Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-02-19


She silently pointed to the merit room.
her home the following morning 1
learned that an elderly physician. a
friend of her husband, was about 10
give up active practice. Arrangements
We're speedily made. and moved to
my new location.
During the spring and summer was
kept busy and had but little time to
myself, yet often pondered over my
midnight visit TO Millville, trying to
persuade myself that it might be only
delusion of my brain while in some
stage of somnambulism.
One night at about half past IL had
returned from a professional call and
was about to retire when l picked up
the evening paper, which my thought
full sister always left on my table. The
first item read was notice in the So
ciety column, Miss Marguerite Law
ton of Millville is visiting her grand
mother, Mrs. stephen Powers Lawton,
on College avenue"
The name of the town brought to my
mind the mysterious call had once
answered. placed the paper on the
table ut my elbow. AS did SO / be-
came aware Of feeling us If some one
was In the room. CHANGING hastily
around, saw that was alone, but as
my gaze again fell on the table saw
moving toward me the figure Of
mans hand, holding in its grasp the
same peculiarly shaped key. The hand
moved over the table until it rested on
the paragraph had just read, and the
key tapped once or twice on the name
Marguerite"
The hand began to fade. Already l
could see to read the letters that were
under 1t. and as the shape of the key
began to grow indistinct l seized n
pencil and made q sketch Of it on the
margin Of the paper opposite the para
graph.
The key had barely faded from my
view when my bell rang. A man stood
in the door. "Come at once to Mrs.
Lawton's. College avenue"
In response to my inquiries he re-
piled: "She is unconscious. 1t is prob
ably stroke of paralysis"
In few minutes we entered the
room where slight girlish figure. clad
all in black. was kneeling by the side
of bed wherein lay an old lady. She
was quite dead, and but one glance
was needed to show me that she was
the. mysterious one who had opened
the door for me at the Millville house.
Here is the doctor, Miss Margue-
rite" said the man.
The young girl rose and with sti-
fed sob held out her hand to me. MY
dearest friend, my only friend on
earth, is gone" she cried.
A few days later my sister and
called to see Miss Lawton. who had
decided to close her grandmother's
house and go away.
"The only relative have now is my
mothers half brother in California. He
has telegraphed for me to come to him.
Poor papa and were SO happy there
until his sudden death last spring"
Then she added, II will show you his
picture" and. taking photograph
from case on the table, she handed
me the exact lAeness of the man whom
had found upon the lounge with the
ugly cash on his head. l did not ques-
ton her at that time. although my curl.
osity was difficult to control, as l saw
that she was deeply agitated. and ]
felt that she must be kept as calm rs
possible.
Destiny, fate or what compelled me
| to follow Marguerite to California? !
was not wholly impelled by the desire
to obtain solution Of my mystery, Of
which felt that somehow l held the
key, having been to locksmith and
had key made from the drawing on
the newspaper margin. In the latter
part of January placed my practice
in the hands of one of my medical
friends who was not quite ready to set
tie down and started out for six
weeks vacation.
Marguerite and my sister had kept
VIZ a correspondence, SO had no diff
Guilty in finding the object Of my search
and in less than five weeks was on my
way east with my bride.
Before leaving California had learn.
ed the particulars of Mrs. Lawton's
sudden death. Marguerlte's grand
mother, who had been leader in soci-
ETY. until her husbands death, was the
possessor Of some valuable diamonds,
which few years previous she had
placed in her sons hands for safe keep
ing until Marguerite should be of an
RI In co1invr,
mentioned the jewels to his daughter,
and it was supposed that he carried
them around on his person. One day in
early March he was returning from
drive when he saw man skulking
around the street corner who looked
strangely familiar to him. He finally
said to Marguerite: at has just occur
red to me that the stranger is Dawson.
who used to be employed by your
grandmother. She wrote me some lit
tie time ago that she had discharged
him because she found him one day
trying to unlock her desk where her
private papers We're kept"
The following day Mr.. Lawton was
brought home unconscious, with cruel
WOuuu III lis ItODUeEy WIS eVl-
IDENTIFY the motive of the assailant, for
the diamonds were gone; also the mon.
ey and watch of the victim. The poor
man did not regain consciousness, but
died in q few hours. Comparison Of
the dates showed that this occurred at
the very time had been called to Mill
vile.
Inquiry proved also that the grand
mother had been in her own home, i'll
IN bed with IN attack of rheumatism,
on that night.
Before going back to my practice I
went with Marguerite to her old home.
On arriving there told her of my mys-
FERROUS visit and of the key which had
been held out to me. / produced the
one had had made and asked If she
had seen one like it, but she never had
When we entered the dining room, it
was bright sunny day. I looked
around the room, and as my glance
rested on the massive oak sideboard
hot I,,iJt int