The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-07-13
copyrighted. 1895.
CHAPTER III.


NV feelings as / left Mr.. Trohm and
entered the darker portion OF the road
were confused and varied. i was not
afraid, nor was exactly easy, though
carried a pistol, half-cocked, in my side
pocket. / expected to encounter some one
or something out OF the ordinary, ana
moved hurriedly on, though with great
circumspection. :,
IL was a bright day, as / have said, and
I'm another mood / would have enjoyed
the scenery. Now, however, i was on
the lookout for the Knollys mansion and
took no time to observe the wild beauties
about me. Finally, without premonition
or adventure of any kind / came upon II,
q great, gaunt, neglected building OF
colonial time, whose first appearance
awoke a tremor, and from which on
closer inspection no suggestion came save
that which breathed of decay and death.
Yet IL was a home, as more than one IN
dication showed, and once had been
courtly one, with possibilities OF aristo-
cratic splendor.
A grove OF half-decayed trees separated
1t from the road, and the effect produced
from these may have partially accounted
for the special aspect i have mentioned.
At least / was willing to think so, and
was about to seek a way through the
tanlged underbrush which everywhere
hindered my steps, when heard sharp
man emerge from the open doorway. He
was calling to some dogs, who immedi-
ately appeared and began TO leap upon
him, and as he did not see me, though
the dogs did, l had ample opportunity to
study his face.
1t was good-natured but wholly COM
monpIace one, and from the fact that he
did not note the distraction apparent In
his dogs i drew the conclusion that be
was not overburdened with acuteness.
Had the sisters, then, all the brains OF the
family? i was determined to find out as
soon as should encounter any one more
willing to talk about them than MIR.
Trohm.
Meantime the young man had remained
impassive and the dogs merely restive;
and, strange as II may appear, i expert
enced a vague disappointment at being
allowed to pass the gate of this house, and
eventually to leave 1t far behind me with
hension displayed by my host and my
late entertainer, Mr.. Trohm.
On my return to the tavern i made Mr..
Simmons my confidant and was aston
ished at the effect which was produced
upon him by the name of Knollys.
Though he tried to hide II, there was
evidently some reason in his own mind
of their name With the possible crimes
TO be frank he allowed, with an impulsive
burst Of feeling, that there had always
been something wrong with the Knollys;
and, urged still further, brought out
letter he had received some few months
since from his daughter, who was hos
pital nurse in Denver, and laid 1t before
me.
"There, 4" said he. "Sophia won't like
It, but such facts as you will find written
there ought not to be kept secret !
thought SO at the time, and ] think so all
the more now, that these disappearances
afraid to move through our own woods
after dark
Astonished to be offered a clue in a
letter written from Denver, did not
reply to this burst, but hastened to open
the folded sheets before me and to read
the following remarkable lines:
Dear Father--l have just heard per-
fectly unexplainable thing about the
KnoiIys. TIE 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 agitation, that / insisted upon
knowing why, when she related the fol-
lowing 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 visit to Cushing. This was
brought about last December, and Miss
Grant, with the full knowledge Of the
Knollys girls, arrived in town early one
Wednesday afternoon and was driven
directly to their door She expected
cordial welcome, but she noticed before
she was half way up the steps that some
thing was amiss. One sister only was in
the hall to greet her, and that sister was
Rbstracted and pale, and looked oftener
behind her and up the stairs than at her
newly arrived guest. Miss Grant was not
even asked 20 take of her wraps, till over
come by the heat OF the sitting-room into
ehed her furs, at which Lucetta-I think
Il was Lucetta who received her-seemed