Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-03-01

may wish to have withheld from him. I"
For reply she gave me an impulsive
kiss. 81 thought could trust you," she
| murmured. Then with dubious look,
half daring, half shrinking, she said:
'When you come to know and like
us better, you will not care so much to
talk to neighbors. They never can un-
derstand us or do US justice, Mr.. Trohm
especially"
By which I knew there was some
thing more between these two than
had yet found out.
Late in the afternoon William burst
in with news from the other end Of the
lane.
"Such q larkl' he cried. "The in
vestigation at Deacon Spears house had
been mere farce, and just made them
repeat it with few frills. They had
dug up my cellar and they should dig
up his. Oh, the fun it was! The old fell
low kicked, but had my way. They
couldn't refuse me, you know. / hadn't
\ refused them. So that mans cellar bot
tom had a stir up. They didn't find
anything, but it done me q lot of good
and that's something. / do hate that
| Deacon Spear-couldn' t hate him worse
if he'd killed and buried ten men under
his hearthstone. :"
"There is no harm in Deacon Spear"
said Lucetta quickly.
Ibid they submit Mr.. Trohm's house
to search also?' asked Loreen. asham-
ed of Williams heat and anxious to
avert any further display Of it.
Eyes, they went through that too.
I was with them. Glad / was too.
I say, girls, could have laughed to see
all the comforts that old bachelor has
about him. Never saw such fixings.
Why, it's as neat and pretty from top
to bottom as our old house is not. It's
silly, of course, for man, and I'd
rather live i'll an old rookery like this.
where can walk from room to room in
muddy boots if want to and train my
dogs and live in freedom like the man
I am. Yet couldn't help thinking it
mighty comfortable, too, for an old fell
low like him who likes such things and
don't have chick or child to NEEDLE.
Why, he had pincushions on all his
bureaus, and they had pins in them"
i The laugh with which he delivered
this last sentence might have been heard
a quarter of mile away. Lucetta look
ed at Loreen and Loreen looked at me,
but none of us Joined in the mirth,
which seemed to me very i'll timed.
Suddenly Lucetta asked:
Il did they dig up Mr.. Trohm's eel
lar?'
4 William stopped laughing long
enough to say:
"His cellar? Why, it's cemented as
hard as an oak floor. No, they didn't
polish their spades in his house, which
was another source of satisfaction to
me. Deacon Spear hasn't even that to
comfort him. Oh, how did enjoy that
| old fellows face when they began to
root up his old fungil''
4 Lucetta turned away with certain
odd constraint could not but notice.
u cts humiliating day for the lane"
said she. "And what is worse" she
suddenly added, nothing will ever
come Of it. No band of police can ever
reach the root Of this matter. /"
i thought her manner cdd, and. NOV
ing up to her, took her by the hand
with something of relatives familiar
ity.
4 "What makes you say that? Mr..
Gryce seems very capable man."
Yes, yes, but capability has nothing
to do with it. Chance might and pluck
might, but wit and experience not.
Otherwise the mystery would have been
settled long ago. wish T.
"Well?' Her hand was trembling
violently.
Nothing. don't know why l have
allowed myself to talk Oh this subject.
Loreen and once made compact new
j. er to give any opinion upon it. You see
how have kept it"
| She had drawn her hand away and
suddenly had become quite composed.
turned my attention toward Loreen,
} but she was looking out of the window
and showed no intention of further pur-
! suing the conversation. William had
, strolled out
"Well," said 1, "if ever girl had
reason for breaking such a compact you
are certainly that girl l could never
have been rs silent as you have BEEN
that is, if had any suspicious on SO Sc
rious subject, as from your appear
, ance you certainly have. Why, your
! own good name is impugned-yours and
J that Of every other person living in this
lane. /"
"Miss Butterworth, she replied, IT
have gone too far. Besides, you have
misunderstood me. / have no more
knowledge than any one else as to the
source of these terrible tragedies. only
know that an almost superhuman cum
ming lies at the bottom Of so many UNI
accountable disappearances, cunning
SO great that only crazy person.
"Ah," ! murmured eagerly, "Moth-
3 er Janev'
She did not answer. Instantly took
3 q resolution.
"Lucetta, " said l. sis Deacon Spear
q rich MANI"
Starting violently, she looked at me
8 amazed.
l "If he is, I should like to hazard tho
guess that he is the man who has held
3 you in such thraldom for years -
! And if he were!" said she.
; ~ could understand Williams an
. tipathy to him and also his suspicious. y
She gave me strange look, then
. without answering walked over and
took Loreen by the hand. "Hush!'
, thought heard her whisper. at Oil
. events the two sisters We're silent fol
more than moment. Then Lucetta said
deacon Spear is we'll off, but moth.
Ing will ever mako me accuse living
8 man Of crime 80 dreadful And slf
walked away, drawing Loreen after her.
In another moment she was out CT tic
room, leaving me in a state of great ex,
l oitement.
"This girl holds the secret to the
| whole situation" thought i. "TLe he.
, lief that nothing more can be learned
from the Knollys is false one. / must
sec Mr.. Gryco. William rcdomantados
l arc so much empty mir, but Lucetta's
8 silence has meaning we cannot afford
, to ignore"
So Immersed was 7 Iy tlia that 7 +ool