Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-07-31
MYSTERIOUS
MISS DACRES
By Mrs. Schuyler crowninshield.
Copyright 1901. by ]. B. Lipplncott Co.
CHAPTER VI.-CoNT1NUED.

stopped and picked up handker-
chief that had fallen by the bedside.
It was mans handkerchief of good
ly size. It still held the nauseating
fumes, though ifeless, of that dead
~, Supplying medium, ether.
could not mistake it. I had been
obliged by the doctors to use it too
often in the judges last illness.
"You poor child" I said, bending
over her, my tears raining down fast
upon the counterpart. 'eHow could
haye distrusted you? So you were
the. %v;ctim-sinned against, not
filming. My poor little Amaranthe!"
She smiled stupidity and nestled
down on the pillow, my hand under
meath her check.
"1fow was it that heard voices
in youri room last night?" I asked.
s'How was it?"
ST cannot tell you" She smiled
again, and opened her blue eyes
little way, looking into mine, but
closing them almost at once, as if
the light hurt them.
"But you must know, dear child.
It was before you came out into the
hall"
..Not in my room," she said, "per-
haps in-in-there," she weakly mo-
toned towards Mr.. Beldon's cham
Der.
''But I heard them. I was at your
door. I heard them myself
you were listening at my door?''
This she said with much of her or
binary spirit. ''You were-'' and
then, seeing, perhaps, a look of sur
prise in my face, she broke down,
crying: "Oh, dear Wibby! Dear,
dear Wibby! I will tell you all, all
the hateful truth. I had hoped for
dear daddy's sake that I might be
spared it, but will will" Here
she drew herself upward in the bed
caught my hand, and held it close
over her eyes with both of hers
Don't make me say more than ]
must, dear Wibby, don't! I loved
dear daddy, I loved him sol" Here
she fell to sobbing again, and I cried
with her, not knowing why. After
while she lay quiet, but still sob
bing slowly and YEARLY. ''Now lis
ten,'' she said-'listen! I was talk
ing. There was a man in my room
last night. Yes,s Wibby, man, here
in my room"
SCI knew it," said 1. "I heard hin
talking. I saw him go in.''
''You saw him come in?''
Eyes, through the window"
'.And where were you, may I ask? p
She eyed me with a cold scrutiny
that had little in it of the child Amar
anthe.
t then gave her the history of my
wretched night, and of my leaning
out of the parlor window, and o:
what saw. Of what had heard.
"It is all true," said she, ant
sighed. ''Oh dear, dear me! Poo,
me! I thought that I had found .
place at last where they would no
pursue me, but no place is secre
enough. Now, dear Wildly, I am go
ing to make a clean breast of it, Al
daddy used to say" I drew chat
to the side. of the bed, and sat Their,
looking into her wan face.
Don't look at me, W1bby dear
don't! 1 can't bear It'll Turn you
eyes away. There! that is better
Now listen! I shall make it as shor
as possible, for it is hateful story.
She raised herself on her pillow
again and looked downward, playin,
with her fingers. She spoke yer,
fast, but the words are burned in OF
my brain.
ssYou must know, then. dear VIII
by" she began, .'that daddy did no
always do as he should. He gamble6
. as I told you. We had less and les
money. Sometimes he would com
home with great deal. Then w
lived well, and he bought me Lowell
clothes. Then, when it was gone