Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-07-24

Wynne stopped me with glance. 1
| saw now that had better keep quiet
and leave matters to him.
SIS it this gentleman who has the
back room who is making all this
| Disturbance" she continued. "You
told me, you remember, when came
here that he never was at home at
| night, that"
Here Mr.. Beldon stepped forward
and bowed. ST am glad at last to
meet this young lady face to face"
said he. "Will you introduce me to
her, Mrs. Brathwaite?"
ga strange place and time," I re-
marked.
81 do not wish to know you. SIR"
answered Miss Dacres, freezingly.
'You have annoyed me ever since I
have been here, and if there were
not very potent reason for my re-
naming, should leave at daybreak."
| Mr.. Beldon turned away, apparent
| ~ much mortified. "She's regular
tartar" he whispered in my ear.
''What have done to her?"
'1t was only DIR. Wynne's cough"
said I, (which got me up. He has
his syrup now, and will go back to
bed" I took the glass from the old
man and turned to GO up the stairs,
whereupon Miss Dacres also turned
and went into her room and locked
| the door. Mr.. Beldon followed suit
as to his own chamber, and Elder
| Wynne and I were left facing each
| other.
He began to cough and wheeze AS
he mounted the stair, following me.
AS was on the fourth step, heard
a sound in the upper hall. I looked
upward, and distinctly saw the
whisking away of a red wrapper.
Only Aunt Jane Mary wore a red
wrapper. Could Glory have come
into the house to sleep and have
taken my aunt's robe? That was
the only solution that I could come
to. What an outrage! Could such
a thing be possible?
| I went on to my room, and to my
surprise, when I turned to close my
door, I saw that Elder Wynne was
close behind me. He followed me
into the chamber, and saved me the
trouble of closing my door. Then
he Strengthened himself, and in a
twinkling threw off all his disguise,
and stood before me, an erect, wiry,
clean-shaven man of, should think,
about eight and thirty. I opened my
mouth to exclaim, I suppose, per-
haps to scream. He raised both
hands in air.
Don't say a word" he whispered.
"You know that am all right. I
came with President Smith. You
can trust me.''
was certainly very much fright
ened. Perhaps this man was playing
upon me. Perhaps he was deceiving
MarmadulSe Smith as well as me.
''Now be quiet" said Elder Wynne
l-"perfectly quiet. / don't ask you
to believe anything that I say. You
can go in town and see Marmaduke
Smith tomorrow morning and ask
him. You will see that I speak the
truth. I am detective on the po-
lice force of the city, sent out to
Gainesville in the interest of a
better government. Now I will go
back to my room. Go to sleep, Mrs.
Brathwaite, and rest assured that
am exactly what I tell you I am.
But let me give you note of warn
ing. Do not attempt to manage this
case yourself. I will attend to it,
With these words he picked up his
disguise and slipped across to his
own room. I locked the door and
lay down to quake until morning. ]
did not sleep a single wink, and at
about six o'clock, pale and red
eyed, I descended the stairs. I felt
wrecked in body and mind. AS soon
as it was time, I should send in to
the village for President Smith and
make myself sure of at least one
person in my household; but I was
. saved that trouble, for about half
after eight o'clock I saw the presi-
dent himself coming out in his
buggy. He drew up at my gate
hitched his horse, and came into the
| garden.
"Ah. how do you do, Mrs. Brath.
waite? Can see Elder Wynne?"
"Oh. am SO glad to see you'll" ]
! cried. running to meet him.
"Hushi Hush!" said Marmaduke
soothingly. us Wynne any worse q
} This he said in louder tone. We
, went into the hall, and I saw that
Miss Dacres' door was open as we
passed. Don't get excited"
President Smith nodded his head
at me as much as to say, "Ten me
that he is?"
eyes," said /, 'he had return Oh
: his cough last night. He came down
and felt about in the dark for some
sugar and water. I heard him and
came down. Will you go up?"
eff may" he replied,-"if may
He went upstairs and knocked or
Elder Wynne's door.
"Come in," heard the quaverine
old voice say, and President Smith
: disappeared within the doorway