The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-23

received some few months since from his
daughter. who was a hospital nurse in
Denver, and laid It before me.
There" said he. Sophia won't ike Ii,
but such facts as you viii find written
there ought not TO be kept secret.
thought so at the time and think so all
the more now. that these disappearances
have accumulated in our town tin we are
afraid 10 move through our own woods
after dark"
Astonished TO be offered a clue in a let
ter written from Denver. / did not reply 10
this burst. but FASTENED to open the
folded sheets before me and to read the
following remarkable lines:
Dear Father-I have just heard n per-
fectly unexplainable thing about the
knollys. The person who told me was
Miss Grant who visited them about
Christmas time. She is a patient OF mine,
and when she heard / was from Cushing
was so startled, and showed SO much agi-
tation. that / insisted upon knowing why,
when she related the following story:
Her father and the Knollys' father had
been lifelong friends, and though the
young people had never met there had
always been an understanding between
them that Miss Grant should sometimes
make a visit TO Cushing. This was
brought about last December and Miss
Grant, with the fun knowledge Of the
knollys girls arrived in town early one
"Wednesday afternoon and was driven di-
rectly TO their door. She expected a cor
dial welcome. but she noticed before she
was half way up the steps that something
was amiss One sister only was In the han
TO greet her. and that sister was abstract
ell and pale. and looked oftener behind her
and UP the stairs than ut her newly ar
rived guest. Miss Grant was not even
asked 10 take or her wraps. till, overcome
by the heat OF the sitting room into which
they had stepped. she herself loosened her
furs. ~ which f.ucetta-I think II WINS
Lucetta who received her-seemed TO re-
cover her wits and tried 10 play the hos
pitahle hostess. but with such i'll success
that Miss Grant was almost tempted 10 re-
sumo her f1Irs ana return 70 birmingham
Station. Something. however. IN her
young hostess eye restrained her. and
en9cavoring not to notice the others pre-
occupation she talked rapidly on every
available topic TIL the other sister came
I'm. Miss Knollys, as you know is a grave
person. but very pleasing and attractive.
She won upon Miss Grant AZ once but for
all that her presence did not greatly re-
l'evs tho situation. for her first glance
w2s directed toward her sister. who IN
stautly bounded M and left the room
and not till they we're alone did she seem
70 notice her guest whom she then greet
"a warmly but Win that same air OF alb
straction and constraint which had been
50 painfully observable in Lu,etta.
Miss Grant had expected that she
would now be taken 20 her room. but on
the contrary Mi~s knollys sat down. ana
with an apologize air informed her of
how sorry she felt that she could not show
her the precise attentions she wished
Circumstances. she said'"Over which thew
had no control had made q impossible for
them TO offer her the guest chamber. but
IF che would be so good as TO acrept an
other FOR that one night they would try
and accommodate her more properly there
after.
Miss Grant. who rad noticed the nov
erty evident in the house. broke in with
the generous assurance that any room
would be acceptable 20 her. and stu ex-
pectins TO he taken up stairs. began %
gather M her wraps. But Miss KnoIlvs
again surprised her by saying that her
room was not ready. that they had M.
been able 20 complete all their arrange
ments and prayed that she would make
herself az home where she was. till even
ing More and more RStculsho, ana DIS
concerted. bat hiding It hravely FOR TIE
sake of the pitiful look IN tho girls eve
Miss Grant laid down her flrs again ana
eudeAvored 20 make the best o. the sor,a-
what irving situation. She talked ard
she laughed. though she met With hat li--
tie Response. noting all that was obi in her
unaccountable reception. but giving no
evidences Of her cousern or secret iufir7a-
tion- But let Tue tell tho rest IN her own
words. as 7 remember them.
" The paculieri3ieS observable IN nv -
ception continued all day said Miss
Grant When one sister came IN the
other went out. and when dinner time ar
rived and I Vas Usherei down thu hars
and dismal hau into an equally hare
and unaVtraciive dining room. Il vas -
nui I.ucetta only seated AZ the head az
the hoard. she made so-nc apology for the
Tast bat x was - evidently an exasfva
one that I scarcely heard n. ard ken.
booking AZ the empty place where tha
brother should Sit. wondering - he vas
AZ the bottom % my strange reception.
But as II 20 diSQel This superstition IA
presently came IA. and though 81 was nv
f~s- meeting with the nominal head o. ia
house I.acecra waited for a sre-r -
from hiru before giving me she necessary
farrCs3s3ettans-
" -ffe Is q numbering fe'iov. a-R has
not been snteut upon solving the rnvste-v
81 trefr actions I should have taken litt1a
- any interest sa him. As i vas. /
vac-hs-i him FOR vhRt he 1nfsht do or
saw. hssE sear-e1 nothing save that he yraz
excessively stupid
" The evening ike TIE afternoon. Vas
Sreat ln the sitting room. With one 81