Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-28

gazing around man who was reading
aloud from a widely margined extra"
OF the Canada City Press. 1t seemed
provoking, as she knew her cheeks
were glowing from her romp and was
conscious that she was looking her
best. However, the Secamps' cottage
was just before her, and the girls We're
sure to be on the lookout She shook
out her skirts and Strengthened her
pretty little figure as she approached
the house. But, to her surprise, her
coming had evidently been anticipated
by them, and they were actually and
unexpectedly awaiting her behind the
low whltewashed garden palings. As
She neared them they burst into a shrill
discordant laugh so full of irony, graft
fed malice aud mean exultation that
Cissy was for moment startled, but
| only for a moment. She had her IA
Tiers reckless audacity and bore them
down with a display of such pink
cheeks and dashing eyes that their
laughter was checked and they remain
ed open mouthed MS she swept by them.
| Perhaps this incident prevented her
from noticing another but more passive
one. A group of men standing before
the new mill, the same men who had SO
solicitously challenged her attention
| with their bows couple of hours ago,
| turned rs she approached and suddenly
dispersed. 1t was not until this was
repeated by another group that its odd
ity forced itself upon her still angry
consciousness. Then the street seemed
to be full of those excited preoccupied
groups who melted away as she adj
vanced. Only one man met her curious
eyes, the engineer, yet she missed the
usual critical smile with which he was
wont to greet her. and he gave her
bow of such profound respect and gray
ity that for the first time she felt really
uneasy. Was there something wrong
with her hat? That dreadful. fateful
hat! Was 1t too conspicuous? Did he
think it was vulgar? She was eager to
cross the street on the next block,
where there were large plate glass VIM
dows which she and Piney-if Piney
were only with her now!-had often
used as mirrors. But there was great
crowd on the next block, and 1t was
congregated around the bank-her IA
Tiers bank. A vague terror, she knew
not what. now began to creep over her.
She would have turned into q side
street, but mingled with her fear was n
resolution not to show it, not to even
think of it, to combat it MS she had the
horrid laugh of the Scamp girls, and
she kept her way with beating heart,
but erect head, without looking across
the street. There was another crowd
before the newspaper Office, also on the
other side, and a bulletin board, but
she would not try to read it.
Only one idea was in her mind, to
reach her own home before any one
should meet her or speak with her. For
the last Ineligible sound that had
reached her was the laugh of the Sc
camp girls, and this was still ringing in
her ears, seeming to voice the hidden
strangeness of all she saw and stirring
her, as that had, with childish indigna
ton. She kept on with unmoved face
however, and Mt last turned into the
planked side terrace, a part of her fa
TIERS muniflcence, and reached the
symmetrical garden beds and graveled
i walk. She ran up the steps of the We
randa and entered the drawing room
through the open French window
CHANGING around the familiar room, al
} her fathers closed desk, at the open
t piano, with the piece of music she had
!. been practicing that morning, the
, whole walk seemed only n foolish
/ dream that had frightened her. She
was Cissy Trixit, the daughter of the
, richest man in the town. This was hel
fathers house, the wonder of Canada
!, City.
A ring at the front door bell startled
: her. Without waiting for the servant
! to answer it she stepped out on the We
| randa and saw a boy whom she recog
: nized as q waiter at the hotel kept by
/ Piney's father. He was holding Il note
e in his hand and staring intently at the
I house and garden. Seeing Cissy, Ii,
Y transferred his stare to her. Snatchine
4 the note from him, she tore it open anf
3 read in Piney's well known scrawl
/, dad won't let me come to you now
e dear, but I'll try to slip out late to
o night" Why should she want to come
She had said nothing about comm.
t now, and why should her father pre-
vent her? Cissy crushed the note be
i tween her fingers and faced the boy.
Y What are you staring at, idiot?"
c The boy grinned Historically, a it'll,
+ frightened at Cissys Strengthened
G brows and swapping eyes.
| tEat
o The boy ran off, and Cissy returned
o to the drawing room. Then 1t occurred
! to her that the servant had not answer
: ed the bell. She rang again furiously
k There was no response. She called
: down the basement staircase and heart
|, only the echo of her voice in the depths
v How still the house was! Were they al
, out-Susan, Norah, the cook, the China
t man and the gardener? She ran dow
f into the kitchen. The back door wal
n open, the fires were burning, dishe!
o were upon the table, but the kitchen
t was empty. Upon the floor lay a damn
l. copy of the extra" She picked it III
o quickly. -Four black headlines stared
l. her in the e-"Enormous Defalca
!, tion!" "Montagu TriXit Absconded!
d "$5oo,ooO Missing" run on tn,
It Bnnkv'
d She threw the paper through thu
open door as she would have hurled
II back the accusation from living lips
o then in a revulsion of feeling lest an,
S one should find her there she ran III
It stairs and locked herself in her owl
J. room.
Q So that was what it all meant-all
g from the laugh Of the Scamp girls tt
J. the turning away Of the townspeople n.
d she went by! Her father was THE
r who had stolen money from the banl
f and run away, leaving her alone II
Y bear it. No! 1t was all lie, n wicked
V jealous lie, a foolish lie, for how coult
p he steal money from his own bank
II Cissy knew very little of her father
o Perhaps that was why she believed il
htt,, lev