Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-12


You know the in-people in her fix are
dreadfully sly. did not know she had
been out Of the house for years. can't
beg your pardon often enough for let
ting her worry Mr.. Matthews. / knew
she had sort Of unreasoning grudge
against him. Sometimes. you know,
dear, they-I might as well out with
it," she added in q sort Of desperation,
''insane folks often pick out their best
friends to Witty"
II know, know. More than once
has she left you asleep and wandered
out into the night. heard her tell
about it last night. Oh, if she had only
lived long enough to tell me some
thing more about those papers! Why
cannot get her dreadful words out of
my head?"
Miss NIaivina turned her tear dim
med eyes away from the dead old face
to tile pallid young one with startling
suddenness.
"Papers! What papers p
Olivia stopped and kissed the plain
face impulsively.
"Oh, it seems such monstrous thing
to come here and accuse her of cruelty
when she cannot say a word in self de-
Tense! But, then, no more could ia
tner last night. She said that some
body had brought her some papers that
she meant to. keep until Tom came
back, but that she had lost them. She
said that she could not look for them
in the daytime because you watched
her so closely" Here the poor child
dropped on her knees and clasped her
trembling hands upon Miss Malvina's
lap. ooh, what dreadful things she
said to papa about those papers! Find
them for me, Malvina. Help me to
find them before it is too late.'
Miss Ma1vina gathered her into a
motherly embrace. TOO late for what,
my poor little Ollie?"
Before father-goes-and cannot tell
me what to-do-with them"
"My child, Olivia, there are no pa
pers. Believe me, it was all the fancy
of disordered brain. Mother was
queer for long time back. I have
known it for q year or two. How
could there be any papers Of impor-
lance to any one in this little cabin and
I not know about them? Forget what
you heard her say, my child. Let it 60
for naught. AS you say, she knows
better now"
Olivia got up on her feet, and, fold
ing her hands tightly upon her breast,
she looked down on Miss NIalvina with
an memorable purpose in her sad eyes.
II wish could let it go for naught,
but cannot. know there were some
papers lost, because distinctly re-
member father asking you if you had
seen any the night of Colonel Brox-
toms death. know he could not wrong
any one purposely, but losing those
papers may have put him in a wrong
position. Help me to find them, Miss
Malvina."
Miss Malvina fell back upon her only
line Of defense. Mother was queer,
Ollie. That was the reason have
shut our door to all the neighbors of
late. She did not know what she was
talking about. There are"
Olivia interrupted her Snpatiently.
But did you never hear her speak
of those lost papers of her finding
them, mean?"
Never"
''Nor any one else? Father? Don't
you remember that morning after Colo
mel Broxton died?"
A subtle change swept over Miss
Malvina's plain face. A frightened
look came into her eyes.
Think, Miss Malvina. Try to re-
member. And-ah, do tell me the
truth, the whole truth, no matter how
sorry you may feel for me. can stand
more than you think can. But I
shall never know what peace is until
my mind is relieved about those pa
pers''
Thus adjured, Miss Malvina made a
reluctant confession.
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