Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-06-02
Devriss bade his friend goodbye an

he SAID, turning MS collar 8bout his ears
and hurrying along. Heavens! what an
afternoon this has BEEN" and the cold
sweat started to his forehead at the bare
recollection. But what resemblance
1t was" he gasped under his breath. IT
hope most devoutly that shall never sot
eyes ON Mr. H. Albertson, again!"
When Alfred DeVries reached his hotel
he ordered and drank two glasses Of
strong brandy, but even then, when he
went up to his room his blood felt Nike ico
in his veins, and his feet and hands wero
cold and clammy, almost, as dead OneA
Susan Dale was ordinarily q good sort
CT q girl, but she was just q little envious
Of Stella Blake. +" For her part, she said,
"she didn't like to see poor girls try to
set themselves up for something better
than they was, and try to play the fne
lady"
This she said to the hostler who had in-
vited herself and Stella 10 60 to . candy
party" at her cousins, which invitation
Stella had quietly refused, greatly to tho
sorrow Of the young man, who had In
dulged In sundry rosy anticipations of 60
ing through the needles eye" In her
company, If anybody knows what that ID.
II suppose she thinks her handsome
face will get her rich husband-the old
man, like enough" he said, Grossly.
For my part, don't see how anybody
can call her handsome" Susan rejoined,
with little contemptuous toss of the head.
Men has such queer fancies! am sure
wouldn't have such temper - looks
out Of her big, fiery eyes, for all the world.
I guess the fellow who has her, win have
to toe the mark"
II am sure I don't know Of anybody
who ever thought of having her. You
know I didn't, Susan" he said, with avery
expressive look "you know there's only
one girl in the county that I'd have If they
got down on their knees and begged me
to, and you know who that girl is, Susan"
Susan blushed in tacit acknowledge
ment that she did know that girl" and
was Modified Immediately, in blissful ig-
norauce as she was that Charley" said
very much the same thing to every girl
who gave him an opportunity.
"There's something queer about Stella
Blake" she said, stepping little nearer
to him and lowering her voice. wont
you ever tell II tell you something Isaw,
Charley Of course wouldn't mention
it to anybody but you."
"Pll swear not to tell" Charley cried,
kissing the book mean, Susan.
"What o rssdo, aioag oouuiu IeIIOW you
arc, Charley Ross p she exclaimed; "Td
be ashamed TO act SO as you do" trying
very hard to look angry, but failing mis-
erably. "Now see If you can behave
while tell you about this Blake girl"
"Shall swear to THAR" he asked,
wickedly.
"Be still, or I'll not tell you at ALL" she
answered, laughing. She was In an ex-
cellent humor now. ut is not much, to
be sure, but 1t looked queer. You know
that Mr.. DeVries 10 in Chicago. 1t was
the first night he was away that saw .
light in his room between eleven and
twelve o'clock. had the ear-ache and
got up to get something to pat in 1t, and
happening to look toward the main build
ing saw 1t. The blinds were closed, and
the curtains were drawn, but could SEQ
q little line of light up and down the sides
Of the windows. At first l thought he
had returned sooner than he expected, but
soon remembered that oil the trains had
got in sufficiently early for him to have
been at home before nine, certainly. 1
,sr.,ScoS aver me. and went through our
ha ii -..I DIV a staiis, xnd then up again 70
the main hall. Just rs / got about haH
way up stairs, however, there was quick
fash Of light which almost blinded ma.
l Involuntary stepped back q stair or
two, but the rustic Of dress, and the
light pat of feet on the carpet treasured
me, and fastened up the stairs, and Just
as l reached the head of them Stella
Blake, carefully shading the light with
her dress, was going into the room at the
end Of the passage. She did not see me,
but the light fared up and showed me her
lace, and II she'd been dead abe couldn't
have been paler or more frightful looking.
waited till she had shut the door, and
hen slipped across to Mr.. DeVries' room
and opened the door, but il was all pitchy
darkness Now what want to know,
should send her there In the dead hours
Of night in that secret ways" she asked,
srgumentatively.
Il reckon she don't like De Vries any
too well. have seen an odd look ON her
face sometimes when she was watching
him, and he lid not see her-a sort OF
fierce, svenging look, that made her face
Old and hard"
" But why should she 60 into his room
when he wss swayf fxncied she might
have taken notion to ransack his trunk,
but then ! knew he never left It un-
ocked an hour when he was ct home
how could she have known y, and 1t was
lot likely he would 60 away and leave Il
,pen. But / felt 1t my duty to see tho
irst thing next morning; but 1t was not
,nly locked, but strapped, and I don't be-
ieve any woman could have slipped those
buckles. never saw such hard ones"
"Well, she might have tried them, per-