Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-12-29


did not mean to take them by sur
prise--that is, not entirely. The invita-
tion which they had sent me years ago
was still in force making it simply nec-
essary for me to telegraph them that
had decided to make them visit and
that they might expect me by the noon
train. If in times gone by they had
been properly instructed by their moth
er as to the character of her old friend,
this need not put them out. am not a
woman of unbounded expectations. do
not look for the comforts abroad I am
accustomed to at home, and if, as have
reason to believe, their means are not of
the greatest l should only be provoked
at any extra effort to make me feel at
home in the humble cottage suited to
their fortunes.
So the telegram was sent and my
preparations completed for an early de-
parture.
But, resolved as I was to make this
visit, my determination came near re-
ceiving check. Just as l was leaving
the house, at the very moment, in fact,
when the hackman was carrying out my
trunk, l saw man approaching me
with every evidence of haste He had a
letter in his hand, which he held out to
me as soon as he came within reach
For Miss Butterworth, he said
Private and Immediate
"Ah," thought l. "a communication
from Mr.. Gryce," and hesitated for q
moment whethar RI oman IL then oOd
there or thrust it in my pocket and read
It at my leisure on the cars. The latter
course would be far the easiest, for my
hands were numbered with tho various
small articles l consider Indispensable
to the comfortable enjoyment of the
shortest journey, and the glasses with
out which / cannot read word were
in the very bottom of my pocket under
some other equally necessary articles of
smaller size.
But something In the mans expect
ant look warned me that he would new.
or leave me till had read the note, so
with sigh called Leila to my aid, and
after several vain attempts to reach my
glasses succeeded in pulling them out at
last and by their help reading the fol-
lowing hurried lines:
DEAR MADAME send you this by a swifter
messenger than myself. Do not let anything
that may have said last night influence you
to leave your comfortable home. The adven
ture offers too many dangers for woman
Read the inclosed. g.
The inclosed was telegram from
Obadiah Trohm, sent during the night,
and evidently just received at head.
quarters. Its contents were certainly
not reassuring:
Another person missing. Seen to have en-
tered Lost Mans lane. Never seen to have
come out Of IL. harmless lad known rs Silly
Rufus. What's to be doneS Wire orders, f.
"Mr. Gryce babe me say that he
would be up here some time before
noon" said the man, seeing me look
with some darkness at these words.
Nothing more was needed to pull me
together. Folding up the letter, put
it in my bag.
"Say to Mr.. Gryce from me that my
intended visit cannot be postponed"
remarked. II have telegraphed to my
friends to expect me, and only great
emergency would lead me to disappoint
them. l will be glad to receive Mr..
Gryce on my return" And without
further parley I took my bundles back
from Leila and proceeded at once to the
carriage. Why should show any fail
ure of courage at an event that was but
repetition of the very ones which
made my visit necessary? Was like.
ly one to fall victim to a mystery to
which my eyes have been opened? Had
| not been sufficiently warned of the
dangers of Lost Mans lane to keep my.
self at respectable distance from the
place of peril? / was going to visit the
children Of my once devoted friend. II
there were perils Of no ordinary nature
to be encountered there, was not all the
more called upon to go if only as moral
support to these young people, who per-
haps themselves were paralyzed by fear?
Yes, Mr.. Gryce, and nothing now
should hold me back. l even felt an in
creased desire to reach the scene Of these
mysteries and chafed some at she length
Of the journey, which was Of more te-
dious character than expected. A poor
beginning for events requiring patience
as we'll as great moral courage but
little knew what was before me and
only considered that every moment
spent on this hot and dusty train kept
me thus much longer from the embraces
Of Althea's children
recovered my equanimity, however,
as we approached The scenery was
really beautiful, and the consciousness
that l should soon alight at the noun.
tain station which had played moro
or less serious part in Mr.. Gryce's mar
rative awakened in me a pleasurable
excitement which should have been q
sufficient warning to mo that tho spirit
which had led me through that affair
next door had seized me again in way
that meant equal absorption il not equal
success
The number of small packages car
ried gave me enough to think of at the
moment Of alighting, but as soon as
was safely again on terra firma ! threw
hasty glance around to see If any OF
Althea's children were there to meet
me-