Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-10-14
MYSTERIOUS
MISS DACRES
By Mrs. Schuyler Crowninshield.
Copyright lgl, by j. b. Llpplncott Co.
SYNOPSIS.


Copyright lgul, by j. b. Llppncott Co.
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER IA young lady, giving the
name of Josephine Amaranlhe Dacres,
room OF Mrs Brathwaite, the narrator
of the story, at her quiet country home,
to to secure. as she says; some much-needed
torial writer who works tights. also en-
cages room. Both boarders openly OBJ
} nc,, to the presence Of the other. Squire
S ayo at the % eose by M Sa had
died under somewhat mysterious circum-
CHAPTER 11.-puring night Mrs.
Brathwaite witnesses meeting at her
front gate between Miss Dacres and a
young man. Next morning she asks an
explanation OF the occurrence. although
n FXsn does not asts SatTy haE
the m, Misses elizabeth and Evelyn, sisters
ness and death. and how his nurse. a pre-
tended sister of charity. had tried to OBJ
tain possession Of number of valuable
for the eharess to M hs qmg
learned az this through Squire Darling
TONS ton old housekeeper.. Margot. The sis
n rees nave may bs in vain for their
who with her father. Eugene Darlington.
had some years before gone to India
where the latter had died. Mrs. Brath-
sNSS
other.
os snar ,iI Iy;;s.rhrough certain eyi-
1acres is the missing girl. Amaranthe
Darlington. A. new boarder. an old man
giving the name of Dr. Wynne. is taken
AS I lay thinking of it all, after
was in bed, remembered that I had
not asked her how she came to have
o brother. had never heard of any
son having been born to Eugene OAR
lington. must ask her about it in
the morning.
And now it seemed to me that the
time had come when should take the
ladies' into my confidence. began q
series Of visits to them.
Each time that I went to the Hall
l took with me copy of a letter,
the words traced in the hand of Miss
Elizabeth, Miss Evelyn, or their dead
brother David. How Miss Elizabeth
wept over them, and how sweet Miss
Evelyn sobbed over them, until the
ink in which had copied them was
faded and blurred with their remin-
iscent tears.
And now the summer flowers were
bursting into bloom. The country
was, I thought, at its best. Every
thing gave promise of delightful
| season. 1t was the latter part of
June, about week, perhaps, after
my interview with Miss Dacres, that
there came a sudden change from
warm to hot weather. My room was
| not under the attic, which acted as
an air chamber, and it became SO
heated that one would have thought
it was midsummer.
On the hottest night of all, lay on
my bed tanning myself and trying to
fall into doze. 1t was useless, and
remembering the cool horsehair of
our old sofa in the parlor, l got up,
opened my door very gently, so as not
to disturb Aunt Jane Mary, and went
down the stairs. The parlor door
was open, and slipped into the
room. There was enough of gimme,
from the moon to show me my way
I CROPPED past the table to the sofa
All, how invitingly cool it was!
lay down under the window tanning
myself for a half hour or so, an6
| finally awoke to the fact that 1 was
not growing cool but chilly. was
just about to get up and take shaw
from the hall hat-rack when I hearc
a step upon the piazza. Now, the
window was open, and I felt sure
that in another moment some mid
night marauder would be crawling
over me and into the room. was
terribly frightened. He might show
a dark lantern at any instant. The1
what would be my fate? l slid soft
ly from the sofa and crept to the in
ner side of the room, to the reces!
behind the organ, which stood across
the corner. Here / crouched ant
waited.
"Jo!" 1 heard, "Jo!" and then il
little louder tone, 80, are 20,
here?" Then light streamed inte
the room. There was a grunt of an
noyance on account, / knew, of the
discovered nature of the room, ant
the light was withdrawn. l heard
the footsteps go along the piazza an:
past the hall door. 1 hardly knew
what to do. thought of running tt
Mr.. Beldon's room and knocking OF
the door, and then remembered
suddenly that which was Away
forgetting, that he spent his night
at the newspaper Office. There wa
| no one tn nrotect us b,,t nm old an,