The Saint Paul globe., 1898-01-30
CHAPTER XI.
Men, Women and Ghosts.


You are on hand early this morn
ing? Do you sleep in the Knolly's
house?"
The stare he gave me had the least
bit of suspicion in it.
Il live over yonder," he said, pointing
with his whip across the intervening
woods to the main road. Il come
through the marshes to my breakfast;
my old woman says they owes me three
meals. and three meals l shall have"
1t was the longest sentence with
which he had honored me. Finding he
could talk, I prepared to make myself
agreeable, a proceeding which he seem
ed 10 appreciate for he began to sniff
and pay great attention to his horse,
which he was elaborately turning
about.
why do you go that way?" ] cried.
isn't it the longest way to the viii
lage?"
It's the way [ am most accustomed
to-" said he But we can go the other
way if you like. Perhaps we will get
a glimpse of Deacon Spear. He's a
widower, you know"
The leer with which he said this was
intolerable / bridled up-but no, [
will not admit that 1 so much as mani
tested by my manner that I under
stood him. l merely expressed my
wish to go the old way.
He whipped up the horse at once, al
most laughing outright. I began to
think this man also capable of most
any wicked deed. He vas forced, how
ever, to pull up suddenly. Directly in
our road was the STOPPING figure of a
woman. She did not move as we ad-
Vanced, and so we had no alternative
but TO stop. Not till the horses head
touched her shoulder did she move
Then she rose up and looked at Us
somewhat Indignantly.
Didn't you hear uS?' | asked, wilt
ing to open conversation with the old
crone, whom I had no difficulty in rec
ognizing as Mother Jane.
Shes deaf-deaf as a post" NUT
tered Mr.. Simsbury. mo use shouting
at her" His tone was brusque, yet [
noticed he waited with great patience
for her to hobble out of the way
Meanwhile I was watching the OLD
creature with much interest She had
not a common face or a common man
rer. She was gray, she was toothless,
she was haggard and she was bent,
but she was not ordinary or just one
Of the crowd of old women to be seen
on country doorsteps. There was force
in her aged movements and a strong
individuality in the glances she shot at
us as she backed slowly out of the
roadway.
DO they say she is imbecile?" I
asked. She looks far from foolish 20
me-
"Hearken a bit" said he. Don't
you see she is muttering? She talks to
herself all the time" And in fact her
lips were moving.
Il cannot hear her" I said. Make
ber come nearer. Somehow the old
creature interests me-
He at once beckoned to the crone
but he might as we'll have beckoned to
the tree against which she had push
ed herself. She neither answered him
nor gave any Indication that she un-
derstoOd the gesture he had made. Yet
her eyes never moved ofrom our faces
wen, Welt r. 'sslss55iid T. ""sRe seems dull
as we'll as deaf. You had better drive
en-" But before he could give the
necessary jerk to the reins I caught
sight of some pennyroyal growing
about the front of the cottage d few
steps beyond, and pointing to it with
some eagerness [ cried: IF there isn't
some Of the very herb I want to take
home with me! Do you think she would
give me a handful of it if | paid her?'
With an obliging grunt he again pull
ed up. IF you can make her under
stand" said he.
[ thought it worth the effort. Though
Mr.. Gryce had been at pains 10 tell me
there was no harm in this woman and
that l need not even consider her in my
inquiries l remembered that Mr.. Gryce
had sometimes made mistakes in just
such matters as these, and that Amelia
ButterWorth had felt herself called
upon to set him right If that could
happen once, why not twice? At all
events, l was not going to lose the least
chance Of making the acquaintance of
the people living in this lane. Had he
not himself said that only in this way
could we hope to come upon the cleW
that had eluded all open efforts to find
it?
Knowing that the sight of money was
the strongest appeal that could be
made to one living in such abiect pow
erty as this woman, making the blind
to see and the deaf to hear, l drew
out my purse and held up before her
piece Of silver. She bounded as if she
had been shot, and when I held it to-
ward her she came greedily forward
and stood close beside the wheels look
ing up.
For you" 1 indicated, after MAX
ing a motion toward the plant which
had attracted my attention.
She looked from me to the herb and
nodded with quick appreciation. AS in
flash she seemed to take in the fact
that | was stranger, a city lady with
memories of the country and this hum
BILE plant, and going to it with the same
sWiftress she had displayed in advanc-
ing to the carriage, she tore off several
of the sprays and brought them back
to me, holding out her hand for the
money.
1 had never seen greater eagerness
and l think even Mr.. Simsbury was as
tonished at this proof of her poverty or
her greed. l was inclined to think it
the latter for her portly figure was far
from looking either i'll fed or poorly
cared for. Her dress was decent cali
co and her pipe had evidently been late
ly filed, for l could smell the odor of
tobacco about her Indeed. as I after
ward heard, the good people of X had
never allowed her to suffer. Yet her
fingers closed upon that coin as if in it
she graSped the salvation of her life
and into her eyes leaped a light that
made her look almost young, though
she must have been fully eighty, if not
more.
What do you suppose she will do
with that?" 1 asked Mr.. Simsbury, as
she turned away in an evident fear 1
might repent me of my bargain.
"Hark!" was MS brief response "She
is talking now
1 did bark and heard these words fall