Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-05-19

VARIOUS SentlnentS. maze no attempt
TO fathom their cause, and contented
myself with girlish and romantic spec
ulations concern -ng the new inmate
which The Iyies would soon receive.
1T would be nearly month before
Mr.. Chester would arrive, he wrote,
and during that month found occas-
ion to heartily welcome the fact that a
| man OF strength and intelligence would
soon be installed beneath our roof.
For during that month strange things
occurred, which hIled me with fear and
foreboding, and which yet seemed no
wild and improbable that could not
bring myself 20 mention them even TO
my good friends the Spencers.
For my good friends the Spencers
had certainly become. Madam always
spoke of them In the warmest terms,
| and cordially encouraged my intimacy
with them. L never had cared for a
large circle Of acquaintances, but it
was exceedingly pleasant to me to be
| able to vary what was assuredly a
monotonous existence with visits to
| such congenial house as theirs.
There was but one drawback to my
| friendship. David Spencer loved me,
and had told me so. L had been oblig-
ed TO refuse his love, and although he
had beggeu me to allow his offer TO
make no difference in our mutual re-
| lations, and l had promised that it
should be so yet it was but natural that
l should feel somewhat constrained in
the presence of u man whom had re-
| jected.
| 1 had thought 1t only honorable to-
wards Madam that L should acQuaint
her with the matter. 1 was surprised
by the manner in which she received
my confidence.
lis it actually impossible for you to
love this good fellow, my dear?" she
asked, with great earnestness.
impossible indeed" 1 replied
She sighed deeply.
'I wish it might have been different"
she said, as il communing with herself.
lit would have seemed like atone
ment" Then the subject dropped be-
| tween us.
L have made allusion to the fact that
about this time strange anu suspicious
| circumstances began to arouse my
curiosity and alarm. The first of these
occurred one evening, or rather one
late afternoon, as was returning from
a charitable expedition TO the village
My nature is quite a fearless one.
| am without the natural feminine re-
luctance to going about after dark un-
protected, nor am / unduly disturbed
| by strange happenings. But, on the
other hand, have more than the aver
/ age curiosity Of my sex although, be
| ing aware OF this weakness, l have
made myself mistress OF it, and where
l feel 1t to be unwise and ind screee
/ am able to place a strong curb upon
1t. But on ordinary occasions it rises
| to the surface, and quite transcends
II linz raf Of
which might hamper Its qualification.
1 was strolling up the avenue, then,
some time after dusk had fallen, when.
at about the spot where 1 had found
Madam standing many months ago,
came to an abrupt halt. had ehanc-
| ed TO look down at the Stone House
| standing amidst it's shadows, and I
| could have sworn that i saw n figure
| fit by one OF its windows, 1 approach
ed the edge of the cliff and scanned the
house closely. There was certainly a
| shutter open, for a dark space inter-
vened between the outlines of n case
| ment where, as in the other windows.
should have been cleaning whiteness.
This in itself was strange, for never in
| all the time l had been at The Ivies
had l seen any sign of occupancy or
caretaking about the place. Indeed,
L
! did not have 1t aired occasionally.
Still, unusual as this evidence of life
| in the grim mansion was, IL did not
seem to me then suspicious. thought
| that perhaps during my absence Mad
am had availed herself of the aid of
either Mayberry or Franklin to carry
out the Intention to revisit the scene of
her former happiness, and my chief
sensation as / continued my homewar6
way was one Of regret and disappoinu
ment that 1 had not been with her OF
that occasion.
| But as I reached the door of The
tvies Franklin opened it with an ex
preston Of annoyance on his face.
| Have you happened to see Mrs.
Mayberry, Miss Lothrop?" he asked
fretfully. Here is Madam wanting
her, and she is not to be found about
the house,
mo, I have not met her" answered
Then / remembered what l had just
seen. do you think she could be
down at the Stone House, Franklin"
suggested.
The old man looked at me in amaze
| ment as profound as IL / had said:
do you think she could be at the bot
tom of the scar" He did not even
reply to my question. Contenting him.
self with calculating: THE Stone
Housed! he continued: '-r hen you have
seen nothing OF her, miss?" and as 1
replied in the negative, he stood aside
to let me pass, suggesting ut the same
/ time that / should go to Madam and
see If ] could render the assistance
! she needed.
Il 4