Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-09-26

/
BOY"
Jane Mary called me. Then 1 had
to settle an argument between Badly
and Glorianna, and by the time got
to bed l was very tired and slept
like log.
got up early the next morning
and went into Aunt Jane Mary's
room.
do you know what?" said she,
sitting up in bed, the rabbits ears
sticking up in apparent exposition of
the horror of her soul.
'Do l know what?"
"Yes, do you know what? That
girls boy
What girl? Glorianna? How
absurd! Why, we've known Glori-
"Glorianna. should think not.
Glorianna! No, the lower-front
She's a boy"
l looked at Aunt Jane Mary in
amaze! "How do you know?" said 1.
Cigarette smoke, thought so
last night, now 1 know it,
"Nonsense," said I. ut might be
the lower-back or Badly Towner.
You forget that we have two real
men i'll the house now
you told me the lower-back
went into the city for the night, and
Badly Towner sleeps over the stable
| what used to be the stable"
"Ies," said 1, sighing-"what used
Il hn OF
was this way"
"Sophronia Willaughby Brath-
waite, You know no man was ever
allowed to smoke in that barn, not
In the Judges time, nor yet in
nine"
''He might have done it all the
same" said L. eve have to shut our
eyes to great deal in this world"
That's true" said Aunt Jane
Mary. SHUT there's one thing you
can't shut if you try. not unless you
put clothespin on it. and that's your
nose; the smell came right up
through the floor"
Perhaps Mr.. Beldon came home
early, and it was he who smoked"
He has no business to come home
early, He said"
"Oh. yes, he has" said l. "He has
q right to use the room at any time.
But Miss Dacres may even smoke
and not be a boy"
"And look at her hair!" exclaimed
Aunt Jane Mary, land her slang!
You'll never convince me she isn't a
boy until"
| Aunt Jane Mary did not say when
that time would come, and I must
say that what she had given voice to
stayed by me and had it's effect on
me to a certain degree.
Miss Dacres has boys ways and
tones and manners; and her hair!
If l ever saw boys hair, ii is her
short, coarse curls.a
.aWell," said !, ::hoy or no boy, she
has got to stay until l find her mon
ey. I'm going to the funeral now,
and when l come home / shall bring
either John Sommers or his advice
with me. You needn't mind any of
them coming up to wait on you,
there's nothing to steal" l sighed
again. Here's your bell" and I ran
hurriedly down the stairs. -
Aunt Jane Mary's bell rang. before
I got to the front door: had put
II fooo near her, ! went back wear
ilY.
'"Wen?" I exclaimed, somewhat
impatiently, I fear.
There's another thing. You run
off SO! I heard voices under my
window last night"
"Oh, dear! Aunt Jane Mary, don't
tell me of any more mysteries. l
am SO tired of them. Her brother
came out to see her the night before
last. Perhaps he came out last night
can't help it. She may be liar or
murderess, anything in the wide
world, but here she must stay until
7 find that money" and ran down
the stairs again and ran out of the
house and out of the gate and half
way to the Hall.
I found the people assembling in
the great hall, but Miss Elizabeth
sent Margot to tell me that she want.
ed to see me upstairs, that 1 was tc
come down with the family to the
library. went up as / was bid. Miss
Elizabeth drew me into small room
off the chamber where her brother
had died. She kissed me, and wills
pered in my ear, They're here! I've
found them. just where / put them
three years ago."
"What?" asked I in an awful whis
per.
"The Jewels" she whispered. ".'The
jewels, my dear mothers rubies.
think those were what they were
looking for, those wretches! And
,, think that in some way they com
passed my poor brother David.
DEATH" She drew down the shade
closed the door, and locked it. The1
she went to the fireplace. Here
she said. This upright slab was al
ways loose. I often pulled it dow1
as q child. When went away,
drew it out So" she suited her &C
ton to her words. II deposited thi.
: case within and then sealed it W
with u little plaster-of-Paris.
: took the rubies from q drawer in tn,
: library, q SECRET drawer, we al
knew. the secret, They were mine
as much as his, and you see now HOY
5 wise 1 was. Had 1 not done so, thos
l wretches would have had them to
day" She had in her hand the blu
velvet case which I knew so well
She opened it, and even in that dark