Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-02-02
CHAPTER XIV.
I FORGET MY AGE oR--PERHAPs. REMEM-
BIER 1T

rotSnEI MI Aux Oh--PEtthAfS, hEMEM-
BIER IT.
Mr.. Trohm did not disappoint my ex.
pectations. In another moment saw
him standing in the open doorway with
the most genial smile on his lips.
Miss Butterworth, said he, ~ feel
too honored. If you will deign to ac-
cept seat in my buggy, shall only
be too happy to drive you 20 the Knoll
lys gate. "
have always liked the manners of
country gentlemen. There is just
touch of formality in their bearing
which has been quite eliminated from
that of their brothers in the city
therefore became gracious at once and
accepted the seat he offered me without
any of the hesitation l might have
shown to one personally as agreeable.
but not in my own way.
The heads that showed themselves at
The neighboring windows warned us to
hasten on our route. Mr.. Trohm, with
snap of his whip, quite youthful and
gallant, touched up his horse, and we
rode in dignified calm away from the
hotel steps into the wide village street
known as the main road. The fact that
Mr. Gryce had told me that this was
the one man could trust, joined to my
own excellent knowledge of human ma
ture and the persons in whom explicit
confidence can DO put, made the mo-
ment one Of great satisfaction to me.
was about to make my appearance at
the Knollys mansion two hours before
was expected, ana 1 was thus enabled
to outwit Lucetta by means of the one
man whom / would have chosen out OF
sll in the town to lend me this assist
ance.
We were not slow in beginning con-
versation. The fine air, the prosperous
condition Of the town. offered themes
upon which we found it quite easy to
dilate, and 30 naturally and easily did
our acquaintanceship progress that we
Dad turned the corner into Lost Man s
lane before quite realized it. The en-
trance at this end offered sharp con-
trast to the one had already traversed.
There it was but narrow opening be-
tween somber and unduly crowding
trees. Here it was the gradual melting
of village street into narrow and less
frequented road. which only after pass
ing Deacon Spears house assumed that
aspect of wildness which quarter of a
mile farther on deepened into something
positively somber and repellent.
speak of Deacon Spear because he
was sitting on his front doorstep when
we rode by. Being Deacon Spear and
one of the residents ON this road, did
not fail to take notice of him, though
guardedly and with such restraint as a
knowledge of his widowed condition
rendered both wise and proper.
He was not an agreeable looking per-
son, at least not SO to me- His hair was
sleek, his beard we'll cared for, his whole
person in good if not prosperous condi-
tion, but he had the self satisfied ex-
preston / detest and looked after us
with an aspect of surprise chose to
consider trifle impertinent Perhaps
he envied Mr. Trohm If so, he may
have had reason-it is not for me to
judge.
There had been up to now only few
scrub bushes at the side of the road,
with here and there a solitary poplar to
enliven the dead level of the grass grown
road, but after we had ridden by the
fence which sets the boundary to the
good deacon's land / noticed such q
change In the appearance of things on
either side of the road that could not
but exclaim over the natural as well as
cultivated beauties which every mo-
ment now was bringing before me.
Mr.. Trohm could not hide his pleas
ure.
"These are my lands" said he. II
have bestowed unremitting attention to
them for years. 1t is my hobby, madam.
There is not tree you see that has not
received my careful attention. Yonder
orchard was set out by me, and the fruit
it yields Madam, hope you will re-
main long enough with us to taste GER
tain rare and luscious peach that 1
brought from France in one of my visits
there 1t gives promise Of reaching it's
full perfection this year. and shall be
gratified indeed if you can give it your
approval. /"
This was politeness indeed, especially
as knew what value men like him set
upon each individual fruit they watch
ripen under their care. Testifying my
appreciation Of his kindness, l endeav-
ored to introduce another and less
harmless and perhaps less personally in
teresting topic Of conversation. The
chimneys of his house were beginning
to show over the trees, and had heard
nothing from this man ON the subject
which should have been the most inter
esting of all to me at this moment And
he was the only person in town was at
liberty to really confide in and possibly
the only man in town who could give
me reliable statement of the reasons
why the Knollys were looked upon as
kance by the police as well as the cred
ulous villagers. began by an allusion
to the phantom carriage.
81 hear" said /, 'that this lane has
other claims to attention beyond those
afforded by the mysteries connected
with it, l hear that it has at times
ghostly visitant in the shape of Spec
trail horse and carriage"
Eyes" he replied, with seeming
understanding that was very flattering,
edo not spare the lane one Of its honors.
| IT, hoe ita nightly horror as xuol1 as its