Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-07
CHAPTER XIII.
Quiet 10 Restored.

morning, as we were comfortably seat
cd In the library, this mystery Is
clearing itself up more rapidly than
expected. Have you got those two
notes with you? mean the one you
found on your 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 ex-
amined them closely. The first was
written in cramped labored hand
which was obviously disguised, while
the more recent one had evidently
been dashed of hurriedly and with
no attempt at masking the chriog-
raphy of its author. In both In
stances, however. the English style Of
writing was SO clearly exemplified
and there were so many letters having
points In common, that II did not re-
quire the skill Of an expert to per-
ceive that the two notes were the
work OF the same individual.
you see." exclaimed MacArdel, Il
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 dificulty in tracing its a,i-
thorship! AS matters have turned out,
however, we know the author but we
don't know how she got the paper
into your room. Nevertheless you
ought to be satisfied for you remem-
Der you said that you cared very little
how the letter reached you II you
could only find out who wrote L."
81 am not 80 sure that we know who
wrote 1t even now" returned. gloom
lily. "The goingson In this house are
altogether too bewildering to suit my
taste
why, It must have been the
woman" cried MacArdel, with empha-
sis. Who else could have done 1t, man !
You'll admit that both were written by
the same hand, and hardly think
you'll deny that she was responsible
for the one VIC found last night. II
she wrote one she must have written
the other, too"
Perhaps she didn't write either"
I muttered mistakenly.
"oh, rubbish, Ware!" exclaimed
MacArdel, impatiently. Whats the
use OF looking for more mystery when
the whole thing 10 a. good a. en-
planned! There she was, locked up
in that little room across the hall. She
couldn't get out, except through the
window, and there was only one, which
opened on the yeranaa right beside
my chair. But she could look out and
see all that was going on, and when
we had our little tussle with jerks,
she took 1t all IN from start to finish.
Now, the Widows no fool, Ware,
and a. soon as she realized that she
and jerks were completely in our pow
er she wrote this note at the desk in
the corner Of the room and kept 1t
in her hand until the opportunity came
to slip it into your pocket. She wrote
hurriedly for she did not know when
she would be interrupted and 80 SHE
had no time to disguise har hand AZ
she did before. She's English the
writings English and I'll warrant the
paper In the desk Is the same % this
she used. M
We crossed the hall to the little ,e-
ception room. and. as MacArdel had
suggested, we found the desk open and
some stationery strewn about which
exactly matched the paper / held in
my hand. Moreover. on the floor near
by was a lead pencil which. apparent
ly, had been thrown down carelesHly
so that 1t rolled OF the desk to the
place where we discovered it. IA
The note was In pencil, and, In
doubtedly, had been written with this
pencil ibr with one Of the same quality
Of lead
There seemed to be no room for
further argument as to the identity OF
the author OF these remarkable COM
munieations, but, while the facts con-
corning the second were sufhciently
plain, much mystery still surrounded
the first.
"Hang 1t all. Mac!" I exclaimed. I'll
have to admit that the widow wrote
the notes in spite Of myself, but how
on earth did she know Of my feelings
toward Miss Carney? And, what's
more, how did she get that letter on
my bed z"
Guessed at 1t, as far as your hrst
question is concerned" replied Mac
Ardel, cheerfully. "Just used her COM
mon sense rs to the fitness OF the
match, and took the chance. That's
all there is to 1t, Ware"
Even So" ] returned, "and I'm
hardly willing to admit that your ex-
PLANTATION is correct, how did the note
get on the bed? ?"
Easiest thing II the world" laughed
MacArdel. "You we're in and out OF
your room after you made UP the bed
for the night, weren't you?"
"Why, certainly" ! rejoined. i
fixed it up first and then came down
and locked up the house. must have
been out Of the room for IS or 20
minutes after the bed was made"
Well" he continued, what more
do you want? The woman, or one OF
her accomplices. evidently has q way
Of getting in and out Of the houses. at
pleasure, and while you were fussing
around downstairs the note was tuck
ed under fold of the Counterpart
with the idea that you would find 1t
when you turned in. AS aimatter Of
fact Won didn't find 1t till morning, but