Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-02-03

was engaged to dine with the Fentons
| that evening, and as / walked to their
| house could not help regretting' I
should have to tell Mabel the miserable
| story that Mr.. Finnecure Vandeleur
had related to ME. | should be obliged
| to 90 SO, for kept hrs informed of ev-
cry move and every fresh item of infor-
nation. She would 10 doubt be able to
suggest some theory ca this, the latest,
development.
| AT dinner only commonplaces were
| discussed, but afterward l had her to
1smyself, and at once told her all I had
! learned that afternoon. Mr.. Gates in
! formation did not seem to strike her as
very valuable, but she was much inter
! ested in the photograph incident When
l gave her Mr.. Finnecure Vandeleur's
tale, she could not repress an exclama-
tion of dismay, and she walked up and
down the room with undisguised emo
ton.
And to think that Georges life has
! been wrecked for such woman! It's
awful, Duncan-simply awful! How he
could have been SO deceived in her I
really cannot understand.
''It certainly looks very shady
SHADY! I should think so! She
must have been horrible woman
"And yet my friend Parson Wray,
who saw her daily at her home, tcld me
that she was utterly charming and
general favorite. He was quite enthusi-
;.stic about her.
Its simply COMPREHENSIVE, Ma
| bel replied, THAT a woman of that sort
! should SO soon te found mixing up with
the people you have mentioned How
| can you reconcile Mr. Wray's descrip-
ton Of her with her friendship with
| this man Dick Lambert, who. even in
,a.-t!.i.ur'a eyes, was disreputable
Ecii :> :;
| = cannot reconcile the two accounts
1t all, Mabel, 1 frankly admit This is
:-1 3~~li.icral mystery in this already
too mysterious affair Wray certainly
can believe, but l know nothing about
Mr.. Finnecure Vandeleur. He may have
been telling ME pack of lies for any
thing know. Z - - -. ~.,-.- 81.
Let me see, - said Mabel, chow do
! the dates agree? According to this man
Vandeleur, she joined the company
about year after her disappearance,
and then few months afterward she
left again. That would be about the
time George met her at the village inn
on the Wye. Very probably she went
straight there, and in that case you
! would be able to Grd out if she had al
ways been alone, as George found her,
| or if these friends of hers accompanied
! her. You had better go down to Hinton
at once and make Inquiries
"A good idea, indeed, Mabel. You
would make capital detective'
Don't you think times like these
sharpen all our wits, Duncan? Why,
even you are eEersetic,' she added,
with one Of Der old smiles.
could net resist proving the truth
CT this by drawing her to me and kiss
ing her sweet lips. And she forgave me.
All thft night l was travelling and
thinking. Next morning found me in
the old fashioned central street Of Hin
tom the little fishing village on the
Wye, where George had met this wom-
an who was to exercise such al influence
upon his life, Had been there on any
less important errand, / should have ad-
mired the beauty of the place, but az it
was hurried to the inn with no other
thought than my mission The Coach
and Horses was a comfortable old fash
Toned shostelry& Except in the winter
months, it was generally full of fisher
men or tourists and had justly acquired
a reputation among them for comfort
! and convenience. The, .landlady was
Miss Arabella Pridgett, and l tried to
make friepds with her from the first
minute arrived. did not broach the
subject that lay uppe1most in my
:! thoughts until after dinner, when she
at last seemed to have time on her
t hands. + 81 ~ 4 Z r 2
f. Did she remember a Miss Western or
! a Miss Staples staying at the inn about
IL months ago. { 5.. s .zs. F. IND.
:. Miss Western, no, but Miss Staples,
/ yes. Don't you know az how she has
|. been murdered cir? And the papers say
i by Mr. George Fenton, who first met
! her; in this very house. But I'll never
believe it, 81 never !''ss E3ss5 81. b.
/ am glad you don't believe it, Miss
{ Pridgett, for ! am q friend of Mr.. Fen.
[ ton sand hale come here il search Of
+ evidence shall 81 be very glad. If you
/. viii ilH tell me al You know q Miss Sta
!. Pies '' 5.st ..5z u,
Lady Florence Aoetyn, ! observed
1 / The lantlla 70 give her real name.s
i az 1ssee By the nswapa &,
Quite 50. g replied. s II you can
give M any useful Information, yon
/ LEARN our gratitude. and It may be
/ that yon Will be- instrumental in saving
j On sillIl0 cent man from the flows. 80
/ ~ be coutinued s
u.s. The Little Falls Business College
offers ,,ueq ualIf facilities "a boot
.kdepinR and short hand Ours stem sa,1,
|e,f book keepinR q the d ost tical
d nsl comp rsasnsiv III tls vest,
INV " i q 1l|'s zee