Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-04-19
THE OLD MILL MYSTERY.
By ARTHUR w. MARcHMoNr, B. A.
Auxhsr -Miser
Whose Hand" &c.,
By he

| he can nave been there, for / was on
the lookout to see him"
"You were on the lookout said Cor
ringe, sharply, looking quickly and
scnrchingly ut lnr.
Eyes; and think ! should have seen
him."
We'll, he'd better come back, whcr
ever he Is, and whenever he went"
said Gorringc, significantly. "I'm
sorry he's gone away; wanted him TO
have come up 10 the mill TO run through
the papers with me. must go; this
terrible business has upset everything.
Good-by."
lie put his hat on and turned hurried
| ly away-so hurriedly that he knocked
| down the book at which lac had been
CHANGING. With muttered exclama-
tion Mt his carelessness he picked IL
mp, and, instead OF putting IL back on
the table, gave IL into the girls hands
ooh, beg your pardon" he said,
smiling. 81 meant 20 put II down on
the table; but am absent-minded this
morning"
"Never mind" answered Mary; "I'n
put II In its proper place on that shelf
here"
81 found II on the table" he said, as
" excusing himself for hdying had IL
in his hand at all.
mo matter" she answered.
She was sorry she had spoken sharp
" 10 him, for IL was good OF him TO
come TO tell Tom that now there was
nothing more TO fear in the matter Of
tho lost money What n pity Tom had
not stayed 10 face IL out. II looked
now so much like guilt on his part TO
have left the place.
Eut over all her thoughts there
brooded, like dark ,loud ~ gloom,
the fear that there might be some
other and more terrible reason for his
having gone away. She herself had
urged hin 10 60 and see Mr.. Coodc IT
the mill and she asked herself with
fenr aud trembling whether he had
gone there, and II 80 what had passed
between the two? Despite her utmost
efforts she could not keep away that
cold feeling 1T the heart which seemed
To chill her blood, Mt Tho recollection
~ the Wild words she had heard him
utter about Mr. Coode aud those who
had wronged him about the money
Tn"n she thought Of the boo, SHE
held in her hahd--n large album.
CHANGING 20 open II she turned the
leaf where were the photographs Of
1om and herself All the cirCum-
stances ~ sho time when IL had been
taken flashed into her memory. She
closed the book with sigh deeper
Than ever. and fastening the clasp err
ried the album To the shelf ON which
1t always rested.
some Of tho other books were ont OF
place, and she tried 10 push them into
line. There seemed 10 be something
behind which prevented them from
going into their proper places She
took down two or three To see what
was the cause of their sticking out,
and then saw n paper parcel lying Lc-
hind them.
This Is not like you, Tom she
whispered to herself, under her breath,
~ she took II out, and made room for
the books ON the shelf
IL was something very heavy, about
eighteen inches In length, and was
wrapped In strong writing paper II
mai evidently been wrapped up hurried
"; and when she looked closely at the
nnpcr She saw that II was some of that
which Tom had been In the habit
Of using for his accounts for the sick
iund-lnrgc foOlscap sheets OF thick
white paper
She felt IL curiously all along, and IL
seemed TO be square with large knob
Mt one end. II could not oe anything
very important, she thought or Tom
would never have left IL where he had.
Thinking this. she unfoldcd the paper.
Suddenly she uttered n cry. II was
n short square bar Of steel, with a
fragment OF n broken cog-whccl at one
end. The broken end was stained
number of gray hairs, and there WINS
blood ON the inner naper
Mary stood gnz;ng nj tho foorsorc
object almost like one snellbound The