The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-02-12

publishing house, found the leaves of
her manuscripts mysteriously dis
ordered on her table. She kept no cat
indeed, che had consulted the landlady s
preference so far as to give away the
pet maltese, send her dog to the coun-
try, and put her boy in boarding-school
in obedience to that potentate's ex.
pressed inj functions. When Mrs.
Crane objected to having the
windows open in the close, muggy
Winter weather. Mrs. De Young
obediently sealed hers, and sweltered
in company with an open fire and the
odor from an untrapped wash-basin.
When Mrs. Crane turned off the
gas all over the house Iat half.past
9, no remonstrance was made, but
an investment was made in parafine
candles. The water was cut of from
the upper stories, and only turned on
when the landlady went to bed, &C that
additions were reduced to the facilities
of q hand-basin, but no complaint was
made by the all-enduring feminine,
aware of the. gross imposition on the
world she had practiced, in being born
a woman, and the consideration ex-
tended in allowing her roof over her
head and rest for the soles of her feet
for only three dollars a week more than
a man would pay for the same accom-.
modations. But mysterious influences
were at work in the Crane mansion.
The young German on the top floor
missed half a dozen pairs of gloves and
a silk Handkerchief from his bureau,
and as his door was locked and the key
with Mrs. Crane, all day, injurious sus-
picions formed in his mind. The Les
trade family on the third floor traced
letters addressed to dodgers into the
back parlor, where Mrs. Crane sat in
company with a turn-up bedstead
when not otherwise employed, and the
same letters went up stairs some hours
afterward rather thickly gummed, and
with 6nger-marks about the flap
quite legible to an observer of ordinary
experience. In the dead of night floors
creaked ominously, keyholes were
mysterious]y obscured about bedtime,
and an ear placed against q door-panel
could detect the faint whish of retreat
ing hounces. Added to this Mrs. De
Young found letter of Mrs. Cranes
dropped at her bedside, in her own
room, where not servant was allowed
to penetrate, and which she swept and
busted with her own hands. As the
doors were locked when she went out,
the conclusion was evident that the
letter did not blow there by chance, and
the discovery that Mrs. Cranes keys
fitted every door in the house settled
any doubts on the matter. Mrs. De
Young's subsequent action in putting
spring locks and bolts on her door, and
in asking leave to have q private letter.
box in the hall, was denounced BY Mrs.
Crane as highly unladylike and in
slnuating, not to say suspicious. The
letter-box was Indignantly forbidden:
but as Mrs. De Young had the spring
lock put on without asking or demand
ing leave, no action could be taken on
that count. ,, |
Soon after this marked in;rease
was apparent in the letters which came
for Mrs. De Young. These were most
u directed in a. bold masculine hand.
scented with cigar smoke, and rather
lightly sealed. By means not specified,
Mrs. Crane possessed: herself Of the
facts that we'll do gent mans was
violently il love with Mrs. De Young,
was making appointme nts With her for
lunches and drives, and condu ctinR