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

drawing me away LuceGta SCeppeu up
and Whispered in her ear: Don't give
her the biggest coin. Give her the little
one or she may mistake our reasons for
secrecy. wouldn't like even fool to
do that. even for the moment it would
remain lodged in Mother James mind. y"
"Well, well," cried again, certain
ly puzzled, for these stray expressions
of the sisters were in a measure contra
dictory not only of the suspicious en-
tertained, but of the facts which had
seemingly come to my attention.
Mr.. Gryce, who was probably watch
ing my face more closely than the move
ments Of the cane with whose move
ments he was apparently engrossed,
stopped to give caressing rub to the
knob of that same cane before saying:
Zone such peep behind the scenes is
worth any amount of surmising on the
wrong side of the curtain. | let you
share my knowledge because it is your
due Now if you feel willing to ex-
plain what you mean by knot Of Grape
on the shutter l am at your service.
madam"
Then l told him, and as talked 1
saw his face lengthen and doubt take the
place of the quiet assurance with which
he had received my various intimations
up to this time. The cane was laid
aside, and from the action Of his right
| forefnger on the palm Of his left hand
judged that was making no small
impression on his mind. When had
finished, he sat for a minute silent;
then he said:
"Thanks, Miss Butterworth; you
have more than fulfilled my hopes.
What we buried was undoubtedly hu-
man, and the question now is who it
was and of what death did this person
die. You think it was silly Rufus" "
1 did not answer There was a weak
point in the position 1 had taken in this
matter, and knew it.
He did not try to hurry me.
appreciated this and took my time.
Presently said:
II have confession to make. Up to
certain moment never had thought
but that it was silly Rufus they held
imprisoned in Williams room and who
died there, nor am quite sure that l
am yet ready to embrace any other the
ory; but, Mr.. Gryce, in the minute 1
took to look about the room from which
the victim had been so lately carried 1
saw standing in one corner pair OF
shoes that could never have been worn
by any boy tramp have ever seen or
known of. Neither could they have been
the property of any one I had ever met
in the Knollys house. Loreen and Lu-
cetta both have trim feet, but these were
the shoes of child Of 10, very dainty
and of cut and make worn by women,
or rather, / should say, by girls Now,
what do you make Of that?"
He did not seem to know what to
make of it. Tap, tap went his finger on
his seasoned palm, and as watched
the slowness with which it fell I said
to myself, Il have proposed problem
to him now that will tax even MIR
Gryce's powers of deduction.
And had 1t was minutes before he
ventured an opinion, and then it was
with shade Of doubt in his tone that l
acknowledge to have felt some pride at
putting there.
"They were Lucetta's shoes The
emotions under which you labored-
very pardonable emotions, madam, con-
sidering the circumstances and the
hour
Excuse me-" said l. 1--WE do not
want to waste moment. Twas excited,
suitably and duly excited, or I would
have been a stone. But never lose my
head under excitement nor my sense Of
proportion. The shoes were not Lucet-
ta's. She never wore any approaching
them in smallness since her tenth year. Z"
HAS Simsbury daughter? Has there
not been q child about the house some
time to assist the cook in errands and 50
on?''
"No, or would have seen her. Be-
sides, how would the shoes Of such a
person come into Williams room?'
Easily. Secrecy was required. You
were not to be disturbed; so shoes were
taken off that quiet might result.
WAS Lucetta shoeless or William or
| even Mother Jane? You have not told
me that you were requested to walk in
stocking feet up the hall No, MI.
Gryce, the shoes were the shoes Of a
girl. l know it because it was matched
by dress l saw hanging up in sort
of wardrobe.
"Ah! You looked into the wardrobe"
II did and felt justified in doing so.
1t was after l had spied the shoes" "
Very good. And you saw dress?"
"A little dress; dress with short
skirt. The Misses Knollys do not ride a
bicycle, l take it, and this could only
be the dress of one who did or Of a
child 1t was a silk dress-another
anomaly--and the color, think, was
blue, but l cannot swear to that point.
1 felt very hurried and took the brief
est glance. But my brief glances can be
trusted, Mr. Gryce. That, 1 think, you
are beginning to know"
Certainly" said he, land as proof
Of it we will now act upon these two
premi ses-that the victim in whose bur-
ial I was an innocent partaker was o
human being and that that human be-
ing was girl child who came into that
house we'll dressed. Now where did that
girl come from? The town, SO far as we
know, has lost none Of it's inhabitants
lately"
THAT you should know" said l.
"A visitor But no visitor could en-
ter this house without it being known