The Tupelo journal., 1902-10-31

She TOOK my hand and stroked IL
softly. l half expected to hear her
purr. Then came one of the most
startling moments of my life.
Mrs. Shepperton, whom that very
day + had seen only for the first
time, made an amazing proposition.
She told me | reminded her very for
chilly Ola daughter she had lost long
years ago. She expressed an intense
desire for my company, and begged
me to GO abroad with her on the fol-
lowing morning.
ut won't be for very long," she de-
clared s~oothingly. "And l will buy
you some lovely Partisan clothes II
your wardrobe is insufficient. I will
write to your mother tomorrow, and
explain what 1 have done. / am sure
she could not possibly mind, especial
ly as we were introduced by a mu-
tual friend"
Somehow I still felt under a spell,
too tempting. 1 have always been
impressionable and somewhat hot
headed, 1 fear. Assuring myself that
my family could have 40 objection, I
ioyfully consented to accompany
Mrs. Shepperton on her pleasure
trip.
AS we talked over the many de-
lights of foreign travel, I suddenly
started forward, grasping her elbow.
what is the matter, child?" she
asked.
81 saw q figure" I gasped, "hiding
in that curtain opposite. 1 could
have declared the form of a man
stood behind the velvet. The out
line of his shoulder showed quite dis
tinctly."
Mrs. Shepperton started up, trem-
bling.
at must have been your fancy"
she cried, begging me to look behind
the curtain; but, of course, this was
useless. Had anyone been there, he
would have retired through the panel
door into the long, dark passage be-
yond.
l tried to forget what I had seen,
telling myself it was only magma
ton; but the mer~ory haunted me
as 1 went up to bed.
"Never mind" I thought. "To-
morrow you will be far away from
this lonely building"
I dreampt of the pleasure of wealth
and of the many luxuries l was about
to enjoy.
The following morning Mrs. Shep-
perton appeared somewhat depressed
at breakfast.
81 want you, if you will, my dear"
she said, in her soft, cooling voice,
"to do an errand for me on the way
to the station. 1 shall drive in a
closed carriage, but you must go
round by the town in the victoria,
which will be at the door in a few
minutes. I need a little spare money
for our travelling expenses. Please go
to the bank and change this check
for e100, which you must bring me
in notes"
l took the check, and drove away
c%heerfully, glad to feel 1 could De,
her a service.
The drive was a very billy one,
IN UAS vi o"h CSGlCa az Ia
foot of a steep descent. AS the car
riage proceeded at a slow pace, a
well-dressed man sprang forward,
apparently from the hedge, and took
off his hat to me
/ felt myself turning very red, for
1 hardly knew what to do, since he
was a total stranger. Before l had
time to think, he jumped into the
carriage, and seated himself beside
me. I ~nervously grasped the pres
cious check in my hand.
what do you want?" I asked
sternly, quivering with Indignation
at his impertinent action.
Excuse me-, miss" he said, "but I
want that check for G100 which you
are going to cash at the bank"
you may want it," 1 said, con
WINGED this was a case of highway
robbery, "but you won't get it,"
Don't be alarmed he answered,
reading my thoughts. "After all,
you are quite right not to give it up.
I suppose you are that you
are being made the victim of a very
cruel trick? 1 saw you arrive yes
terday, and judged by your looks you
were not an accomplice, though the
accomplices are many Of the Mrs.
Shepperton, you know. One has
played her false, and a very large
scheme is about to end in failure.
"The old lady who received you so
affectionately last evening, and
tempted you to accept her invitation
of foreign travel, was, strange to re-
late, the housekeeper, who should
Shepperton's orders. This intriguing
woman has effected a most startling
disguise, not only annexing her mis-
tress' clothes, but making her ap-
pearance absolutely similar. Having
cleared the house of every honest
servant, she had arranged to leave
England under Mrs. Shepperton's
name, taking with her a large guam
tity of jewelry and plate of immense
value.
Should suspicion have fallen upon
her, you were to have been the scape-
goat. For that reason she sent you
to change the check this morning,
which, of course, has been forged,
with many others lately paid. 1 was
hiding in the house last night, and
heard your conversation in the Vene-
tan chamber. Had you gone away
with her, it is terrible to think of
the position in which you might have