Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1889-10-24

furniture or such rooms as we're rurnls. eu
at all; we discovered in our search numer-
GUS other mysteries in the construction OF
the old house, but the substantial figure Of
the housekeeper had vanished as indubi-
tably as though she had evaporated
All l see how is, suddenly exclaimed
my companion, when our hopeless quest
had once more led us to the upper floor.
1t must have been she who disappeared
on the missing horse.
She hastily ran back to the apartment in
which we had at first expected TO find the
housekeeper, and followed her.
Just as l feared" she cried pointing to
an empty space in one corner "A lady's
saddle occupied that corner only short
time ago, and now it is gone. / several
times asked Mrs. Miggles if it was hers,
and what she intended doing with it, with
out receiving anything but evasive replies
Ihe answer is now plain enough. She
probably rode hither in that saddle, and
has ridden hence in it by that mysterious
bridle-path leading from the back of the
stables"
There was little room to doubt that,such
had been the case And | might as well
partly relieve the readers curiosity right
here by saying that, strange as it may seem,
never afterward was the mysterious house,
keeper, Mrs. Miggles seen or heard of.
whether she possessed secret means by
which she was enabled to evade pursuit
and seek foreign land: whether she COM
mitted suicide somewhere, out of sight,
out of mind, among the recesses of those
lonely and forested hills; or whether she is
still living in poverty stricken and anony-
nous retirement amid the peopled wilder
nesses OF great city, or any other ny
| pothesis of her fate, must be left to the
conjecture of the reader. 1t is only my
duty to repeat that, clothed in her mys-
terry and, perhaps, her crimes, she from
that hour, SO far as the knowledge of this
story's personages extends, passed out into
| the obscurity of the great Unknown, and
was heard of no more.
Miss Dixon sat down and gave me brief
account of her captivity Barring the
mental anxiety she had suffered, and the
prosecuting urgency to which she had been
subjected by both De AIarchmont and his
! female confederate to consent to an imme-
date marriage with the former, her impris-
onment had not been painful one
Il really think though" said she, in
conclusion, shat, If had persisted in my
cruelty, as he denominated my refusal
| cstubbornness' Mrs Migg es called it,,
be might have resorted to desperate meas
ures, as at every one of his fresh visits Che
only made me FOUR detected a growing
Impotence in his manner that alarmed me
But. thank heaven you camel"
"Oh, Heaven and Love be praised that i
did" | exclaimed, suddenly, Selling one of
her hands, and hardly knowing what did.
My bird! my poor bird' exclaimed
Lulu, Withdrawing her hand and sta ting
| t<~1 fank 80. g.. - UCsY ;.
hidden away in my room, and dying, / fear. .
We Lad been sitting by bright wood
fire in tho large room deserted by the
housekeeper; and as the young girl spoke
she duttered out of the door, very much
like a bird herself, calling out, as she dis
| appeared, "Wait for me, Mr. Piercer; will
come again.
| She presently returned, with the pet car
rier she had kept in her possession living
limp and dropping in her tender hands.
"Poor Blanche!n she murmured, as she
resumed her seat at my side and fondled
the perishing bird Are you going to die
1T last, then? And will you never iutter
home again. to soar and coo among your
pretty companions? Tell mo, Mr.. Piercer, !"
she added, holding it up to me, If you
think it can survive"
The tears were streaming from her lovely
eyes.
As could not find it in my heart to tell
her that the bird was near its last gasp, she
continued to speak, telling me prettily.
through her sobs and tears, how she had
secretly cared for the wants of both birds
to the best of her ability. hiding them I'M
der her bed, and nourishing them witlrsuch
crumbs ass-she could carry away til1pors.
ceived from her meals in one of the lower
rooms; but how this one had dropped and
pincd from the first, having at last alto-
gether refused nourishment after being
separated from its white mate, Arrow, on
the preceding day.
Even as she was speaking the bird gave
last fiutter and died in her hands.
Then it was that the tender hearted girl
broke into uncontrolled weeping; and then
It was that somehow found myself-how,
never exactly knew-with the fair weeper
herself in my arms, and pouring into her
ears, with quivering lips, the tale of love
and passion that had been smoldering in
my lonely heart SO long and wanting but
the opportunity to kindle into burning life.
Then it was that, all alone In the de-
serted house the hollow monument Of de-
parted days and with the dead bird lying
In her hands, she hid her face upon my
breast and murmured forth sweet re-
Spouse to oil hoped and dreamed.
CHAPTER XVI