Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-05-31
CHAPTER !,
A Mystery 10 Started.


Gently cursing the stable-boy for q
Arrival delay In bringing his horse to
{. The door was not regarded by the COM
nunity as any special cause for re-
Eret, but that the boy, who was kicked
In the head by the plunging and terri
Ned beast, died q few hours later, was
Booked upon In the village - little
short Of murder.
Young John was In Honolulu, pre-
lumably keeping Q watchful eye on
khs family's sugar interests, but prob
ably devoting himself to sociological
studies and charitable work among
the natives. Florence, the only daugh-
ker, was the mistress of her fathers
house, her mother having died In the
barly nineties. She was the only
member Of the family at home when
khe accident occurred.
She telegraphed Immediately to me,
being the youngest and practically
the only active partner In the firm Of
lawyers that managed her fathers at.
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 magnifcencs.
There were acres upon acres OF vel
Fsty lawns intersected by miles upon
miles Of well-bedded roads and bride
paths, while the timber had been
weeded out by master hand so craft
Fly that one was given the impression
OF an old and long inhabited estate
rather than Of park hewn out Of Q
virgin forest within q single decade.
The house was even more Of q sur
prise than the grounds, for although It
was, in some respects, scarcely fin
Ashed, 1t was already moss-grown and
hvy-clad and suggested a Jacobean
structure Of very respectable an
tiQuity.
Miss Carney was watching for me
ut the entrance, and came running
down the steps OF the broad terraces
surrounding the mansion, to greet me
the more cordially as clambered out
OF the old-fashioned trap that had
brought me from the station.
you were good to come so soon"
che said gratefully, extending her
hand with winning grace. 81 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"
/ made the best answer l 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 a
mercenary faint not exactly consist
ent with noblesse oblige.
Luncheon was served as soon as I
returned from my room, and l was
seated opposite my hostess at a small
round table. had never seen Miss
Carney before and 1t cannot be de-
nied that the vision Of my sweet
faced companion, partly concealed by
the palms between us, was in no way
unappreciated 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
anairs than with any references to
The past.
Il wish Jack were here" she said
suddenly: 1T is so hard to be alone. ="
Il cabled him as soon as received
your telegram" l replied, and he can
get a ship tomorrow or the day after
but must you be alone? Have you nc
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-ol
-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.' II
mnst say 1t. And yet daddie tried ia
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, hs
mad ice cut in the river and piled ur
on the banks for weeks at q time Il
keep the men busy, but as soon As the
warm weather came they forgot It al
: and even said he was a fool who threw
AWAY his money. No." she added slow
y, Il haven't friend in the village
% whom l could turn"
But there must be someone" | IN
sisted; somebody who could com,
here and stay with you until YOU
brother returns"
She rested her elbow on the chat,
arm for a moment and pressed he,
band against her temple. Then, rails
ing her head quickly with a satisfied
air, she exclaimed:
why, yes! could send for Ami,
Weston, and she would be delighted
M nnrnnl II rvo,,ll i ~ 4.