Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-08-08

SO impossible, especially since MI
irvce was not on hand to direct mat
tiers, that spent very little time on thl
subject, deep and important as 1t wa
TO all concerned
The thing to which ! devoted NJ,
most serious attention was the necesslt
of telling my story so as to eAonerat
ihe girls as much as possible. Inc.
were mistaken in their devotion aut
most unhappy in the exercise Of it, bu
they We're not innately wicked AM
should not be made to appear so. Per
haps the one thing for which | shoulC
vet have the best cause to congratulate,
myself would be the opportunity | nd
: gained to give to their connection viii
the affair its true and proper lcoloring
l was still dwelling on this thought
when there came a knock at my dOol
which advised me that the visitor | OK
pected had arrived. To open and admit
him was the work Of moment, but il
took more than a moment for me Il
overcome my surprise at seeing in my
visitor no Lesser person than Mr.. Gryce
himself, who in our parting interview
had assured me he was too old and toe
feeble for such affairs and must there
fore delegate them TO me.
All | calculated slowly. 1T is
you, is it: Well, am not surprised. !
shOuldn I have been, When You say you
are old you mean old enough to pull
The wool over other people eyes, and
when you say you are lame you mean
that you only halt long enough to let
others get far enough ahead for them
not to see how fast you hobble up be-
hind them. But do not think am not
glad enough TO see You. l am, Mr.
Gryce, for | have discovered the secret
Of Lost Man lane and find it somewhat
too heavy one for my own handling. ="
On the instant, knowing him now as
do, | saw that this was more than he
expected.
You have:" he asked, with just that
shade Of incredulity which it is 50 tan
talziug 10 encounter.
Then l suppose congratulations are
in order But are You sure Miss Butter
worth, that you really have obtained a
clew to the many strange and fearful
which have given to this
lane its Nance
Il could not be surer, " said l, for l
have seen with my eyes and almost
touched with my hands the body Of one
OF the victims
quite sure" l returned. nettled
"Whv do vou doubt it: Because l have
kept 80 quiet and not sounded one note
OF alarm from my whistler"
NO. " said he Knowing your self
restraint so we'll. / cannot say that that
is my reason
What j. II, them l urged
well, said he, my real reason for
If YOU have been quite as sue
cessful as you think is that we ourselves
have come upon a clew about which
there can be no question. Can you say
the same If yours:
You will expect my answer TO. have
been q decided Yes, - uttered with all
the positiveness Of which you know me
70 be capable But for some reason,
perhaps because Of the strange influence
his man : personality exercises on all
res. all-who do not absolutely steel
themselves against him, | faltered just
ong enough for him 10 cry;
Il thought not The clew is outside
he knollys house, not in it, Miss But
erworth, for which, Of course. you are
,ot TO be blamed or your services scorn- /
d. I have no doubt they have been in
-aluable in unearthing a secret, if not
he secret.
THANK You. was my quiet retort
thought his presumption beyond all
pounds and would at that moment have
cit justified in swapping my fingers
/ the clew that he so boosted Of had it
ot been for one thing. What that thing
5 | am not ready vet 10 state.
You and | have come to issue over
UGH matters before said he, and
need not take too much ac-
cunt ot the feelings il is likely to en-
euder | will merely state that my
lew points 10 Mother Jane and ask if
on have found in the visit she paid at
be house last night anything which
-uuld go 10 strengthen the suspicion
cainst her.
"Perhaps. said in a state Of dis
ain that was more or less unpardon-
bic. considering that my own suspicious
revious to my discovery Of the real
-agedv enacted under my eyes at the
-nollvs mansion had played more or
- about tins old crone,
"Only perhaps" He smiled, with a
laytul forbearance with my mood for
-hich l should have been truly CRATE
a TO him.
"She was there for no good purpose,
aid l, land vet il you had not charac
srized her a. the person most response
le for the crimes we are here 10 inves-
gate l should have said from all that
saw then and previously Of her CON
net that she acted as a superuumerary
ither than principal, and that it is to
le Won should look for the correct clew
} the criminal. notwithstanding your
lnfidence III Your own theories and my
hesitation 10 assert that
lere was no possible defect in mine. "
Miss ButterwOrth, i thought he
,oked a tritie >haken-''what did Moth
, Jane do in that closely suffered
ouse last night
Mother Jane: Well! Did he think
was going TO introduce my tragic
orv by telling what Mother Jane did: =
must have looked irritated, and in I
sed l think | had cause.
Mother Jane ate her supper, /
Mapped ont angrily. Miss knollvs
-. - ., 49, Thu, .},a ,,1rad a lir-1a