White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-02-17

-. AAAiSu ldu ITOI
her cheek; she seemed languid. and cheer
full only by effort. a moment after they
had gone, as Mrs. Kinloch closed the door
for it was raw November day, she saw
and picked up rudely-folded letter in
the hall. Goodbye, Lucy Ransom, y
were the words she read. They were
enough. Mrs. Kinloch felt that her hear
was struck by bolt of ice. Poor, mis-.
guided, miserable girl - she said. .'Why
did l not see that something was wrong
felt it, | knew it-but only as one knows
of evil in dream. Who can calculate
the mischief that will come of this I? o,
God to have my hopes of SO many years
ruined, destroyed, by a wretch whose
power and existence even had not once
thought of! Has she drowned herself,
or fled to the city to hide her disgrace
But if this should be Imagination merely
She may have run away with some lub-
berly fellow from the factory, whom she
was ashamed to marry at home. But no
she was too sad last evening when she
asked to go to her grandmother's for a
day. What if"- The thought
coursed round her brain like fire on a
train of gunpowder, flew quicker than
words could utter it and the woman
bounded to her bureau, as though with
muscles of steel. She clutched at the
papers and bank notes in her private
drawer, and looked and counted them
over dozen times before she could salts
fly herself Her thin fingers nervously
opened the packages and folds-the pa
pers cracking as her eye glanced over
them. They were there bat not all
She pored over the mystery. her thoughts
running away upon every side avenue OF
conjecture. and as often returning to the
lrightfnl. rcmediless fact before her. She
was faint with sudden terror. By degrees
she calmed herself, wiped the cold sweat
from her forehead. smiled at her fright,
and sat down again. with an attempt at
self control, to look through the drawers
thoroughly. As she went on, the tremor
returned, and before she had finished the
fruitless search. her heart beat so as to
stop her breath she gasped in an agony
that the soul rarely feels more than once
in this life. She shut up the drawers,
walked up and down the room, noticed
with shudder her owu changed express
sion as she passed before the mirror, and
strOve in vain to give some order to her
confused and tumultuous thoughts. At
length she sat down exhausted She was
startled by knock. Opening the door.
there in newly furnished suit, with clean
linen. and brown wig. w0ra for the first
time on his hitherto shining head, stood
Theophilus Clamp. He had even picked
blossom from the geranium in the hall,
and was toying with it like a bashful
boy.
"a fine day, Ma'am l' said he. as he
took seat.
Eyes, very" she answered, mechanic
ally. scarcely looking mp.
1.-The young folks have gone out to ride,
l suppose"
eyes, SRA pause, in which Mrs.
Kinloch covered her face with her hand
kerchicf.
"You don't seem well, Ma'am. Shall
I call Lucy %
Lucy is gone" she answered-quick-
ly adding, "gone to her grandmother's. 4"
well, that is singular I've been to-
day to look at my land above the old la
dy's house, and she asked me to send
word to Lucy to come up and see her."
''To. day 90
"Yes, Ma'am; not two hours ago"
Mrs. Kinloch was rapidly revolving
probabilities. What interest had Lucy
to interfere with her affairs? As for Mil
dred, she was not to be thought of as
prying into secrets she was too innocent.
Hugh was too careless. Who more than
this man, Clamp. was likely to have done
or procured the mischief?
Have you given her the message ?"
"Of course not, Ma'am-how could
II"
Then you haven't sent Lucy away on
any errand ?"
''Certainly not, Madam" said the law
yer, beginning to vince under the cross
examination. ''Lucy's gone, you say ;
didn't she leave things all right-your
papers. and-and so forth -
"Papers Lucy is not presumed to
know that | hare any papers; if any are
missing, I'll warrant they are in the hands
of some one who knows at least enough
to read them
"She suspects me-" thought the lawyer,
"but can't have discovered that hers are on
" copies; they're too well done" He then
added aloud. Perhaps, Mrs. Kinloch, il
you had honored me, your associate in the
administration of the estate, with your
confidence touching the private papers
you speak Of, might have saved you
some trouble in keeping them"
Every likely; but no one spoke OF pa
pers beside yourself" she replied, with a
trace of sarcasm in the tone which i'll
suited the expression of her pallid face
and dropping head.
"I'm sorry to see you looking so care
worn, Mrs. Kinloch," said he, with his
blandest air.
81 intended to bring up topic more
agreeable, it is to be hoped. than runaway
house-maids or old documents. He rub
bed his hands softly and turned his eyes
with glance meant to be tender towards
the place where her chair stood; if he
had been a cat, he would have purred the
while. lsd
Mrs. Kinloch. now, for the first time,