Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-08-14

nef or some notes. w nat S0O0 Cnat VIII
do me I know not. but it will be proof
in case
Here the writing stopped.
rs that the writing OF Adam
David Darlington?" asked Jennings
AS he asked this question I was
| aroused by low, moaning cry. Miss
Dacres began like little crying
child, but her tones rose higher and
higher, until her sobbing and wall
ing filed the old kitchen.
"Wibby, Wibby," she said-she had
| flushed crimson, as she always did
when experiencing great emotion
"you don't believe it, you won't. Oh
Wibby! Wibby!"
"She stole those and the letters
interpolated Jennings land Heaven
alone knows how much more-and
stole the money from you again so
you'd have to keep her. Stole the
letters and studied them carefully.
Margot remembers when the consul
sent them home-the letters, I mean
after Eugene Darlington's death.
The squire had them in that small
black desk of his; he used to read
'em over and over-didn't you say so,
Margot ?-and you saw him, didn't
you, Josie, probably read some of
'em to him yourself. So you can still
blush ?''
Beldon spoke again.
"Have you got the doctor, Jen-
nings?" he said, in a low voice of in
quiry.
"Yes, quite safe in Mrs. Brath-
know, he has been there for some
dear Mrs. Brathwaite, don't, I beg
of you, be nervous on his account.
Don't you know told you that much
went on at night of which you knew
nothing, but didn't I also say that
would take care of you, and haven't
I? Haven't I, now? It is only
Haughtry, Miss Dacres' faithful
servant, or unfaithful one, so called,
the DR.. Lestrange of this most in
teresting case. He was here, as you
know, with Squire Darlington. He
posed as good Catholic, and
brought this pious priest, and more
pious sister, into the house to help
him in the care of the squire's phys
ical health and family possessions.
He has made your cellar a place Of
safe deposit. You know I told you
what I had found-yes. Josie, my
dear, I had it all up in the lower
front while you were masquerading
as the heiress of Darlington Hall.
must restore it tomorrow. It will
take me quite the whole day. Some
for The Larches,' some for Lawyer
Parsons, some for The Beeches,' some
for MarchbanlS, not to speak of the
church service from Wehauken Town.
I really think, though, that DR.. Lee
strange should be made to polish the
silver before I return it. 1t would
look much better for little hot soap
suds and silicon, but at present he is
incapacitated, I fear, as he has bro
ken into a case of old brandy which
you had probably forgotten, Mrs.
Brathwaite, left there by the judge
in the dark ages, SO that his mag
mary companions are those pleasant
creatures of natural history, the
snake, the rat, the black beetle, and
others of equal interest. In fact, Mrs.
Brathwaite, our dear DR.. Lestrange
considers that he is residing for the
present within the boundaries of a
geological garden, but I shall relieve
you of him early tomorrow morning."
evil you stow it, Jennings?" asked
Mr.. Beldon, who seemed all at once
to have forgotten his literary style,
"and get away from this?''
And now Amaranthe, or Josephine
Dacres, or Mrs. Parkington Hoyt, as
they now called her-I got very much
confused with all these changes of
names-Josephine Dacres turned and
looked at me. She stretched out her
hand while something like smile
played round her lips.
"Good-by, Wibby," she said, and
then she laughed aloud.
She went on: "The game is DONE"
she said, finished, played out to the
end! If they will only believe my
plea, and not find me guilty of muir
der. I had no thought of killing
him, any more than had of making
the two old ladies so i'll. What a
muddy night it was when left the
Hall! You remember about the mud
dy shoes, don't you, Wibby? and
Badly Towner?" she began to laugh.
81 only wanted to quiet him-the old
gentleman, I meanwhile I searched
for"
'Stt," said Mr.. Beldon warningly.
''While you rummaged," interpo-
lated Jennings.
IF [ can only be sent where Jim
is" continued Miss Dacres recklessly.
There u
'Where Jim is.'' I exclaimed
your brother jamie? He is dead
Sent where he is?''
"Jim dead!" she CALCULATED breath
lessly. "Jim dead! How do you
know? Who-who-told you?"
you told me yourself said 1,
when you came to me. You said
81 never told Won so Said tbat