Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-09-23

Gopy-lsat l::l, hy j. o. Lpp,nco;t Co.
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER "A young lad $. is the
| ard protesting to he 81 nurse, engages u
room of Mrs. Brathwaitc, ne ma rator
OF nc story, At her quiet country home;
10 secure, as she says. some rlEch needed
rest. Mr. Esl@on. claiming to be an cdi-
torial writer who works nights. also en-
CAGES room. Both boardcrs openly OBJ
Isv:d DARLINGTON. millionaire who had
lived at the Hall" close by. has just
died under some what mysterious circum-
| s.sc,c~-
CHAPTER TI.--DurinE night Mrs.
Bra,hwaite witnesses meeting at her
front gate hstwcen Miss Dacres and a
young man, Next morning she asks an
explanation OF the occurrence, although
.ks one given does not quite satisfy hcr.
resumed my tale, for / saw that
we were approaching my own home,
and | felt now that l should probably
have to give up my trip to the village
for that day at least. "Allibone ran
up the stairs after Margot and
pushed in at the door. Some Villains
hand has been at work. he cried; and
then Margot turned from the stare
of those open eyes and looked around
viz AcOAus ~ was III III Gdul III ulSOT.
der. Papers were strewn about, all
sorts of clothing lay upon the floor,
the chairs were overturned. the
coverings ripped open. In fact, it
was evident to Margot that the poor
Squire had been in the hands of UNI.
principled creatures, and that the so.
called priest, Sister of Charity, and
doctor had all been masquerading
and in league to defraud him of his
belongings. Margot began to tidy up
the room, and Allibone ran down
the stairs, saying, Pm going for the
police And the police are in
charge now"
do they think that-that-my
brother was was = foully dealt
with?" asked Miss Elizabeth, family.
DIR. Williams doesn't say. They
tell me that the police have closed
his mouth. They have the great de-
tective Jennings employed on the
case. I heard that there was not
scratch norea mark on his body
the Squire's-and no blood, and no
sign of violence"
"Thank God for that!" said Miss
Elizabeth, reverently. just here we
came to the end of my fence, the end
nearest the village, where the road
turns and runs around to the Hail.
"How pretty your little home
looks" said Miss Evelyn through her
tears. ut seems sweet to see it
again. But don't get out, Sophronia,
don't! Come with us to the Hall. l
cannot bear to go alone. We need
some one but = but who are
those?"
l looked out of the window across
Miss Elizabeth's black draperies, and
saw, to my infinite establishment, my
lower-back apparently in very inter
esting conversation with my lower
front.
"They-they-are some boarders
lI-have talen," stammered. Miss
Elizabeth stretched out her hand
and took mine within it. "Nly poor
|Sophronia! Has it come to that?
My poor Sophronia!" AS the car
riage passed saw my lower-back
look towards it, then turn suddenly
and run around the house and disap-
pear. Miss Dacres leaned back in
my rocker and closed her eyes.
"Are they friendss" asked Miss
Evelyn, with some interest.
"No! Never saw each other be-
fore this morning to my certain
knowledge. They are utter stran-
gers to each other" said I. HE
hated the idea of her being there,
and she is Disguised with the thought
of his coming. l hoped to get rid
of her to-day, but now 1 suppose
I'll have to keep her until to-mor-
row."
"Why?"
And now I began to show some
emotion on MY part, as 1 told NY
Kind friends in what an unpleasant
| oredicament l had been placed.
And you were going for lock-
smith when we turned you back.
Poor little sophronia! You must go
back in the carriage!"
We drove on past my home, past
the farmland next it, by the mill,
"Marchbank," and ''The Larches,'
and then sudden turn brought us
in at the gate of Darlington Hall.
Miss Elizabeth Looked out with
streaming eyes.
II often think what it would have
been to have brother Eugene back
again." said she. Things might
have been different then. He had
q good deal of control over David,
more than any of lis had, though
he was the youngest of ALL"
81 suppose you are certain about
his death?" said !.
eyes, oh, yes. His wife. you know
died long before he did. What
worry about most is the child. 1t
was girl. l have never been able
to discover any trace Of her. Our
lawyers, Smither and Blake, think
they have certain proof of her death
also, but I can't bear to believe that
she is dead"
How old would she have been had
she lived?'
Don't say had she lived sophro
mia. Say how old is she now?'
will never believe that little Amar
anthe is dead until / have better
| proof than l have to-day"
| "Amaranthe!" l said, slowly.
| Eyes, why not Amaranthe? Why