Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-21
The House on theMarSh;;
THE MYSTERY OF THE ALDERS.
BY FLORENCE WARDEN.

speech which chilled me with horror.
 ''Dead men tell no tales, Jim," said she, in another fearful whis- per. "It's easy done, and it's safer. Whats an old mans life, that you're SO shy of touching himp You've done many a riskier thing. Why do you al4 ways turn coward at thatp"
 l could scarcely sit and watch this woman fiend after that. I seemed to see murder in her fierce fiery eyes; and Ishuddered even as I'm moistened herdry lips and touched her burning forehead. She rambled on in the same style, men, tioning other names 1had never heard, and not word of me or Mr. and Mrs. Rayncr, or even of Tom Parkes, until she broke out angrily:
 'Jim's mad about that little Christie girl, Tom, and he says he'll marry her bring it about" she hissed between her teeth.
 What awful confusion in her mind was there to connect me with her criminal lover of years before. There suddenly woke up in my mind the re- membrance of the evening when, hid- den in my "nest," had overheard q conversation between her and MT. Rayner's mysterious visitor, who had afterward turned out to be MT. Car ruthers' man servant, and l remem- bered that she had expressed jealousy of some man called Jim" Was it the same manp How was it that he never appearedP had thought at the time that she must mean Tom Parkes, and that the woman she was jealous of was Jane, but, on the whole, she got on well with Jane, and the only person in the house against whom her animosity took any serious form was myself. And now she fancied this Jim" wanted to marry me-and l had never even seen him!
 She was rambling again into the that caught my attention was:
 "It's good weight, Tom-Jim might have lent you hand. The waters deep in the cellar; but it won't hurt the jewels, and the plate'll clean. Come on.
 Was it the Dcnham Court robbery that was on her mind nowP l held my breath while she went on:
 ''Tom, that sneaking Christie girls got wind of it somehow. Jim that gone on her he won't listen to me; and, if don't prevent it, she'll be his ruin.
 Again that strange confusion of my name with that of the unknown Jim! My brain seemed to be getting as much confused as her own. held tightly to the arms of my chair as 1 listened to her rawlings, as if in futile attempt to steady body and mind. l was mad to discover who this James Woodfall was, and left my chair, and drew, as if fascinated, nearer to the bed as she said:
 "Take care, Jim. You risk too much. There must be some thief taker in the world clever enough to recognize the forger James Woodfall in the jewel robber-"
 At that moment, while I listened with pulses beating high and eager eyes for the name. the door opened, and the sick woman, distracted by the noise, cried: 'What's that?" It was the cook come to take my place. But the reaction from the high pressure tension of my nerves during the last few hours was too much for me. fell fainting to the floor. The next morning 1 awoke with a headache. The grease had been re- moved from the stairs, but 1 never went down them at night without a shudder. telcgraphed MT. Rayncr to tell him of the accident, without in- forming him of the cause, and re- ceived reply before dinner time. 'Am much distressed about accident. Give her every care. Have sent off an experienced nurse already" And by the afternoon train she ar rived-a silent, middle-aged woman. the very sight of whom inspired re- spcct. which in my case amounted to awe.
 1 sat with Haidee in my room most l of the day. Just before dinner time Mrs. Rayncr came into tho room. See. ing her in the full light of my four windows. I was shocked at the change in her appearance which had taken place since my arrival at the Alders, a little over two months before. Hcl cheeks were wan and hollow, her eyes sunken and her lips so drawn and livid that seemed to be looking at dead woman. She made little reference tc the previous nights adventure, only saying:
 II hear Sarah is i'll. I had to go in search of my breakfast myself this morning.-I hope she is better"
 But the look on her worn face of re- relief from a hated burden belied he1 words. She had not dared even to visit her child while that harpy was about
 Mrs. Rayner said she would have dinner with me on that day, and went downstairs first in order to leave hel with the child a few moments. At tho foot of the stairs I found the elfist Mona playing with Sarah's housekeep ing keys. ! thought they would bt safer in my care than Mona's and so took them from her, but not without many fearless screams and howls or her part. thought to myself how Sarah would be annoyed if she knew her keys were in my possession, bu
 was glad had them when Jane came to me and said the new nurse-Mrs Saunders - must have some bottled stout to drink. Jane said the stou
 was either in the cellar or the store
 cupboard, and as the nurse was making
 great fuss about it, undertook tt
 .A 1,,,