Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-03-09
LOST MANS LANE.
BY ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
CHAPTER Xxx.
QUESTIONS.

thoughts and contradictory surmises. If
this knot was signal, for whom was
this signal meant? If it was a mere
acknowledgment of death, how recon
cile the sentimentality which prompt
ed such an acknowledgment with the
monstrous and diseased passions lying
at the base of the whole dreadful &C.
currence? Lastly, if it was the result of
pure carelessness, bit of Grape having
been caught up and used for a purpose
for which any ordinary string would
have answered, what coincidence be-
tween it and my thoughts, what Won
derful coincidence, amounting almost to
miracle!
Marveling at the whole affair and
deciding nothing, allowed myself to
stroll down alone to the gate, William
having left me at my peremptory re-
fusal to drag my skirts any longer
through the briers. The day being bright
and the sunshine warming even the
gloomy recesses Of the forest before me,
the road, l thought, looked less ominous
than usual, especially in the direction
of the village and Deacon Spears cot
iuSC' LlC IaSU 10 lllCtO Ull1u5 SCCllCu
better than the grim and lowering walls
of the house behind me. If my home
was there, so was my dread, and | well
coined perhaps more than l ought to the
sight of Mother James heavy figure bent
over her herbs at the door of her hut, a
few PAGES to my left, where the road
turned.
Had she not been deaf, l believed l
would have called her. AS it was, con-
tented myself with watching the awk-
ward swayings of her body as she pot
tered to and fro among her turnips and
carrots. My eyes were still on her whom
l suddenly heard the clatter of horses
hoofs on the highway. Looking up, |
encountered the trim figure of Mr.
TrOhm, bending to me from fine sor
rel.
Good morning Miss Butterworth.
It's a great relief to me to see you in
such good health and spirits this morn
ing" were the pleasant words with
which he endeavored, perhaps, to ex
plain his presence in spot more or less
considered as under ban.
1t was certainly a surprise. What
right had l to look for such attentions
from a man whose acquaintance l had
made only the day before? 1t touched
me, little as 1 am in the habit of allow
ing myself to be ruled by trivial senti-
mentalities, and though was discreet
enough to avoid any further recognition
of his kindness than was his due from a
lady of great self respect he was evil
IDENTIFY sufficiently gratitied by my re-
spouse to draw rein and pause for mo-
ment' S conversation under the pine trees
This for the moment seemed SO nat
nral that forgot that more than one
pair of eyes might be watching me from
the upper windows back of us-eyes
which might wonder at a meeting which
to the foolish understandings of the
young might have the look Of premedi-
tation But, pshaw! am speaking as if
l were 20 instead of-let the family
record say. l never could see that it was
weakness for woman to keep certain
secrets to herself.
How did you pass the night" was
Mr.. Trohm's first question II hope in
all due peace and quiet
"Thank you" l returned, not seeing
why | should increase his anxiety in
my regard Il have nothing to com
plain of. l had dream, but dreams are
to be expected where one has to pass
half dozen empty rooms to ones apart.
ment.
He could not restrain his curiosity.
"A dreamp' he repeated. II do not
hn1i in, ole %hnt IrD1 Lx,
dreams, unless they are of the most
cheerful sort possible And l judge
from what you say that yours was not
cheerful. -
wanted to tell him. l felt that in O
way he had right to know what had
happened to me or what 1 thought had
happened to me under this roof And
yet did not speak. What could tell
would sound SO puerile in the broad
sunshine that enveloped US. ! merely
remarked that cheerfulness was not to
be expected in domicile so given over
to the ravages of time, and then with
that lightness and versatility which
characterize me under certain exigences
introduced a topic we could discuss
"AGAOuG any w
or me.
''Do you see Mother Jane there?" l
asked. II had some talk with her yes
terday. She seems like harmless i'm
beetle"
VERY harmless, - said he; "her only
fault is greed; that is Unsuitable. Yet
it is not strong enough to take her a
quarter of mile from this place. Moth
ing could do that, think. She believes
you see, that her daughter Lizzie is
still alive and will come back to the
nut some day. She wouldn't be away
then for all the bank holds. know, for
have tried to tempt her. It's very sad
when you think that the girls dead
and has been dead nearly 40 years.
why does she harp on numbers?'
said l. Il heard her mutter certain ones
over and over.''
THAT is a mystery none of US has
solved" said he. POSSIBLY she has nc
reason for it. The vagaries of the wit
less are often quite unaccountable
l Ielt him looking at me, not from
any connection between what he had
lust said and ANYTHING to be observed