made her sit down.
After a while he went to the house and brought Mrs. Watson, and they
talked until late. The old man said Louise was in trouble, and seemed
frightened. Mrs. Watson made some tea and took it to the lodge, but
Louise made them both promise to keep her presence a secret. She had
not known that Sunnyside was rented, and whatever her trouble was, this
complicated things. She seemed puzzled. Her stepfather and her mother
were still in California--that was all she would say about them. Why
she had run away no one could imagine. Mr. Arnold Armstrong was at the
Greenwood Club, and at last Thomas, not knowing what else to do, went
over there along the path. It was almost midnight. Part-way over he
met Armstrong himself and brought him to the lodge. Mrs. Watson had
gone to the house for some bed-linen, it having been arranged that
under the circumstances Louise would be better at the lodge until
morning. Arnold Armstrong and Louise had a long conference, during
which he was heard to storm and become very violent. When he left it
was after two. He had gone up to the house--Thomas did not know
why--and at three o'clock he was shot at the foot of the circular
staircase.

The following morning Louise had been ill. She had asked for Arnold,
and was told he had left town. Thomas had not the moral courage to
tell her of the crime. She refused a doctor, and shrank morbidly from
having her presence known. Mrs. Watson and Thomas had had their hands
full, and at last Rosie had been enlisted to help them. She carried
necessary provisions--little enough--to the lodge, and helped to keep
the secret.

Thomas told me quite frankly that he had been anxious to keep Louise's
presence hidden for this reason: they had all seen Arnold Armstrong
that night, and he, himsel