Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-22
CHAPTER I.
A Mystery 10 Started.

III nat Ola JOnn carney uIOpPSu WOW"
OF apoplexy in his saddle while vio-
leutly cursing the stable-boy for
trivial delay in bringing his horse to
the door was not regarded by the COM
munity as any special cause for re-
greet, 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 watchful eye on
| the familys 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
carly nineties. She was the only
member OF the family at home when
| the 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 al
| fairs. l responded at once in person
and was at Carney-Croft by noon the
next day.
I was astonished, not only by the
extent OF the place, but at Its beauty
and almost baronial magnif1cence.
| 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 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 q
| virgin forest within single decade.
| The house was even more Of sur
prise than the grounds, for although it
was, In some respects, scarcely fin
ished, 1t was already moss-grown and
| ivy-clad and suggested q Jacobaan
| structure of very respectable an
| tiquity.
Miss Carney was watching for me
1 at 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. :"
she said gratefully, extending her
hand with winning grace. II 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 could I'M
| der the circumstances for, while her
| recent bereavement was more than
pathy, 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
returned from my room, and was
seated opposite my hostess at small
round table had never seen Miss
4 Carney before and it cannot be de-
| 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.
4 After luncheon we sat in the library
1 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
, neys tragic death and my interview
with his daughter had more to do
4 with the arrangement of her future
affairs than with any references to
the past.
II wish Jack were here" she said,
4 suddenly; at is so hard to be alone"
/ Il cabled him as soon as received
4 your telegram" replied, "and he can
get ship tomorrow or the day after.
4 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
4 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 IL ]
must say it. And yet daddie tried to
4 do so much for them, and laid out
i work that wasn't at all necessary and
4 all that-just to give them employ
4 ment. Why! last winter, when some
| of the people were nearly starving. he
A had ice cut in the river and piled up
on the banks for weeks at time to
! keep the men busy, but as soon as the
warm weather came they forgot 1t all
and even said he was fool who threw
i away his money. No." she added slow
", 81 haven't friend in the village
TO whom l could turn"
"But there must be someone" 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! l 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 Eew hope into her ewes
|