Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-12-10

worn by him while he was in this vii.
lage. He disappeared on his way to the
railway station, having taken, as many
can vouch for, the short detour by Lost
Mans lane, which would lead him di.
rectly by Mother James cottage"
"You thrill me-" said I, keeping
down with admirable self possession my
own thoughts in regard to this matter.
"And what Of No. 10, beyond which
she said she could not countp"
"In 10 was your 25 cent piece, and In
various other vegetables small coins
whose whole value was Of a pitiful
smallness The only numbers which
seemed to make any impression on he,
mind were those connected with these
crimes. Very good evidence, Miss But
terworth, that Mother Jane holds the
clew to this matter, even if she is moi
responsible for the actual killing and
putting away Of the individuals repre-
sented by this property"
Certainly" acquiesced, land Il
you though to examine her after her re-
turn from the Knollys mansion last
night you would probably have found
upon her some similar evidence Of he,
completely in the last crime Of this ter.
rible series. It would needs have been
small, as silly Rufus, as I take it,
neither INDUCED in the brass trinkets
sold by the old pedlar nor the real jew
elry of a well to do man like the young
westerner.
"Silly Rufus3'
"He was the last to disappear from
these parts, was he not?''
eyes, madam"
"And as such should have left some
clew to his fate in the hands Of this old
crone if her motive in removing him
was, as you seem to think, entirely thai
of gain"
"I did not say it was entirely 60 Sill
ly Rufus would be the last person any
one, even such non oompos mentis al
Mother Jane, would destroy for hope o1
gain"
"But what other motive could she
have, and, Mr.. Gryce, where could she
bestow the bodies Of so many unfortu'
nate Victims even II by her great
strength she could succeed in killing
them?"
"There you have u.s., said he. 1--WE
have not been able as yet to uneartf
any bodies. Have your
"No," said /, with some little show
of triumph showing through my disdain
"but I can show you where to uneartt
one"
He should have been startled, pro
foundly startled. Why wasn't he?
asked that Of myself over and over ir
the one instant he weighed his words
before answering.
"You know something then, definite
w." he declared. "You have come
across q grave or a mound which YOU
have taken for grave"
I shook my head
"No mound" said L Why should
not play for an instant or more with hi
curiosity? He had with mine.
"Ah, then, why do you talk Of un
earthing? No one has told you where
you can lay hand on Silly Rufus body,
I take it.
"No," said !. 1.-THE house Knollys Il
not inclined to give up it's secrets."
He started, glancing almost remorse
fully first at the tip, then at the heaf
Of the cane he was balancing In hi
hand.
"It's too bad" he muttered, "bu
you've been led astray, Miss Butter
worth, excusably, / acknowledge, quit
e1cusably, but yet in way to give yo1
quite wrong conclusions The secret o:
the Knollys house But wait mo
ment. Then you were not locked up II
your room last night?"
Scarcely" returned, wavering be
tween the doubts he had awakened BY
his first sentence and the surprise whict
his last could not fail to give me.
II might have known they would moi
be likely to catch you in trap, he re
marked. $50 you were up and in tn
halls?"
"Iwas up" said I, land in the halls
May I ask where you were?"
He paid no heed to the last sentence
"This complicates matters" )" said he
"and yet perhaps it is as we'll Iunder
stand you now, and in few minutes
you will understand me. You thought
it was silly Rufus who was buried las,
night. That was rather an awful
thought, Miss Butterworth. I wonder
thaeyou look as well as you do, madam
Truly you are a wonderful woman-s
very wonderful woman"
"a truce to compliments" cried
IF you know as much as your words
show Of what went on in that III omene6
house last night, you ought to show
some degree of emotion yourself, for i
it was not silly Rufus who was LAID
away under the flower parlor who
then, was it? No one for whom tear
could openly be shed or Of whose deatt
public acknowledgment could be made
or we would not be sitting here talking
away at cross purposes the morning aft
or his burial"
"Tears are not shed or public 40
knowledgment made for the subject o.
half crazy mans love for scientific In
vestigation. It was a dog you saw
buried, madam-a favorite dog which
Mr.. Knollys loved, but which for al
that could not escape that half monsters
passion for vivisection."
"You are playing with me, I cried
"outrageously and inexcusably playing
with me. A dog laid away in such
secrecy and with such degree OF feel
inc az I was witness to? You must