Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-12-14

YORKVILLE,S s.
ourselves to be Influenced by what the
people about here say we would have
turned that Knollys house inside out 9
week ago. But 1 don't believe in put.
ting too much confidence in the preju.
dice of country people. The idea they
suggested, and which you suggest with.
out putting it too clearly into words, il
much too horrible to be acted upon
without the best Of reasons. Perhaps we
have found those reasons, yet I still feel
like asking where did this girl come
from and how could she have become q
prisoner in the Knollys house without
the knowledge Of Madam, you have
met Mr.. Trohm?"
The question was so sudden I had not
time to collect myself. But perhaps II
was not necessary, for the simple afir-
nation I used seemed to satisfy Mr..
Gryce, who went on to say:
"It is he who first summoned Us here,
and it is he who has the greatest inter
est in locating the source Of these dis.
appearances, yet he has seen no child
come here
"Mr. Trohm is not spy" said I,
but the remark, happily, perhaps, fell
unheeded.
"No one has," he began. 1--WE must
give another turn to our suppositions. "
Suddenly q silence fell upon Us both.
His finger ceased to lay down the law,
and my gaze, which had been searching
his face inquiringly, became fixed. At
The same moment and in much the same
tone of voice we both spoke, he saying,
"Humphr' and 1, "AhP' followed by
similar II have found it.
1.-The phantom carriage, explained L
(Which rolled so quietly into Lost
Mans lane the evening preceding your
arrival"
"It was no phantom, I went on.
1.-TWO saw it, and I'-here could not
suppress a slight toss of my head-"re-
member now petty circumstance
which l dare you to match in corrobo-
ration of this new theory"
"You have had advantages, he COM
menced.
"And disadvantages, I finished, de-
termined that he should award me my
full need Of praise. "You are probably
not afraid of dogs You could visit the
stables
"And did, madam, but I saw moth
ing
"I thought not" I could not help
the interruption. 1t is so seldom one
can really triumph over this man. "Not
having the cue, you would not be apt to
see what gives this whole thing away.
I would never have thought Of 1t again
if we had not had this talk Is Mr.
Simsbury neat man?'
"A neat man? Madam, what do you
mean?"
Something important, Mr.. Gryce
If Mr.. Simsbury is neat man, he will
have thrown away the old rags which,
1 dare promise you, numbered his stable
floor the morning after the riding in
here of the phantom carriage. If he is
not, you may still find them there. One
of them, know, you will not find. He
pulled it off of his wheel with his whip
the afternoon he drove me down from
the station. l can see the sly look he
gave me as he did it. 1t made no impress
sion on me then, but now
Madam, you have got it. That car
riage was the old coach to be found now
in the Knollys stable, and its phantom
appearance was due to its noiselessness,
which you have now in a measure ex-
planned; but, Miss Butterworth, If they
went to the length of winding rags
around the carriage wheels to make
them noiseless even tying up the horse g
feet for the same purpose perhaps, they
must have had motive dark enough to
warrant your deepest suspicious And
William was not the only one involved.
Simsbury, at least, had hand in it, nor
does it look as if the girls were entirely
innocent of a foreknowledge Of what
was likely to occur"
81 cannot consider the girls" I de-
clared. 81 can no longer consider the
girls
"No," said he, 1--WE must do our
duty. We must find if any child alight-
ed from the cars at the mountain sta
tion that night or, what is more prob
able if sinister results were expected,
from the little station at G., five miles
farther up in the mountains"
"And'- urged, seeing that he had
still something to say.
1--WE must make sure who lies buried
under the floor of the room you call the
flower parlor. You may expect me at
the Knollys house some time today.
shall come quietly, but in my own prop
er person. You are not to know NE
and unless you desire it need not appear
in the matter. "
II do not desire it,
"Then good morning, Miss Butter
worth. My respect for your abilities has
.isen even higher than before. We part
in a like mind for once"
And this he expected me to regard az
a compliment.
CHAPTER XVI
A DISCOVERY.
have q grim will when choose to