Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-03-22
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Copyright. 1897. by Anna K. Rohlfs.l
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I.-Amelia Butterworth. who had
done clever detective work, is called upon by
Mr.. Gryce, a professional detective, to take up
an interesting case. n.-He tells her that in a
disappeared. In this place lives a family OF the
name of Knollys. the Children of former friend
Of Miss Underworld. Mr.. Gryce desires Miss
work. III. and IN.-Miss Butterworth goes to
visit the knollys home finding there Misses Lu-
s @i, and LoE T9 Knoys and thei, brother
dimes with the family and lie taken to her room
She remains awake durinv the night. and, hear
ing strange noises, goes into the hail and calls
the disturbance. VIII. and IX.-Mr Trohm. n
neighbor. visits the Knollys. Lucetta is terri
fled at seeing him and faints.. X.-Miss But
teIworth receives letter from Mr.. Gryce telling
her thatif she is in danger to blow upon a
whistle he sends her. XI.-An old crone called
Mother Jane appears; Miss ButteTworth gives
curious combination of numbers. MI and
NIL Miss Butterworth leaves the house and
hears haa,,s Of hyy young girl formerly leaving the
mother could oyertake her. Since then phan-
tom carriage Is said to go through Lost Mans
pearing. XIV and IV.@Mr. Trohm drives Miss
Butterworth in his wagon. Returning to the
Wboss e
leaves without getting . favorable reply. xvi.
chamber which She has heard is haunted.
XM!I.-!In visiting 1t she finds her way into
Williams sanctlm and discovers that he is a
es an uncomfortable night. She is locked In her
chamber and loses her whistle which she keeps
to call the police, bit RECEIVERS It. X1X;IMak-
tied together with knot of Grape. indicating q
death In the house. Xxx. and XXI.-Miss But
terworth is Impressed with the gentlemanlike
Of numbers. XXII-Miss Butterworth sees on
the wall shadows Of several persons carrying
follows and sees the bearers lower CONN
through hole in the floor XIII. XXIy, and
| XXV.-Miss Butterworth meets Mr. Gryce at
pointing to Mother Jane as the culprit and that
Mother James cabin, finding in one Of them
burial witnessed by Miss Butterworth and tells
her that the corpse was q favorite. dog. Of
| William Knollys. He had disguised himself IL
Mother James clothes the others supposing him
to be Mother Jane. Miss Butterworth tells him
Of her finding the knot OF Grape and conyinces
| him that what was buried was human. XXVI
XVII. and XXVIII.-Mr. Gryce scratches the
knolys house and goes to the grave In the Gel
when n har sS
XX1X..The bodyis exhumed. and Miss But
terworth recognized 1t as that Of her fromel
/ friend. XAX.-l.0reen Xplains that her mother
having committed criminal OffanGR laf
country, but had recently returned. Her child
rem had hidden her in the house, and she had
and XXXV.--Tl turns tuat Mr.. Frohm, though
rational on all subjects but ono. Is insane. He
has established trap by which the persons wig
The ring found in Mother James hut had be
onged to one of the victims. who had laid Il
own by the well before falling, and the rini
hal been carried by pigeon to Mother Jane
But William had word to say for
himself.
miss Butterworth, " said he, lyon re
a right good sort of woman, as Saracen
has found out and we, too, in these last
few plaguy days Of our trouble here.
But I'm not such a bad lot either, and
if do like my own way, which may
not be other peoples way, and if am
sometimes short with the girls for some
Of their ID nonsense, have LITTLE
deoency about me, too, and say vii.
fix these grounds, and out of my OWL
money too. Now that nine tenths of oul
income does not have to go abroad well
have chink enough to let us go respect
able once more in a place where one
horse, if he's good enough, will give {
fellow standing and make him thu
envy Of even those who for some othel
pesky reasons may think themselves
called upon to boot him. don't be
grudge the old place few dollars, es
pecially as mean to live and die in it
SO look out, you three women folks, ant
work lively as you can on the inside O.
the old rookery or the sickness of tn,
outside will put you to open shame
and that would never please Loreen
nor, as I take it, Miss Butterwortl
either.''
1t was a challenge we were glad tt
accept, especially as from the numbe
of persons we now saw come fockint
into the lane it was very apparent tina
we should experience no further diff
Guilty in obtaining any help we nigh
need to carry out our undertakings.
| Meantime my thoughts were not alto
gether concentrated even upon thes
pleasing plans for Lucetta's benefit
There We're certain points yet to be mad
clear in the matter whose Termination
still lay heavy on my heart, and ther'
was confession for me to make, with
out which / could not face Mr.. Gryc
with all that unwavering composur
which our peculiar relations seemed t,
demand.
The explanations came first. The,
were volunteered by Mr.. Gryce, whom
met i'll the course Of the morning a
Mother james cottage. She had beel
perfectly happy all night, sleeping witt
the coin in her hand and waking t,
again devour it with her greedy bu
loving eyes. AS we were looking at he
and Mr.. Gryce directing with his hant
the movements of the men who hat
come to smooth down her garden ant
make it presentable again the detectiv,
spoke.
II suppose you have been wondering
how this old woman came to have thos
mementos Of the crimes which tool
place up there. Well, we have figured
it out thus: The trinket from the ped
dler's pack she probably stole from tina
pack before it was found by the villager
and given up to the proper authorities
The other, the ring, has different his
tory, and the finding of it in Mother
James possession can only be explained
by series of causes SO bizarre tina
they must ever rank as among the mos
remarkable that have ever adorned tn,
annals of our police register. Should
| give it out as a puzzle you could never
answer it. How could ring which wa
OH the finger of Mr.. five minutes
before he vanished from the light of thu
sun forever pass from the mouth O
that old we'll into Mother James hand