Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-05-11


Like break in a levee il grew. this
feeling of doubt and distrust until.
like the powerful crevasse. it flooded
my whole soul with suspicious dire.
Leon Lamar" / cried excitedly,
"you have written this falsehood. and
if aught has happened Godfrey, Isball
recompenso you. so help me heaven!'
Goefirey's absence was enough to
augment my fears; l thrust the note in
my bosom and went down stairs again.
Il believe I will visit Rose Hill this
evening"" said. as calmly as possible
to the family. which took 1t for granted
that good old Mrs. Lamar had sent an
| invitation.
was greeted warmly by Geofrrey's
mother on my arrival there, who said
she knew l would come. even when
Leon was writing the note. You got
it today. didn't youp" she asked, pleas
antly.
Yes" replied, feeling that there
was something wrong somewhere.
But the mystery deepened. when she
continued. with solictude. II am so
glad. too. that you are to stay with me
while Leon has gone to Godfrey; he
isn't so very i'll, of course, but it seems
right that Leon should 60, even If his
business suffers"
''Geoffrey lip" asked, in a choking
voice; land where Is he, Mrs. La
marP'
''Oh. then Leon did't ment oil Geof-
frey's illness to YOU in the invitation?
He dreaded to worry you, | suppose.
Why. he's Mt his uncle's in Albany;
went week ago. But don't look SO
frightened, Miss Delaney; Godfrey ism
ut all dangerous.
NO" l said; but darker and strang-
er it all grew, i compared the lam
guage of the note to Mrs. Lamar s
statement; it was evident to me that
Leon did not want my presence at
Rose Hill, for instead of penning the
supposed invitation, he had written an
excuse purporting 10 be Geofrey's.
thinking that would satisfy me until
when, did not know.
That night could not sleep. l toss
ed restlessly until nearly dawn. when
| sank into troubled dream. and
thought l was descending a steep de-
cline; then. in disconnected way.
saw Godfrey s white, anguished face,
and after all | seemed to stumble over
a basket in which were parcels and n
can of coffee.
awoke frightened and bewidered.
10 find it hardly dawn, | had not slept
ten M nutcs. but l was not sleepy and
rose to dress.
"A hill; hillr' l repeated; and
Geoffrey's white face; dear, it certainly
meant something. Father in heaven,
show me the wayW | sobbed, up
against the window pane.
Suddenly remembered having once
taken walk with nv lover IN the
wood east OF the house; in that stroll
we had gone down Little steep and
Wis ted a sort of II cave. long unused.
and further up the ravinc.
But this could have no connection
with Geof'reys white face. thought;
still, it might aud | sbuddered and
cried out in an agony of soul, Heaven
help ne TO find Geoilreyr'
That forenoon. the servant, Thekla,
busted herself preparing var Gus pack
ages and parcels. She eyed me
suspciously whenever looked at her,
though had no motive in doing so.
outside of idly wondering what she in
tended doing with them. until she pro-
cured large can of coffee and packed
it with the rest in "A basket.
Then strangely famil ar looked the
receptacle. A curious sensation crept
over me. as realized that this. too
was part of the mystery. | had
recognized the basket as the identical
one of my dream of the morning.
"Aha! | thought there is some
thing in it," | kept quiet, however.
and wandered abe ut lstlessly. yet all
the while watching her narrowly. She
had an evil face. and. | was certain.
could be bribed into doing anything.
Mrs. Lamar was in her room. so
walked out on the veranda and sat
down to think l believed | could find
the way to that lonely cave alone; | be-
lieved ! should try and see what would
come of it. Leon might have killed
Godfrey in tit of jealous passion and
have hidden the body there!
"But no; there went Thekla, with
that basket on her arm. Great heaven!
they had made him prisoner some
where, and those parcels were for him.
rose quickly and, slipping quietly
along watched the servant, who was
n wonderful hurry. Keeping some
shrubbery partially between us, /
crept after her until she passed from
sight in the edge of the woods. III ding
close to the path resolved TO wait her
return, and then go TO the end of the
winding way. let it lead 10 Godfrey, or
some one else she was carrying pro-
visions 30.
| had not long to wait; she came
back presently, and the basket was
empty. After she had passed on to-
ward the house | flew toward the
woodland. The path grew quite in
distinct as | entered the woods. but |
searched the dry leaves, and threaded
my way until | came to q steep de-
scent.
"Ohr' | cried. II am coming to il. {"
slipped down the steep and followed
, on a few yards further up the ravine
TO the cave. But how different it
J looked from the old tumbledown
affair had seen before. A stout door
} of heavy oak shut up the lower part of
the entrance while above was grating
ciu,ilar N rricon bors and ,