Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-01-26

village folks. They have enough to talk
about as it is.
Not exactly seeing the force of this
reasoning, but quite willing, seeing that
he had no intention of taking me back
at once, that he should leave me to my
own devices as soon as possible, point
ed to locksmith's shop saw near by
and babe him put me down there.
With sniff might have interpreted
IN any way, he drove up TO the spot !
pointed out and awkwardly assisted me
to alight
Trunk key missing?' he ventured
before getting back into his seat.
did not think it necessary to answer
him. but walked Immediately into the
shop | thought be looked dissatisfied
at this, bus whatever were his feelings
he mounted presently to his place and
drove off. was left confronting the do
cent man VINO represented the lock fit
ting interests in X
found some difficulty in broaching
my errand. Finally said:
Miss Knollys, who lives up the road
over there, wishes key fitted to one Of
her doors. Will you come or send up
there today? She was too occupied to see
.-sout 1t herself"
The man must have been struck by
my appearance, for he stared at me
quite curiously for minute. Then he
gave hem and haw and said:
Certainly. What kind of door
is it?' When l had answered, he
gave me another curious glance and
seemed uneasy to step back to where his
assistant was working with file.
"You will be sure to come in time to
have the lock fitted by night, l said in
that peremptory manner Of mine which
means simply, II attend to things when
and where l promise and expect you to
do the same"
His Certainly" struck me as little
weaker this time, possibly because his
curiosity was excited. "Are you the
lady who is staying with them from
New York;" he asked, stepping back,
seemingly quite unawed by my positive
demeanor.
Eyes" said l, thawing trifie; Il
am Miss Butterworth. "
! He looked at me almost as if were
curiosity.
"And did you sleep there, he urged,
"last night"
81 thought it best to thaw still more.
"Of course, " said. ''Where do you
think would sleep? The young ladies
are friends of mine"
He raped abstractedly on the counter
with small key he was holding.
Excuse me-" said he, with some re-
membrance of my position toward him
as stranger, "but weren't you afraid?"
"Afraid?'' echoed Afraid in Miss
Knollys' house?"
"Why, then, do you want q key to
your door?' he asked, with slight APP
pearance of excitement. 1--WE don't lock
doors here in the village; at least we
didn It. "
Il did not say it was my door," be-
gan; but, feeling that this was prevari-
cation not only unworthy of me, but
one that he was entirely too sharp to
accept, l added stiffiy: "It is for my
door am not accustomed even at
home to sleep with my room unlocked.
"Oh," he murmured, totally uncon-
WINGED, II thought You might have got
scare. Folks somehow are afraid Of
that old place, it's so big and ghostlike.
don't think you would find any one III
this village that would sleep there all
night -
"A pleasing preparation for my rest
there tonight" grimly laughed.
Dangers on the road and ghosts in
the house. Happily l don't believe in
the latter -
The gesture he made showed incredu-
lily. He had ceased rapping with the
key or even to show any wish to join
his assistant. All his thoughts for the
moment seemed to be concentrated OH
me.
"You don't know little Rob-" he in
quired. "the crippled lad who lives at
the head of the lane. "
mo" / said; Il haven't been in
town day yet, but l mean to know
Rob and his sister too. Two cripples in
one family rouse my interest. 7"
He did not say why he had spoken of
him, but began tapping with his key
again
And you are sure you saw nothing?"
he whispered. Lots of things can hap
pen in lonely road like that.
"Not if everybody is as afraid to en-
ter it as you say your villagers are" I
retorted.
But he didn't yield jot.
Some folks don't mind present dam
gers, 4" said he. "Spirits"-
But he received no encouragement in
his return to this topic. "You don't be-
lieve in spirits?" said he "Well. they
are doubtful sort of folks, but when
honest and respectable people such as
live in this town, when children even,
see what answers to nothing but phan-
toms, then l remember what wiser man
than any Of us once said But perhaps
you don t read Shakespeare, madam"
Nonplused for the moment, but in
terested in the mans talk more than
was consistent with my need of haste, !
said with some spirit, for it struck me
as very ridiculous that this country me-
chanic should question my knowledge
of the greatest dramatist of all time,
shakespeare and the Bible form the
stanle of my reading At which he