Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-09-14

"speak out I say. or Til are!"
longing, and the cloud had not been
lifted from my life. And, oh, was so
homesick for just glimpse of my dear
loves face.
E. A few days after my interview with
Mr.. Morley / had received note from
Florence:
Dear Mr.. Conway: Father has informed
mo of your resolve not to call on me or at
tempt to keep up the friendship which made
me SO happy, until you are freed from all
suspicion. 1 appreciate the manliness
which prompts you to such resolve, and
! wish to assure you from the bottom of my
heart that respect and trust you. / know
you are innocent. and shall always believe
so. Keep up a brave spirit. The mystery
will be explained and you exonerated. Re-
member, believe in you wholly, and shall
always remain. Your true friend.
FLORENCE MORLEY"
l took the worn note from the locket
which I were around my neck and
pressed it to my lips, as 1 had done
many times since its receipt, and Won
dered if her heart was still true to the
sentiment expressed in it.
The harvest moon was respondent
and the white beams came into the win
dow where / sat in my night robe, flood
ing my white drapery with light. There
were no sounds of human life; the
world seemed left wholly to the cYick-
cts and katydids. With q sigh from
the depths Of my lonely heart ] re-
placed the note in its receptacle and
arose.
Turning from the window, saw
right opposite me, on the other side
of the room, tall white figure. What
was it? There it stood, while I gazed
spellbound, motionless, mysterious. In
a lightning flash of thought Sarah's
forebodings came to me.
Then I grasped my pistol, which was
lying on the table beside me.
Now, then, if this is q practical joke,
intended simply to brighten me, let
it STOP" I said. 1t was with some dit
ficulty, I confess, that my voice was
kept steady.
"Whoeyer you are, speak and ex-
plain, or I'll see if you have substance
enough to stop bullet!"
paused for reply, but none came.
Speak out, I say, or, as sure as there
is God in Heaven, I'll fire!" I called
again, and again received no reply.
The white thing remained there, in
/ spite Of my threats. After anetAer
pause, during which the cold ehills
chased UP and down my spine, raised
my arm, took deliberate aim and fired.
/. A rattle Of breaking glass followed
the report of the pistol, and dark
spot appeared in the center of the
white figure. The flash of the pistol
had been reflected back, and in an in.
slant I realized the truth.
With d scornful laugh and con-
demnatory exclamation at my foolish
ness, placed the pistol on the table
and got into bed.
Then slight scufaing noise, seem.
Ing to come from beneath, reached my
car, and I said, aloud, and with a laugh:
"I've stirred up the rats, at any rate
Hello, what's that?" exclaimed, as q
deep, muffied sound, accompanied by q
slight jar, Immediately followed. II
was as though heavy door In some
distant part of the house had slammed
For quite time sat up In bed anc
listened, but no more unusual sounds
followed.
Mrs. Snyder's words concerning mys
FERROUS happenings in my house an6
Sarah's unreasonable fears for my safe
ty, followed by the two events just men
toned, did have an effect upon me, al
though the first event was due wholly
to an ordinary cause. and the second
the apparent sound of a slamming door
might be, and probably was, just what
IT seemed. A gentle night breeze had
arisen, and some of the windows in the
upper part of the house might have
been left open, thereby producing
a draught and causing an intervening
door to swing shut. True. the sound
seemed to come from beneath me. But
then that was probably Imagination
In the silence of night sudden nois
is rather difficult to locste. How oftel
the most common events, under un
familiar circumstances, become mex
| plicable mysteries!
am not of superstitious makeup
and therefore Sarah's vague fears die
not produce in me feeling of fright
i but there was watchfulness about my
4 senses as though there were funny
things to use Sarah's term, about til,
house. which would become apparen
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