Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-02


through them bars little further ON,
and yen see little yaller house, just
the last place in the world where you'd
expect to see house. That's where
Mrs. MattesOn lives"
Thanked my informant, ard set eat
ON brisk walk, carrying my travelling
bag. TWAS quite a distance ere /
emerged from the suburbs Of the "main
street" into quiet and secluded road,
or, rather, lane. The "pateh o woods, :"
with the bars, and the 'little yaller
house "a cream-eolored cottage, liter
ally overgrown with honey-suekles-
rewarded my search, and as I knocked
at the door a clock somewhere inside
struck 7.
A decent-looking, elderly woman in
Widows weeds came to the door.
"Is Mr.. Matteson in? Mr.. Perley :"
"No," she answered quickly, with,
As I imagined, rather confused look.
Z did not believe her, and asked quietly:
"When do you expect him homer"
mot OF present"
Apparently she expected me to SO
away, but, instead, I stepped in.
Mother" asked soft voice at the
head of the stairs, "who is it?'
And then for the FIRST time I became
aware that some one had been Watching
our colloquy from the head Of the stairs
"a young girl, dressed, like the mother,
in deep black, with very brilliant eyes,
and o profugion Of jet-blaek ringlets.
"Some one to sec your brother"
She came half way down the stairs,
pushing back her curls with one hand,
and looking at me with wondrous eyes.
Even then her beauty struck me as I
stood gazing at her.
"TeTy is not at home, she said,
hurriedly. "He has gone away. We
do not know when he will return"
Evidently this mother and daughter
were in the secret of Matteson's villainy,
and were doing their best to screen him
from its consequences. My heart bled
for both of them, but 1t WAS no Eme to
indulge in sentimentality. Speaking as
briefly as I could I told them It was my
duty to compel them to remain where
they we're while searched the house.
Mrs. Mattason sas down pale and
trembling; her daughter colored high.
Mother" she said, "why do you
stand by and listen to such ISLANDERS 2
It is false Let this man search the
house if he wiz my brother is as inno-
cent as / am p
No opposition was offered to my
search. 1t was entirely fruitless, how
ever-there was nowhere any trace Of
the flown bird. Nevertheless I con-
cluded to remain there quietly for day
or two, to see what little waiting might
bring forth.
The same afternoon Clara Matteson
came IL, as I sat by the piazza window,
keeping quiet watch on all the sur
roundings.
"Mr. Meredith" she said, softly,
"mother thinks Ihave been rude to you.
She says it was not your fault, personal
", that you were sent here-on such o
mistake, and perhaps she is right. I
arn very sorry If I have hurt your feel
ings."
The pretty, penitent way In which
she spoke quite won my heart, and q
few questions on my part seemed to un-
lock the hidden recesses of her conf
dence. She talked at first shyly, but
afterward with more assurance, Of her
sell, her absent brother and her mother,
giving me thousand artless little fam
lily details which J. almost dreaded to
hear. The twilight talk Was one of the
pleasantest Of my by-no-means univer-
sally pleasant life. and was considera-
bly, annoyed when it was broken in up
On by the arrival Of the Drownville con-
stables whe were to watch through the
night At the sound of their footsteps
on the piazza floor, Clara rose up and
sat down again, confused and fright
ened.
60, Mr. Meredith-those men
BE easy, Miss Matteson," said !;
"you shall In NO way be annoyed by
them. Your privacy shall not be broken
in upon, believe me-"
81 know I an silly" faltered Clara,
"but oh it seems SO dreadful"
My orders to the men were brief and
succinct. 1 stationed them as seemed
best to me, and then returned to spend
the evening with Miss Matteson. And
when I was at length left alone could
not help thinking-God forgive me
how much more winning and graceful
she was than poor Kitty Elton.
At length an answer came to my re-
port to Mr.. Oenner-it was short and to
the purpose