The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-01

| ment on the threshold LET us not
| disturb the young men any further than
| IS necessary tonight
At that moment we heard the cry:
"Where is Miss Meredith? Has anyone
:. seen Miss Meredith? L cannot find her in
any Of the rooms upstairs.
Hope! Hope! Where are you, Hope?"
! called out another voice, charged with
!! feeling.
Hope! Did my heart beat faster as this
name, destined to play such a part in my
future life. was sounded in my ears? I
cannot say. That heart has beat often
enough since at the utterance of this
sweet monosyllable, but at that time
we'll, I think I was too interested in the
alarm which this cry instantly raised, to
note my personal sensations. From one
end of the house to the other, men and
women rushed from room to room, and
l heard not only this name called out, but
that of the child, which it seems was
Claire.
Cannot the child be found either?"
inquired impet uously of the coroner who
still fingered in the hall.
1T seems not. Who is Miss Meredith?"
1t was the old butler who answered him.
she is the young gentlemen's cousin"
said he. She was great favorite with
Mr.. Gillespie. and lived here like
daughter. They will find her somewhere
upstairs.''
But the prophecy proved to be a false
one: slowly the servants came creeping
down whispering among themselves and
looking very much frightened. Then we
saw George descend shaking his head i'm
patiently, and then Leighton, wild with
an anxiety for which he had no name.
She must be here!" he cried, thinking
only of his child. claire! Claire!" And
he began running through the great draw
n Ena ho no
Alfred had remained above.
Suddenly 1 recalled a fact connected
with my own visit upstairs.
Have they been up to the fourth
tloor?" I inquired of DR.. Bennett when
l was in Mr.. Alfred Gillespie's room on
one rush through the hall. l supposed at
that time it was someone going below,
But it may have been someone going
higher up
Let us go see!" the doctor suggested
I followed him, without thought. AS
we passed Alfred's door, could See him
standing in the middle of the room in
state Of rage which made him oblivious
of our approach. He was tearing into
morsels piece of paper which had the
same appearance as the one be had for
merly thrust into the wastepaper basket,
and as he tore, he muttered words
amongst which | caught the following: :.
why should I write? If she loved me
she would wait. She would not run away
now unless he" ...". .......-'
DR.. Bennett, with his finger on his lip,
slid by. l fastened after him, and togeth-
er we mounted the last flight.
We were now in a portion of the build
ing as new to the doctor as to myself
When we reached the top of the stairs we
found the whole place dark save for a
little glimmer towards the front which
proved to be a gas Jet burning low in one
of the attic rooms.
Turning this up we looked around, ,
opened closet deer or two, then walked
into the back, where the doctor struck a
match. Two closed doors met our eyes
One OF these upon being opened disclosed
a. well furnisheds room, similar in appear
ance TO those id front. the other an UNI
finished garnet half filed with trunks
and boxes.
WELL" he calculated, as the match
went out upon this scene. This is a
mystery"
'Hark!' l urged; "our ears rather than
our eyes must do service in this emer-
sency."
He took the hint, end together we lis
tened till some sound-was it the breath
ing of a person near uS?-cauSed us both
to start and the doctor to light another
match.
This time we saw something, but the
match went out before we could determine
what
Annoyed by these momentary flashes of
light, dashed back into one of the rooms
we had left, and catching up candle
had previously noted there, lit it at the
gas jet and proceeded back with it to this
garnet room.
Instantly a sight full of the strangest
interest revealed itself.
Crouched against the farther wall, with
wide extended eyes fixed upon us, we per-
ceiyed woman, upon whose pallid face
and risen locks terror. or d some other.
equally emphatic passion halA5 80 fixed its