Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-11-29

the Bobbs.Meffill Company IL
! i !. /. !.
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. Ny 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
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 I entered, bringing
with me from the kitchen the chair you
afterward found there.
II knew where the volume of men,
oirs I speak Of was to be found-you
do, too, I see-for it was my hand
which had placed 1t in Its present con-
cealment. Quite determined to reread
such portions Of 1t as I had long before
marked as pertinent to the very at
tempt had in mind, I brought in the
candelabrum from the parlor and drew
out table to hold 1t. But waited
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 diffused through the halls from
some upper windows being sufficient
for me to see my way. But in the
chamber itself all was dark.
"The wind had not yet risen and the
shutter which half hour later moved
SO restlessly on Its creaking hinges
Rugged the window so tightly that
imagined Mr.. Jeffrey had fastened it
the night before. Looking for some re-
ceptacle in which to set the candle
now lit failed to find anything but an
empty tumbler, so I made use of that
Then glanced about me, but seeing
nothing worth my attention-Mrs. JEFF
frey's wedding filings did not interest
me, and everything else about the
room looking natural except the over
turned chair, which struck me as i'm
material-I hurried downstairs again,
leaving the candle burning behind me
In case should wish to return aloft
after had refreshed my mind with
what had been written about this old
room.
"Not q sound disturbed the house as
seated myself to my reading in front
Of the library shelves. I was as much
alone under that desolate roof as NOR
tai could be with men anywhere with
In reach Of him. 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 un
locking the front door.
Naturally ! thought it to be Mr.. JEFF
frey returning for second visit to his
wife's house, and, knowing what
might expect if he surprised me on the
premises, I restored the book hastily
to its place and as hastily blew out the
candle. Then, with every intention OF
flight, backed toward the door by
which had entered. But some i'm
pulse stronger than that Of escape
made me stop Just before I reached it
could see nothing-the place was darll
as Tophet-but could listen. The per
son-Mr. jeffrey or some other-was
coming my way, and In perfect dark
ness. I could hear the faitering steps
the fingers dragging along the walls
then rustic as Of skirts, proving the
intruder to be woman-a fact which
greatly surprised me-then lone
drawn sigh or gasp.
"This last determined me. The stu
alton was too intense for me to leave
without first learning who the woman
was who in terror and shrinking dared
to drag her half resisting feet through
these empty halls and into a place
cursed with such unwholesome mem
cries. did not think of Veronica. NJ
one looks for butterfly in the depths
Of dungeon. But did think Of Mis-
Tuttle-that woman Of resolute will
Without attempting to imagine tn
reason for her presence, stood m.
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 tremulous push o
a terrified hand. Then there cam
silence-a long silence followed by
moan so agonized that realized tina
whatever was the cause of this pantin
woman's presence here, 1t was due t
no mere errand Of curiosity. Thi
whetted my purpose. Anything don
In this house was In q way done to me
90 remained quiet and watched. Blu
the sounds which now and then cam
from the remote corner upon which
my attention was concentrated wer
very eloquent.
II heard signs and bitter groans wit
now and then a murmured prayer
broken by a low wailing, in which
caught the name Of Francis. And still
possibly on account of the utterance o
this name, thought the woman nea
me to be Miss futile, and even wen
80 far as to imagine the cause Of he
suffering If not the nature of her re
tribution. Words succeeded cries an
I caught phrases expressive of fea
and some sort Of agonized hesitation
Once these broken CALCULATIONS wer
interrupted by dull sound Some
thing had dropped to the bare foo
We shall never know what it was, br