Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-10-12
vnel. David give. up

ognizlng his figure vowed in my wrath
and jealous Indignation to visit the
old house myself on the following night
and make one final attempt to learn
the secret which would again make me
feel myself the equal of this man, If
not his superior.
ut was early when went; indeed 1t
was not quite dark, but, knowing the
gloom Of those old halls and the al
most impenetrable nature Of the dark
ness which settles over the library the
moment the twilight sets in, put in
my pocket two or three candles, the
candles, sirs. about which you have
made such coil. My errand was two
fold-I wanted first to see what Mr..
Jeffrey had been up to the night be-
fore and next to spend an hour over a
certain book of old memoirs which in
recalling the past might explain the
present. Yeu remember door leading
into the library from the rear room. 1t
was by this door l entered, bringing
with me from the kitchen the chair you
afterward found there.
II knew where the volume Of mem
oirs speak Of was to be found-you
do, too, see-for 1t was my hand
which had placed it in Its present con.
cealment. Quite determined to reread
such portions of 1t as had long before
marked as pertinent to the very at.
tempt had in mind, l brought in the
candelabrum from the parlor and drew
out table to hold 1t. But waited q
few moments before taking down the
book itself. I wanted first to learn
what Mr.. Jeffrey had been doing up
stairs the night before; SO, leaving the
light burning in the library, proceed
ed to the southwest chamber, holding
IN unlit candle in my hand, the light
feebly diffused through the halls from
some upper windows being sufficient
for me to see my way. But in the
chamber itself all was dark.
1.-THE wind had not yet risen and the
shutter which q half hour later moved
SO restlessly on its cracking hinges
Rugged the window SO tightly that
the night before. Looking for some re.
ceptacle in which to Sc, TIE candle
now lit, I failed to find anything but an
empty tumbler, SO made use Of that
Then glanced about me, but seeing
nothing worth my attention-AIrs. JEFF.
frey's wedding fixings did not interest
me, and everything else about the
room looking natural except the over
turned chair, which struck me as i'm
material-1 hurried downstairs again
leaving the candle burning behind me
in case should wish to return aloft
after had refreshed my mind witt
what had been written about this ole
room.
Not sound disturbed the house al
seated myself to my reading in from
Of the library shelves. was us mucl
alone under that desolate roof as NOR
tai could be with men anywhere with
in reach Of him. enjoyed the solitud,
and was making very pretty theor.
for myself on scrap of paper tor,
from another old book when nois,
suddenly rose in front, which, slight al
1t was, was quite unmistakable to ear
trained to listening. Some one was I'm
locking the front door.
Naturally thought 1t to be Mr.. JET
frey returning for second visit to hi
wife's house, and, knowing what
might expect II he surprised me OH til,
premises, I restored the book hastil.
to its place and MS hastily blew out tn
candle. Then, with every intention O
flight backed toward the door b,
which had entered. But some i'm
pulse stronger than that of escape
made me stop just before reached it
could see nothing-the place was darl
as TOphet-but I could listen. The per
son-Mr. Jeffrey or some other-wa
coming my way, and in perfect dark
ness. could hear the faltering step
| the fingers dragging along the walls
then n rustic as of skirts, proving thu
intruder to be woman-a fact which
greatly surprised me-then lonl
drawn sigh or gasp.
"This last determined me. The stu
alton was too intense for me to leav'
without first learning who the woman
was who In terror and shrinking daret
to drag her half resisting feet through
these empty halls and into plac
cursed with such unwholesome mem
cries. did not think of Veronica. N
one looks for u butterfly in the depth
Of dungeon. But did think of Mis-
Tuttle-thnt woman Of rcsolute will
Without attempting to imagine tn
reason for her presence, stood IN.
ground and hardened till the heav.
mahogany door at the other end o
the room began to swing in by jerk
under the faint and trcmulous push o
a terrified hand. Then there cam,
silcnce-a long silence-followed by
moan 80 agonizcd tint realized thu
whatever was the cause of this pnntin,
woman's presence here, it was due t,
no mere GRAND Of curiosity. Thu
whetted my purpose. Anything don,
in this house was in way done to me
/