The Lamar register., 1907-04-24
CHAPTER I.
A Mystery is Started.

the door was not regarded by the COM
munity as any special cause for re-
gret, but that the boy, who was kicked
in the head by the plunging and terri
fed beast, died few hours later, was
looked upon in the village as little
short of murder.
Young John was in Honolulu, pre-
sumably keeping a watchful eye on
the family's sugar interests, but prob
ably devoting himself to sociological
studies and charitable work among
the natives. Florence, the only daugh-
ter. was the mistress of her fathers
house, her mother having died in the
early nineties. She was the only
member of the family at home when
the accident occurred.
She telegraphed Immediately to me,
I being the youngest and practically
the only active partner in the firm of
lawyers that managed her fathers af-
fairs. l responded at once in person
and was at Carney Croft by noon the
next day.
was astonished. not only by the
extent of the place. but at its beauty
and almost baronial magnificence.
There were acres upon acres of vel
vety lawns intersected by miles upon
miles of well-bedded roads and bride
paths. while the timber had been
weeded out by a master hand so craft
lily that one was given the impression
of an old and long inhabited estate
rather than Of park hewn out of a
virgin forest within single decade.
The house was even more of sur
prise than the grounds. for although 1t
was. in some respects. scarcely fin
ished, it was already moss-grown and
ivy-clad and suggested a Jacob;ean
structure of very respectable an
tiquity.
Miss Carney was watching for me
at the entrance. and came running
down the steps of the broad terraces
surrounding the mansion. to greet me
of the old-fashioned =. trap that had
brought me from the station.
You were good to come so soon,"
she said gratefully, extending her
hand with winning grace. Il wanted
to send a carriage to meet you. but
all the stablemen have left since the
little boy died. have only the house
servants that we brought from town"
l made the best answer ! could I'M
der the circumstances for, while her
recent bereavement was more than
enough to excite my deepest sym
patty, the fact that her father had
been our best client for many years
gave to my presence at the house
mercenary faint not exactly consist
ent with noblesse oblige.
Luncheon was served as soon as
returned from my room, and l was
seated opposite my hostess at small
round table. had never seen Miss
Carney before and 1t cannot be de-
MED that the vision of my sweet
faced companion, partly concealed by
the palms between us, was in no way
1inappreciated by my masculine eye.
After luncheon we sat in the library
and talked over briefly the events of
the past few days.
had learned from my garrulous
driver in the forenoon the circum-
stances that accompanied Mr.. Car
ney's tragic death. and my interview
with his daughter had more to do
with the arrangement of her future
affairs than with any references to
the past.
suddenly: ut is SO hard to be alone"
Il cabled him as soon as / received
your telegram" replied. "and he can
get a ship tomorrow or the day after.
But must you be alone? Have you no
friends here in the village?"
Not one" she returned. You know
we live very much by ourselves out
here and-and-the village people
have never taken kindly to father-or
-or-to me. for that matter. In fact"
she continued. smiling 'wanly through
her tears. they think us worldly and
purse-proud and-and stuck up If /
~must say 1t. And yet daddie tried to
do so much for them, and laid out
work that wasn't at all necessary and
all that-just to give them employ
ment. Why! last winter, when some
of the people were nearly starving, he
had ice cut in the river and piled up
on the banks for weeks at a time to
keep the men busy. but as soon as the
warm weather came they forgot it all
and even said he was fool who threw
away his money. No." she added slow
1y, Il haven't a friend in the village
to whom could turn"
But there must be someone" l in
sisted; somebody who could come
here and stay with you until your
brother returns"
She rested her elbow on the chair
arm for a moment and pressed her
hand against her temple. Then, rails
ing her head quickly with satisfied
air. she exclaimed:
why, yes! could send for Annie
Weston, and she would be delighted
to come! 1t would do the poor girl
good, too" she added thoughtfully;
she has been ill so long and is just
beginning to improve. That's exactly
what I'll dol"
Who is Annie Weston" l asked
with interest, for the idea seemed to
have brought new hope into her eyes,
and was glad that it had come from
my suggestion.
OH" she was a school friend of
mine and is the sweetest girl that
ever lived returned Miss Carney.
Her father and mother are both dead