The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-07-22
THE MYSTERIOUS LODGER.
By EVA EVERGREEN.

BY EVA EVERGREEN.
Hearth and Homc.l
don't like it; and the more / think
of it the worse it gets" exclaimed Mrs.
Benson, looking up from her sewing;
"there was mystery about him from
the first, and now with that young feller
visitin' him and actin so queer, it looks
dangerous! That comes of being lone
widow woman with no protector Pm
sure when he come here so respectful,
and offered a good price, and didn't mind
if the accommodation weren't first t-class,
| could never have been expected to
imagine"
A sudden ring at the door eau; ed her
to hurry out into the hall. A rather
brigandish-looking young man, with
piercing black eyes, luxuriant hair, and
carrying a mysterious paper roll, stood
before her.
"Mr. Brown in? Don't trouble your
self to call him; I'll go right up"
Mrs. Benson fell helplessly back, and
the visitor went upstairs with ponderous
strides. A door above opened and shut,
and the landlady, in a state of increased
perplexity, returned to her sewing. The
subject OF her soliloquy, prepossessing
yOuuS lldl vi JuiIby VI tutIchDOutS,
name Brown, had engaged lodgings
her some months before. His pay was
prompt, his hours and manners unex-
ceptiOnable, and his wants few, and the
good lady's heart had quite warmed
toward him. But after while he be.
gan to stay out late, his passing saluta-
tiOns had, to the widows sensitive ear,
an element of mystery, and latterly he
had received long and frequent visits
from the stranger just admitted. Once
or twice she had tiptoed up stairs after
him, and listened at the keyhole; but,
failing to catch anything ineligible, and
fearing detection, she had been obliged
to retreat unenlightened.
81 can't feel it my duty to let this go
on any longer" she said at last, there's
no knowing what dreadful plot may be
Matched in my house. / might be ar
rested, too, as an accomplice. It's well
/ thought of that closet-the good-fOr-
nothing wretches! I'll circumvent
'em yes, and get a reward, perhaps"
Inspired with these mingled ideas, Mrs.
Benson stole softly upstairs. The room
adjoining her lodger's contained a closet,
from the wall of which some of the
plastern had fallen. leaving small
aperture. Creeping cautiously in, and
bending down with her ear T., the wall,
she heard Mr.. Browns voice:
4" Yes, that will do; leave no trace of
suspicion. Did you use poison?'
"Poison !" gasped the lady; "I
thought he looked like villainw
No; i thought the dagger was better"
"What sort of one was itY" queried
the lodger.
"Oh, the regulation kind-Italian
with a jcweled handle. ! left it so as to
implcate him, you see and abducted the
girl and carried her to a lonely house on
the moors. Ihope she feels comfortable
Ha ha! ha %
Merciful powers !" choked Mrs.
Beacoh. g." that's the girl they've adver-
tised in the Herald this week! To think
what awful characters I've been barbor-
ing and abetting it's just miracle that
I'm alive to tell efit"
"Well," she heard next, show about
the will and jewels p
They're secure I'll divide the spoils
tomorrow"
"Not forgetting me-" laughed Brown.
"Well, is that the end ofthings?"
"Notquite. I've one more project to
develop"
"Why, what an Unsuitable fellow you
are is it another murders?
mo; want to secure an easy, un-
suspicious body of middle age to lool.
after the heiress. One with a little bank
account that can withdraw after / get
her safe, and have it given out that she
is moved to the country"
" Yes, very clever you are coming on,
Moore! How will you manage itT'
"Oh, III come in carriage with an
invitation for her to spend the evening
out somewhere and if she gets suspicious
and makes any trouble, I'll just give her
little distilled sleep and carry her
off nolens volens %
"First-rate, only don't make the dose
too big" replied the lodger.
"No danger; and-I tell you what,
Brown"
"Well, what2 don't keep a fellow in
suspense!"
"Pve hit upon the middle-aged per.
son-your worthy landlady ~
Mrs. Benson's heart stood still. How
did the wretch know that she had a
little money? Breathlessly she listened
for the next words.
cha! ba! ha" roared the lodger;
"what would she think to hear thatY
81 think she considers me sort ofsus-
picious being already, but regard that
idea as nothing short of an inspiration,
Brown. I'll step in and have a look at
her before I go, and also arrange for"
Mrs. Benson could endure it no
longer. The only safety for her life was
to have these villains arrested at once,
and, staggering from the room, she
closed the door. In her perturbation she
did not hear the other door open at the
same instant. The hall was narrow
and dark, and plunging forward, she ran
violently against something, heard a
stiHed exclamation, and felt herself
seized by strong pair of arms.
Murder murder !" sbrieked the land
lady, hysterically.
flush, madam y" spoke the visitors
voice we're only"