The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-09-22

Sides. all investigation had hitherto
started, II 1t had not ended, in the
library. was resolved to begin work
in quite different spot. had not
forgotten the sensations I had ex.
perienced In the southwest chamber.
During my absence this house had
been released fronl surveillance. But
tie major still held the l:eys, and I had
no difficulty in obtaining them. The
next thing was to escape its owners
vigilance. This managed to do
through the assistance Of jimmy, and
when midnight came and all lights
went out in the opposite cottage en-
tered boldly upon the scene. As be-
fore, went first of all to the library.
I wished to make certain that l had
exhausted every suspected as well as
every known clew to the information
sought. In my long Journey home and
the hours of thought IL had forced upon
me had more than once been visited
by fitting visions of things seen in this
old house and afterward nearly for
gotten. Among these was the book
which on that first night of hurried
search had given proofs of being i'm
some cne's hand within very short
period The attention l had given 1t
at moment of such haste was neces-
sarily cursory. and when later sec
ond opportunity was granted me Of
looking into II again had allowed a
very slight obstacle to deter me. This
was mistake was anxious to rectify
Anything which had been touched with
purpose at or near the time of so mys-
terious a tragedy--and the position of
this book on a shelf so high that a
chair was needed to reach 1t proved
that II had been sought and touched
with purpose-he!d out the promise Of
clew which one on so blind trail as
myself could not afford to ignore.
But when had taken the book down
and road again its totally uninteresting
and unsuggestive title and by another
reference 10 its dim and faded leaves
found that my memory had not played
me false and that II contained nothing
but stupid and wholly irrelevant
statistics. my confidence In 1t as n
possible aid in the work had in hand
departed just as 1t had on the previous
occasion. | was about to put 1t back
on the shelf, when ! bethought me
Of running my hand in behind the two
books between which it had stood
All. that was 1t! Another book lay
fiat against the wall at the back OF the
shelf: by the removal of those in front
] was enabled to draw this book out
l soon saw why it had been relegated
TO such Il remote place of conccalment
on the shelves Of the Moore library.
1t was a collection of obscure memoirs
written by an Englishwoman. but an
Englislwoman who had been in Amer.
lea during the early part of the century
and who had been brought more or less
into contact with the mysteries con.
nccted with the Moore house in Wash.
ington. Several passages were marked.
one particularly, by heavy pencil line
running the length of the margin. AS
the name OF Moore was freely scatter
ed through these passages as well as
through two or three faded newspaper
clippings which discovered pasted on
the inside cover. lost no time In set
ting about their perusai.
Tie following extracts are from the
book itself. taken in the order in which
I found them marked:
at was about tins time that spent
week In the Moore house. that grand
nnh historic structure concerning which
and its occupants 80 many curious ru.
mors are aficat. | knew nothing then
of its discreditable fame, but from tie
first moment of my entrance into its
ample and well lighted halls l expert
enced a sensation which l will not call
dread, but which certainly was far
from being the Impulse of pure delight
which the graciousness of my hostess
and the imposing character of the place
itself We're calculated to produce. This
emotion was but transitory, vanishing,
as was natural in the excitement of my
welcome and the extraordinary interest
/ took in Callista Moore, who in those
days was most fascinating little
body. Small to the point of appearing
diminutive and lacking all assertion in
manner and bearing, she was never
theless such lady that she easily dom
mated all who approached her and pro-
duced, quite against her WILL l am sure
an impression Of aloofness, seasoned
with kindness, which made her most
surprising and entertaining study to the
analytic observer. Her position as
nominal mistress of an establishment
already accounted one of the finest in
WashingtOn-the real owner, Reuben
Moore, preferring to live abroad with
his French wife-gaye to her least ac-
ton an Importance which her shy II
not appealing looks, and certain
strained expression most difficult to
characterize, vainly attempted to con-
tradict. l could not understand her
and soon gave up the attempt, but my
admiration held firm, and by the time
the evening was half over l was her
obedient slave. / think from what
know of her now that she would have
preferred to be mine.
II was put to sleep in great cham
ber which I afterward heard called
The Colonel's own 1t was very
grand and had a great bed in il almost
royal I'm its size and splendor. / be-
lieye that / shrank quite unaccount-
ably from this imposing piece of furni-
ture when first looked at 1t, it seemed
so big and so out of proportion to my
slim little body. But, admonished by
the look which l surprised on Mistress
Callista's high bred face, / quickly re-