The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-06-14

That he would rather remain within
Wow Of his ilower.hods. Aud indeo,i
aitotward heard TINT ho was seldom
lo,ind In doors. | therefore answered
his gcninl invitation by sitting down on
ono OF tho scats boiorcu us. lilo immedi.
a,oly took possession Of tho other, and
will, an oxpoctant air waited my uucs.
lions.
"And 40 these wood hide IL myslcry? p"
boldly v%cnturci, with n gesture to.
wnrl tho ensl wl:cr0 tho truCB stood
tliickcst. "llavc the dIsappcarancos OF
which YOU have written occurred
latcly?"
"Ono Of them took placo about Christ.
inns time. tho other two, but u few
weeks back. Tho frat ono attracted no
attention, no tho second, | may say I;
but when tho poor boy. ally Rufus.
dropped out Of sight and sound. people
began to wonder und recall tho iact that
TINT tho two strangers | havo mentioned
hat also vanished from our midst IN n
very queer and unexplained manner
And H. hero tho old gentleman be-.
came Impressive. even going TO the
point Of laying his hand on my knee,
"and | remember two other cases, II
year aback, OF bereOns who caino into
this roRd who wGfo never seen 10 issue
from II, OF at lOasl | nm assured by an
old friend Of mine who lives ju.t wl,rr0
this road runs in tho main ono. But
whether all this means CrImo | cannot
tell. Can your
Tho question camo 90 suddenly ]
started. ut ceftainly ha4 that look" ]
remarked. Are there any doubtful
characters In this neIghborlIOod? ?"
Nc" no answered, brooding a min
utO over my words. "llas any one in
tho village,-you have SpoGon to tho
folks there Of CONGREGATIONAL any
namc with suspiciOn?"
81 have not ialkod about It. | pre-.
fcrrc! 10 brOach tho subject ut once to
you."
lilo seemed surprised, but showed his
recognition Of my courtesy by n bow.
IL supposed you would have first wished
TO have obtained a confirmation OF my
statement from tho general gossip Of
tho town. but il Is Of no consequences;
you can hoar them talk later" And h0
W. nv ltk lllF Wv IN luulD lIlI UCIhAlNNlN
over his flowers and shrubs. "llavc
you any plan OF proccduro?" he sud.
denly asked.
81 mus, frs, find ont II there has
hecn any crime" | replied. letting my
eve follow his over the top OF II long
well.swGGp that was ono of the chief
ornaments Of tho place to that dismal
turn in the road, which | had been
warned from pursuing.
"ArO there any other houses on this
road besides yours" | now put it. re-
calling his glance buck to myself by n
gesture.
lie looked at me seriously, il not
NnxiousIy, for moment, and then said
almost too indiFcreutly for the tempo.
rary embarrassment he hnd shown:
"Oh. | don't hold 4 monopoly OF this
by-wav. There is another dwelling OIL
It aoEe half mile further on. An equal.
~ , | dwelling with this, but moro
fully occupied" he smiled. ~ brother
and two sisters remain to the knollys
family, wnilo | am the single repre-.
sentative OF tho lrohms."
"a brother and I've sis:crs!' | re.
peated. asioniShcd at his Visible nervous
manner. "!low old brother and what
kind OF a sister. | pray?"
"Uh, youug knoIiys is about twenty.
four; i stupid fellow. but good. | sup.
nose, while the gifls-wnat shall | cal.
the girls?' no unused, with an evident
mir OF wishing 10 strike the happy med.
!um between justice and candOt. Mice
girls, OF course, well educated, refined
and all that. but Quccr-ye., queer, ms
girls arc ap. 10 be who live in . den
like that"
Den" repeated. wondering aa much
at his manner rs HIS words.
'Oh, any house Is 4 den whcrs flow.
era don't grow" lie laughed. leaning
over to pluck n spray OF noneysuckIo
from the vine that curlcd about the
columns of the porch. Il like sun
shine, beds OF ro,es, fountains, aud Il
sweep OF lawn like that VIC see before
u.s."
"And tho Miss Knollvs have no such
"adornmenis 10 their house,
lie shrugged his shoulders. "Why
talk about the kuollys. Tho subject
yoa have come 20 discuss IL much IN ore
interesting. II is two weeks now since
| saw silly Rufus leaning over the fence
there counting the blossoms on my
oIcauder. When l looked again ten
minutes later he wac gone, and that ia
the last thatany oi u, know about him"
'lio might have strayed into the
woods" | suggested.
ave have searched tho woods. silly
Rufus was q tavotite II these parts, ami
his fate has aroused much interest. Oh,
We have looked for him far nnd near.
but We have not found him and never
will. | mn thinking"
but VITA, motive" began.
But suddenly Mr.. Trohm's eyes had
become impenetrable, aud cav there