Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-09
CHAPTER 4.
A Mystery 10 Started.

the door was lot regarded by the com
mrnity al any special cause for re.
ecct. but that the boy, who was kicked
In the head by the plunging and terri.
ifed beast, died a 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 he firm OF
lawyers that managed her fathers az
fairs. l responded at once in person
pnd was at C~arney.Croft by noon the
next day.
was astonished, not only by the
sxtent OF the place, but at Its beauty
and almost baronial magniicence.
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
welded out by a master hand so craft.
lily thar n was given the impression
OF an old and long inhabited estate
rather than Of a park hewn out OF a
virgin forest within a single decade.
The house was even more Of a sur.
prise than the grounds, for although 1t
was, in some respects, scarcely fin.
ished, 1t was already m~oss-grOwn and
ivy-clad and suggested a J%acObHan
structure OF very respectable an
tiqulty.
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
the more cordially as ! clambcred out
of the old fashioned trap that had
brought me from the station.
You we're good to come SO sOOn,"
she said gratefully. extending her
hand with winning grace. 81 wanted
W bVuu u SuIIlubt w Ilt'I yoh, Dht
all the stablemen have left since the
little boy died. have only the house.
servants that w brought from town"
made the best answer | could un.
der the circumstances for, while her
recent bereavement was more than
enough to excite my deepest sym.
pathy, the fact that her father had
been our hest client for many years
gave to my presence at the house a
mercenary faint not exactly consist.
ent with noblesse Obligc.
Luncheon was served as soon az !
returned from my room, and ] was
seated opposite my hostess at a small
round table. ] had never seen Miss
Carney before and 1t cannot be dc.
MED 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
AMI 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.
ncy'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.
." wish Jack were here" she said
suddenly; 1T Is so hard to be alone"
u cabled him az soon as ! received
your telegram" ] replied, land he can
get a ship tomorrow or the day after.
But must you be alone? Have you no
friends here In the %village?"
mot 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 II !
must say II. And yet daddic 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.
fhent. Way! 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 az the
warm weather came they forgot Il all
and even said he was a fool who threw
away his money. No." she added slow.
ly, II haven't a friend In the village
to whom ] could turn"
"But there must BIZ someone" In.