Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-27
vnele David gives -

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, il
not his superior.
ut was early when l went: indeed 1t
was not quite dark, but. knowing the
gloom of those old halls and the al
most impenetrahle 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 q
certain book OF old memoirs which In
recalling the past might explain the
present. You 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 it was my hand
which had placed it in its present con-
cealment. Quite determined to reread
such portions of it as had long before
marked as pertinent to the very at
tempt I had In mind, brought In the
candelabrum from the parlcr and drew
out O table to hold 1t. But waited q
few moments before taking down the
book itself. 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
an unlit candle in my hand, the light
feebly difYused 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 ana the
shutter which half hour later moved
so restleesiy on its creaking hinges
Rugged the window 50 tightly that I
imagined Mr.. jeffrey had fastened 1t
the night before Looking for some re-
ceptacle In which to set the candle I
now lit, failed to find anything but an
empty tunbler, so made use OF that.
Then l glanced about me, but seeing
nothing worth my attention-Mrs. JEFF
frey's wedding fxings did not interest
me, and everything else about the
room looking natural except the over
turned chair, which struck me as I'm
MATERIAL hurried downstairs again,
leaving the candle burning behind me
in case I should wish to return aloft
after l had refreshed my mind with
what had been written about this old
room.
mot sound disturbed the house as
seated myself to my reading in front
OF the library shelves. / was as much
alone under that desolate roof as NOR
tai could be with men anywhere with
in reach of him. l enjoyed the solitude
and was making very pretty theory
for myself on scrap Of paper ] tore
from another old book when noise
suddenly rose in front, which, slight as
1t was, was quite unmistakable to ears
trained to listening. Some one was I'M
locking the front door.
NATURALLY thought 1t to be Mr.. JEFF
frey returning for second visit to his
wife's house, and, knowing what
might expect IL he surprised me on the
premises, restored the book hastily
to It's place and as hastily blew out the
candle. Then, with every intention OF
fight, l backed toward the door by
which I 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 dark
as Tophet-but could listen. The per-
son-Mr. Jeffrey or some other-was
coming my way. and in perfect dark
ness. / could hear the faltering steps
the fingers dragging along the walls;
then a rustic as OF skirts, proving the
intruder to he woman-a fact which
greatly surprised me-then a long
drawn sigh or gasp.
This last determined me. The stu
alton was too intense for me to leave
without first learning who the woman