Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-07-04
XIII.
Quiet 10 Restored.

ed I'm the library, this mystery is
clearing itself up more rapidly than
I expected. Have you got those two
notes with you? I mean the one you
found on YOU bed the other morning
and the one that slipped out Of your
pocket last night?"
handed them to him and we
spread them out on the table and e.
amined them closely. The first was
written in a cramped labored hand
which was obviously disguised, while
the more recent one had evidently
been dashed off hurriedly and with
NJ attempt at masking the chriog-
raphy Of its author. In both In
stances, however, the English style OF
writing was so clearly exemplined
and there were so many letters having
points in common, that IL did not re-
qnire the skill Of an expert to per,
ceive that the two notes were the
work Of the same individual.
"You see" exclaimed MacArdel. 81
was right. only | got the cart before
the horse. | told you that after we
had discovered how the first note was
placed on your bed we would have lit
tie or no difficulty in tracing its au.
t%hOrship. AS matters have turned out,
however, We know the author but " e
don't know how she got the paper
into your room. Nevertheless you
ought to b" satisfied for you remem-
Der you said that you cared very little
how the letter reached you If you
could only find out who wrote it,"
Il am not 50 sure that We know who
wrote 1t even now | returned, gloom
lily. TIL" %puingS.on in this house are
altogether too b~cwildcring to suit my
taste"
"Why. It must nave been the
woman" cried MacArdcl, with cmpha.
els. Who else could have done 1t, man?
You'Il admit that both were written by
the sam" hand, and | hardly think
yOu'll deny that she was responsible
for the one we found last night. II
she wrote one she must have written
the other, too
'perhaps she didn't write either"
/. muttercd insistently.
oh, rubbish, Ware" exclaimed
MacArdel, impaticntly. What's the
use of looking for more mystery when
the whole thing Is as good as ex-
planned. There she was, locked up
81 That little room across the hall. She
couldn't get out. except through the
,'pin, AID ti1rn ung 1rlv nnn wbi.b
opened on the vcranda right beside
nay chair. Iiut she could look out and
sec all that was going on, and when
W. had uur little tusSle with jerks,
she took ii all in from start to finish
Sow, the widows no fool, Ware.
and as oOn as she realized that she
and jerks were completely In our pow.
er she wrote this note at the deck in
the corner of the and kept Il
In her hand until the opportunity came
TO slip 1t into your pocket. She wrote
hurriCdly for she did not know when
she would be interrupted and so she
had no time to disguise her hand as
she did before. She's English the
writings English and I'll warrant the
paper In the desk Is the same az this
she used"
We crossed the hall TO the little re
ceptiOn room. and, as MacArdel had
suggested, VIC found the desk Opcn and
some stationery strcwn about which
exactly matched the paper | held In
my hand. Moreover, on the floor neaI
by was a lead pencil which, APPARENT
ly, had been thrown down carclessl,
TO that 1t rolled off the desk to the
place where we discovered It.
The note was in pencil, and, un
doubleday. had been written with thi,
pencil or with one of the same auaJit ,
OF lead.
There seemed to be no room FOL
further argument as to the identity o
the author OF these remarkable com
munications, but, while the facts con
corning the second were sufficient,
plain. much mystery still surrounded
the first.
Hang It all, Mac" | exclaimed, IL
have to admit that the widow wrot,
the notes in spite of myself, but how
on earth did she know OF my feeling,
toward Miss Carney? And, what
more. how did she get that letter OF
my bed?"
Guessed at II, as far az your frs
question Is concerned" replied Mac
Ardel, cheerfully. Just used her CON
mon sense as to the fitness OF tn
match, and took the chance. That
all there 10 to 1t. Ware"
Even So" ! returned, and Ir
hardly willing to admit that your @,
PLANTATION IL correct. how did the not
get on the hed?'