The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-03-21
MYSTERIOUS
MISS DACRES
BY Mrs. Schuyler Crowninshield.
Copyright 1901, by j. B. Lipplncott Co.
CHAPTER yI.-CoSr1SrEp.

''You have neither of you enjoyed
it." said 1, nearly crying. "You are
so suspicious, Elder Wynne," its
strange how easily l kept forgetting
his double personality-"y see
faults and frailties in every one, and
as for Mr.. Beldon, he has always
hated her.
Il hate Miss Dacres?" said Mr..
Beldon, coming out from behind the
rosebush aad up on to the piazza.
Eyes, you, Mr.. Beldon. What has
the poor child ever done to you?
Yet from the first you have disliked
her. She was rude to you, l know,
but you have been much worse to
her.
still, do not hate your boarder,
Mrs. Brathwaite."
II do not think that Mr.. Beldon
hates Miss Dacres," said Elder
Wynne, taking his side against me.
Mr.. Beldon flung a scrutinizing
glance at Elder Wynne
''And why have you any opinion at
all on the subject, Elder Wynne?" he
asked.
and could not answer.
When Mr.. Beldon had mounted his
wheel and ridden off to town, and
Elder Wynne had ceased coughing.
he said, looking up at me apologet-
ically, Il always say too much, al
ways. Somehow | hate to miss such
a chance as that. And now l have a
few little curios to show you, Mrs.
Rrathwaite." He arose and went in
to the hall and turned in to the room
that had been Amaranthe's.
"How did you get in here?" cried.
81 have the key in my pocket"
and, as you see, have the key in
the lock. Don't bother your head
with foolish questions, dear Mrs.
Brathwaite, but just see what 1 have
found in your cellar" He closed the
door, the shades were already low
cred, and directed my gaze to the
farther side of the bed. There, on
chairs and on the table, which he had
pushed behind the bed, between it
and the wall, were various articles
of silver, beautiful, rich pieces, some
of which | recognized as having seen
in the old days at the Hall, others
with monographs and crests, which l
recognized as being those of various
country families near though the ar
ticles themselves l had never seen.
1t made a goodly showing, although
the silver was duh and needed silver
polish. Elder Wynne nodded and
tapped the table with his fingers.
'In your own cellar" he said. st
is strange that the cellar stairs
SHOULD descend from Miss Dacres'
ROOM"
Not at ALL" l said angrily.
''There is gerat deal that l cannot
tell you, much that was told me in
confidence, but l know exactly how
those things must have got there"
1 had the man Haughtry in my mind.
OF course it was he who had stolen
the silver and had forced my boarder
to allow him to deposit it in the eel
lar, but this l was bound by my
promise to Amaranthe not to divulge.
"You seem to go about my house,
Elder Wynne, exactly as if you owned
it,"
II do" said he, chuckling, queer,
subdued inward chuckle, but not as
Elder Wynne, as Bob Jennings at
your service. By the way, let me tell
you something else. l have, l fear,
had to tell you many an unpleasant
thing since you have so kindly given
me a home. Do you consider your
aunt quite a helpless invalid?"
''She is said 1. every one knows
it,"
81 am sorry, dear lady, to disabuse
your confidence in her, but she is
quite as able to walk as-no, not
quite as able as you are, but she
walks very we'll" My thoughts flew
to the money. "No, she did not take
that" he said, reading my mind.
''You have heard, ! suppose, of a
malade imaginaire, Mrs. Brathwaite?
It's French expression, believe"
eyes," l said, slowly, family re-
calling the expression met with in
me of my readings long ago. "Is
that what Aunt Jane Mary is?"
mo, she's not even that" won