The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-09
from the embraces of Althea's chill

from the embraces or AltheaS chill
dren.
| [ recovered my equanimity however
! as we approached. The scenery was
really beautiful, and the consciousness
that [ should soon alight at the noun
tain station which had played a more
or less serious part in Mr. Gryce's mar
rative awakened in me pleasurable
! excitement which should have been a
sufficient warning to me that the spirit
which had led me through that affair
| next door had seized me again in way
that meant equal absorption if 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
q nasty glance around to Sc if any Of
Allheas children were there to meet
me.
L felt that I would know them at
once She had bsen 50 Enthusiastically
pretty they could not fail to show some
likeness which would lead to an instant
recognition while they could not fail
to know me. But while there were two
or three country maidens to be seen
standing IN and around the little pavil-
ion Known he-e a s the mountain station
| saw no ole who by any stretch Of i'm
asination could be regarded as of AL
ttea Burr oughS' tl-Cd or b eeding.
ScineT hat Cisa proipted for l had ex-
rccted different results from nv tele-
gram, / stepped up to the station mas
ter and asked him whether I would
have any difficulty in procuring a car
riage TO take me. to Miss Knollys
house. He stared, it seemed to me un-
nc cessal lily long, before replying. -~v q.
wv aal,' said he, Simmons is usu-
ally here, butt don't see him round
today. Perhaps one of these farmer
lads will take it."
But they all drew back with sort of
scared look, ard 1 was beginning to
tuck up my skirts preparatory to walk
ing when a little cid man of a very
meek appearance drove up in very
cld-fashiCned coach, and with a hes
tatlng air, springirg entirely from
bashfulneSs, managed to ask if was
Miss ButterWCrth. l fastened to as
sure him that l was, whereupon he
stammered out soma words about Ms
Knollys and how sorry she was that
she could rot come for me herself Then
he pointed to his coach and made me
understand that / was to step into it
and go with him.
1t was not an altogether encouraging
outlook, especially as l saw the heads
Of the various OnlOokcrs draw together
arc many curious locks directed at US
beth and the conveyance that was to
daunted row, and accepting the old
ccdger's apologies with what grace l
could [ stepped into the wagon and
prepared myself for a ride into town.
But it seems 1 was not to be allowed
to enter upon this adventure without
another warning. While the old man
was engaged in bringing my trunk. the
station master approached me with
great civility, ard with a touch of his
y eli i1,+O
spend few days with the Misses Knoll
lys. [ told him that it was, and, think
ing it best to establish my position at
once in the eyes of the whole town,
added with a politeness equal to his
own that was an old friend of the.
family and had been coming to visit
them for years. till now and that L
hoped they were all well and would
be glad to see me.
He made some sort of reply, showing
considerable embarra ssment, then
plucking UP his courage, said with
marked constraint:
Perhaps you have not heard that
this village just now is under a cloud"
81 have heard" I said innocently,
that one or two men have disappear
ed from here somewhat mysteriously.
Is that what you mean?"
YES" he answered. "One person, q
boy, disappeared only two days ago"
That's bad said, "but what has
that to do with me?" asked smilingly,
for 1 saw he was not at the end of his
talk.
"Oh, nothing he cried eagerly,
''only I didn't know but you might be
timid'-
"Oh, I'm not at all timidr' I has
tened to say. eff I We're I should not
have come here at all. Such matters
don't affect me-" And I spread out my