The Van Buren press., 1878-06-04

looked up and sawit was Rose Wynne,
| thought that was aueerer yet.
She was all in black, even her head
was wound about with thick folds of
black, and never had seen her so sad
and solemn. She camc close to the win
dow and looked up at me-
Mr.. Sharpe 7" Sue said.
jumped; for yoa see did not think
any one would known me, fixed up as ]
was, and | said in whisper:
g Is it really you, Rose? Don't speak
loud, please, for don't want to be known
here"
She went right on without seeming to
have heard me.
alarm has come to me- said, land il
was Andy Davis. Remember your prom
ise." n
And then, all in a haah, she was gone
and couldn't have told where, mp, down
or round the corneg Of the house; only
she'd gone, and | hadn't seen her go.
As | sat staring out, with her words
going through and through my head,
began to .eel kind of creepy and odd.
Now, l don't believe any one who knows
me would call me supersttious But all
at once, as | sat there, it came over me
that may be had seen Rose Wynne's
ghost instead of herself. She had certain
spoken and looked very strangely for a
living woman.
Then laughed at myself for the fan
cy.
"Sharpe, old fellow" said /, "you
know there are no such thing as ghosts.
What in the name OF common sense are
you dreaming OFF,
And | put on my coat and hat and went
out into the town to see il | could learn
nything about the business / had come
down there upon.
Every now and then as walked along
in the darkness the thought of Rose
Wynne would come over me with a kind
of thrill and | seemed to hear her say
ing:
Remember your promise"
tried to shake off the impression, but
all to no purpose, and at last | stepped
into store and said to Il clerk, fellow
whom | recognized as one Of Roses old
admirers
is there young girl living round
here by the name of Rose Wynne
I Cause I've got letter for her"
"Then you've got letter for dead
woman" he said. "Rose Wynne is dead
drowned in the river
"Who did p asked, turning cold.
"Did it herself. I suppose. | never
heard of any one else being accused o!
it.
And why should she? Where is An.
dy Davis p blurted out, before l knew
what was about.
"Oh, Andy went away ever SO long
aso.-I sao44 II .a..s,i 10 wers -AntJaaaa
1t was thought that they quarreled may
be, and that was why she drowned her.
self"
l did not continue the conversation
but left the store and went back to my
room.
That night dreamed that Rose CAME
to my bedside, and stood looking at me
just as she had under my window, and
said:
sit was Andy Davis remember your
promise"
Well, I made more inquiries round and
! found the general impression was that
Rose had drowned herself, just as the
clerk had told me. The body had never
been found. but she was missing, and her
handkerchief and gloves, and the hat she
wore the night she disappeared, were
picked up on the river bank. The water
was very swift here, and it was generally
believed the body had drifted out to the
lake.
Well, l had some pretty curious
thoughts. Was Bose dead or wasn't she ?
AT all events there was u mystery, and
was Just the fellow to ferret it out The
first thing was to find Andy Davis. SO,
just as soon as / had got through the
business | was on, started on his track
l was obliged to hunt for him much
longer than | expected; but found him
at last. The longer looked for him the
more suspected he had something ugly
on his mind. People with clear CON
sciences amt, as n general thing, so hard
TO find We'll, as | said, found him at
last, working on Il farm, and he a carpen-
ter by trade. He was a good two hun.
dred miles from Evan Corners, and he'd
got new name besides that.
He called himself Thompson, but he
couldn't Thompson me. knew him the
minute l put my eyes on him. He was
at SUPPER with the man he was working
for and the other farm hands, and stood
and watched him through the kitchen
window some minutes. He'd changed
good deal. got thin and yellow, and had
sort of hunted look ia his eyes, that set
tied his lease for me, then and there.
never saw that look in an innocent mans
face.
The kitchen door stood open, and |
walked in without any ceremony, and
going directly up to him laid my hand
on his shoulder.
"How do you do, Mr.. Davis ?" said |.
You should have seen him. I've had
some experience with frightened men, but
/ can safely say with truth, that / never
saw one so scared as he was / never
in my life cav Il face turn so white as his
did. First he jumped up and looked
round as il he was going to run, then he
sat down again and set his teeth hard.
Tou see, he recognized me and knew |
was a detective.
Ny name amt Davis said he, glow
ering at me with eyes like Goals" |