Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-22
The House on theMdrSh:
THE MYSTERY OF THE ALDERS.
BY 4LoRKNcH wARDEN.

ooh, but" began, the impossibility of my traveIing alone over Europe with MT. Rayner and Haidee aaing clear even to my not very wise brain.
 "Now, listen, and hear how cleverly have managed it. Haidee goes to look after her papa, Miss Christie goes to look after Haidee. Mrs. Christie goes to look after Miss Christie
 My mothern' I exclaimed. "Yes. l went to see her yesterday, and proposed the plan to her, not for getting to put in word about our friends at Nice. She was delighted, and asked your uncle s consent at once We have already settled that she is to meet nS at Liverpool street on our ar riva! in town next Friday morning."
 Next Friday!' said I, utterly be- wildcrcd.
 "Thcre, child,' said Mir. Rayncr, talk ing letter from his pocket and putting it into my hands. You don't seem to be able to take it all in. Read that"
 It was q letter in my mothers hand writing. l opened it, still utterly be- wildercd. IL said:
 "Mr D."LtNG VIoLET.-Your kind friend MT. RnNn"r g waiting: so can pen you only press n,> feel n-ss at his generous offer. He says ;t'n 10 write % you and persuade you to go: but dc not think you will need much persuasion I!e then directed me to provide an ouiAi tor you at his expense. and bring it with me tn Liverpool Street Station, where am to meet you on Friday. though don't like starting on u journey on Friday Heaven be pra SO for sending us such kind fir ends! ing. With best lovc from ,our uncle and cousins. Il the fond hope of seeing you very soon' Your "hFe''"n"'e mo,her; ank 1,.,,sru
 My dear mother. It was just like her to see nothing so very cxtraordi- nary in this Offer. to take it as a matter of courSr. and thank Heaven for it in the most simple-minded way, while it troubled me somewhat still. I read the letter twice through, and then tried deprccatingly to thank him for the outfit he had got her to provide.
 ''Oh. does she mention that? told her not tn do SD, said he. laughing.
 You don know my mother. When she has any thing to tell, she cant re- sist telling it. This letter is just like her. But she has done two things she never in all her life did bcforc-datcd her letter and put no postscript"
 CHAPTER XIV.
 As soon as we came out of church that morning, I found an opportunity of speaking to Mrs. Manners, and asked her. shyly. if she could give me any mcsSa~.' tu take that afternoon to Miss Maud Read at the Hall
 ''Laurercr told mo to ask you," I whispered, timidly; "it is because he particularly wants my next letter to be nclosed in hers. He didn't say why; but he is very emphatic about it."
 ''Dear, dear" Snid kindly Mrs. Man ncrs, an>iouSly, "it is pity young people can not get on without so many subterfugrs! l don't know whether Mir. Manners would approve But thcrc-I promised Laurence 1 would help you-and there is no harm in it and so l will. Come up to the Vicar age after afternoon service, and I'll give you q pack, t of tracts for her."
 l thanked her and made my way to where Mir. and Mrs. Rayner were stand ing in time to hear the former advise old MT. Rcade to send his plate. which was known to be valuable, to the bank for s"fcty.
 "Thry wouldn't try for my little store, it wou.dn' be worth their while" said Mr. Rcade. 1t must take its chances in the old chest at home"
 At dinner Mir. Rayncr tried again to induce his wife to go to Monaco, and encouraged me to join my pcrsuasions to his, which did most heartily. But to all we said she only replied steadily and cold!y that she disliked travelling, did not feel well enough to undertake a journey, and preferred remaining at the Aldcrs. She added, in the same parrot-like tone, that she thought the change would do me and Haidee good, and that it was very kind of my mother to go.
 Alter dinner I ran up-stairs to my nd T t<>, ly-begun letter to Laurence.
 first told him how happy his letter had made me, and then, obcying his injunction to tell him every thing that happened at the Alders. l gave him a full account of the way Sarah had pre- vented our meeting on "Wednesday eve ming, and of her stealing my letter out of the bag on Thursday, of MT. Car ruther's visit to tell me of the robbery at Dcnham Court, of the accident to Sarah on Friday night, of her rawlings about bad man named James Wood fall, of Mr. Rayner's return, and of his intention to take Haidee. my mother, and mo to Monaco in few days.
 The hope of seeing Laurence again soon had by this time swallowed up every other thought concerning the journey; and l was eager for Friday to come. that we might start.
 Then l told him that had some very grave suspicious about the robbery, that l had told them to MT. Rayner, who did not think so seriously of them as did, but that he said ought not to repeat them to any body until he had thoroughly sifted the matter, and I had promised not to do SO.
 " So now you are not to be anxious about my sa'cty any more, dearest LuurenCe. For Sarah. the only person who wished me harm. IS too Ill to move, and is in danger, poor woIcan, of los ng, if not her life, at least her reason. the doctor says. And Mr. Ka'ner has prom sed not to go away again for more than da! at Il time, either on busi- ness or for pleasure Thcre seems a curious fatal ty about h nb,ences, for both these dreadful robber eS that have fir ghtened ever, body so murn lately, the one at Lord Dalsion and the one at Denham Court, have happened while he was away with no man in the house to protect us against burglars or our ars of the n 1 think your prejud ce against MT Raynor ought to break down now. that through m we are to meet