Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-06-15

nearly oblterated and in Eome 'p1a fa]
quite faded out, yet not only pauseu
to look at 1t, but in looking at it forgot
myself and well nigh my Grand. Yet
there was no apparent reason for the
spell it exerted over me.
It may seem both unnecessary and
out Of character for q man Of my call
ing to acknowledge these chance SEN
sations, but only by doing so can ac-
count for the minutes which elapsed
before summoned sufficient self pos
session to draw aside the closed cur
tatns Of the bed and take the quick
look inside which my present doubtful
position demanded. But, once I had
broken the spell and taken the look
just mentioned, found my manhood
return and with it my old ardor for
clews. The bed held no gaping, chat
tering criminal, yet was it not quite
empty. Something lay there, and this
something, while commonplace in it.
self, was enough out Of keeping with
the place and hour to rouse my inter-
est and awaken my conjectures. 1t
was q lady's wrap, SO rich in quality
and Of such q festive appearance that
1t was astonishing to find it lying In n
neglected state in this crumbling old
house. Though know little Of the
cost Of women's garments, l do know
the value of lace, and this garment
was covered with It,
Interesting as was this find, 1t was
followed by one still more so. Nestled
in the folds of the cloak lay the with
cred remains Of what could only have
been the bridal bouquet. Unsightly
now and scentless, it was once beau
tiful specimen Of the florists art. AS
noted how the main bunch of roses
md lilies was connected by long satin
ribbons to the lesser clusters which
hung from 1t recalled with conceiva-
BILE horror the use to which similar
ribbon had been put in the room be-
low. In the shudder called up by this
coincidence forgot to speculate how
a bouquet carried by the bride could
have found It's way back to this up
stairs room when, as all accounts
agree, she had fled from the parlor be-
low without speaking or staying foot
the moment she was told of the catas-
trophe which had taken place in the
library. That her wrap should be ~
ing here was not strange, but that the
wedding bouquet
That 1t really was the wedding bou-
quot and that this was the room in
which the bri'A had dressed for the
ceremony was apparent to the most
casual observer. But it became an es-
tablished fact when in my further
course about the room CHANGED on Il
handkerchief with the name Veronica
embroidered in one corner.
This handkerchief had IN interest
apart from the name on 1t. It was of
dainty texture and quite in keeping so
far rs value went with the other be-
longings Of its fastidious owner. But
1t was not clean. Indeed it was
strangely soiled, and this soil was Of n
nature did not readily understand. A
woman would doubtless have compre-
hended Immediately the cause of the
brown streaks / found on it, but it
took me several minutes to realize that
this bit of cIinbrlc. delicate us Il cob
web. had been used to remove dust.
To remove dust! Dust from what?
From the Eiantelshclf probably. upon
one end Of which found 1t. But no!
One look along the polished boards
convinced me that whatever else had
been busted in this room this shelf
had not. The accumulation of days if
not of months WAS visible from one
end to the other of its ulrelicvcl sur
face save where the handkerchief had
laid, Hnd--tiie greatest discovery yet
where five clear spots just to the left
of the center Shaved where some
mans finger tips had rested. Nothing