Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1896-12-17
flower that Miss Faulkner earried-or

flower that Miss Faulkner carried-or
the scent of the handkerchief with
which she had wiped his checker a
minglng of both! Or was he under
some diabolical spell of that wretchcd
girl-and her witch-like flower? lie
leaned on the box and suddenly started.
Upon the outer covering of II dispatch
Was a singular bood-rcd streak! lie
examined il closely il Was the pow
derry stain of the lily exactly
AZ hr had seen il on her handkerchief.
There could Inc no mistake. lie
passed his hand over the stain he
could still feel the slippery, impalpahlc
powder of the pollen. II VAS not there
" hen h" had closed the box that morn
ing. il Was impossible that il should lie
there unless the box had been opened
dnring his absence. He rccNamincd the
contents Of the box the papers were all
there. More than that they were pa
pcrs of no Importance except Ia him
personally; contained no plans nor key
Ia any military secret; he had been far
too wise to intrust any Ia the accidents
Of this alien house. The prNing in
trudcr, whoever il WIS. had gained
nothing But there was unmistaka-
bly, the attempt! And the existence of
n would-bc spy within the purlicuS Of
the house was equally clear.
lie called an officer from the next
room. Has anyone been here since my
absence
NO, general"
'llas anyone passed through che
halle"
He had fully anticipated the answer,
rs the suhaltern replied: Only the
women servants"
lie rrcutcrcd his room. Closing the
door. he again carefully examined the
box. his table. the papers upon it, the
chair before il. and even the Chinese
mating on the floor for any further
indication of the pollen. 1t hardly
seemed possible that anyone could hay"
entered the room with the flower in
their hand without scattering some of
the trll-talc dust elsew here: il was too
large a flower 10 bc worn on the breast
or in the hair. Again. no one would
have dared t" linger Their" long enough
10 have made AN examination of the
box with an officer in the next room.
and servants passing. The box had been
removed and the examination made
elsewhere.
An idea seized him. Miss Faulkner
was still ahsent-the mulatto had APP
uarently gone home. He quickly mount
ed the staircase. but. instead of entering
his room. turned suddenly aside into
the wing which had been reserved.
The first door yielded. rs he turned the
knob gently, and he entered n room
which he at once recognized as the
young lady'S boudoir." But the dusty
, and draprd furniture had been arranged
aud uncovered. and the apartment had
very sign of present use. Yet, al
though there was very evidence of its
Icing used by a person of taste and re-
fincment. lac was surprised to see that
the garments, hanging in the open
press. were such as were used 10y negro
servants, and that a gaudy handker-
chief. such as housemaids use for tur-
bans, was lying on the pretty silken
coNerlct. lie did not finger over these
details, but east a rapid glance round
she room. Then his eyes became fixed
on n fanciful writing desk which stood
10y the window. For in handsome
Vase placed on its level top and droop-
ing on n portfolio below hung a cluster
1f the strange flowers that Miss Faull-
i,er had carried.