St. Landry democrat., 1879-07-26


ever saw the place again. Then l had
almost forgotten there was such a person
as Rose Wynne.
The case | was on was very impor-
tant one, and I did not want itsRnown !
was around at all. So I had disguised
myself in a farmer kind of rig, that I
don't believe my own mother would
have known me in. I had stopped at a
cheap lodging house at the emu of the
town, because ] suspected some of the
gang I was after frequented there.
I'd had my supper, and gone to my
room to sit by the window and study
bit about the business in hand. am
positive I wasn't thinking of Rose
Wynne. I don't believe I had thought
of her since got there, my head was so
full of business.
My room was ON the ground floor, and
the window was wide open. It was
growing dusk. It wasn't very nice
part of the town, lots ct roughs about,
| you know; SO when saw a woman stand
ing all at once there under my window
--alone tool thought it was very queer;
but when she looked up, and ] saw it was
Rose Wynne, 1 thought that was queerer
yet.
She was all in black, even her head was
wound about with thick folds of black,
and never had I seen her 30 sad and SOL
emn. she came close to the window and
looked up at me.
"Mr. Sharper she said.
dumped; for you see did not think
any one would know me, fixed up as I
was, and said in whisper:
"Is it really you, Rose? Don't speak
loud, please, for I don't want to be known
here"
She went right on without seeming to
have heard me.
"Harm has come to me-" she said,
"and it was Andy Davis. Remember
your promise"
And then, all in fash, she was gone,
and I couldn't have told where, up,
down, or around the corner of the house ;
only she'd gone, and I hadn't seen her
60.
As I sat staring out, with her words
going through and through my head,
began to feel kind of creepy and odd.
Now, don't believe any one who knows
me would call me superstitibus. But
all at once, az sat there, it came over
me that may be I had seen Rose Wynne's
ghost instead of herself. She lid GER
tainly spoken and looked ve7y strangely
for living woman.
Then I laughed at myself for the
fancy.
"sharpe, old fellow" said [, "you
know there are no such things as ghosts
What in the name of common sense are
you dreaming of?'
And I put on my coat and hat, and
went out into the town to see if could
learn anything about the business had
come down there upon.
Every now and then as 7 walked along
in the darkness the thought of Rose
Wynne would come over me with kind
OF thrill, and seemed to hear her say ing:
=" Remember your promise"
I tried to shake off the impression, but
alto no purpose, and at last I stepped
into store and said to clerk, q fellow
whom [ recognized as one of Roses old
admirers:
" Is there young girl living round
here by the. name of Rose Wynne 2
Cause I've got letter for her."
"Then you've got q letter for a dead
woman" he said. "Rose Wynne is
dead drowned in the river"
"Who did it ?'' asked, turning cold.
"Did it herself, suppose. I never
heard of any one else being accused of
it,"
"And why should she? Where is
Andy Davis?" I blurted out before I
knew what was about.
"Oh, Andy went away ever SO long
sgo. guess Rose and he were engaged. |
1t was thought that they quarreled,
maybe, and that was why she drowned |
herself" |
did not continue the conversation. |
but left the store and went back to my
room.
That night I dreamed that Rose came
TO my bedside, and stsod looking at me
lust SIS she had under my window and
,aid:
cit was Andy Davis; remember your
PROMISE" |
"Well, I made some more INQUIRIES
'ound and found the general impression
vas that Rose had drowned herself, Just
Is the clerk had told nae. The body had
lever been found, but she was missing,
md her handkerchief and gloves, and
he hat she wore the night she disap-
'esred, were picked up on the river
'ank The water was very swift here,
md it was generally believed the body
had dritted out to the lake. |
Well, I had some pretty curious
hougbts. Was Rose dead or wasn't
he? At all events there was mys-
cry, and I was just the fellow to ferret
out, The first thing was Tn find rdu