The Glenwood post., 1907-07-13
5ERlAl@
2STORYD
le Mystery
lrney.Croft
By
EPH BROWN COOKE
ynshs. 1907. by Story Pres. Corporation,

ynght, 1907. by Story-Prsss Corporation)
cHAPTER xvi.-continued.
leaned forward weeping bitter
I'D 1 said nothing until she began
Dntrol herself once more and
3 down her sobs in an effort to
K again. Then l said gently:
ont say anything more about 1t
Miss Weston. l am sure you will
hat iSnbest, and though am ut
at Rloss to know what you
b, am, of course, willing to wait
hsonable time until you are able to
me. l will trust you without
stion, and in every way, but you
understand that we both owe 1t
Miss Carney to do away with all
mystery as soon as we can. 1t is
ling her pleasure in life and ruin
her property, too, and, as her
lnds, we must not let it continue
we can possibly put stop to it."
oh, yes, know" she said, but we
stint stop it now. It's too soon, Mr..
Ire, and If Florence should learn
, truth now it would break her
hrt"
Why, what do you mean?" 1 ex-
lined. You surely do not expect
to believe that this affair could
Fect Miss Carney IN any way, do
luz"
tYes," she moaned, rocking back and
Fth in her seat and speaking with
lfficulty, at would affect her and all
us here, but me, most Of all, Mr..
fare; me, most of all. When the time
bmes it will be easier for everybody,
ut nothing can be done now, or
hings will be even worse than they
be. oh, l do wish l could tell you
that little know about it, Mr.. Ware,
Tut l cannot, and / know that you will
bust me for few days anyway"
| l walked slowly with her back to
lhe house, and, when dinner time
fame and she sent down her excuses,
learned that no one in the house was
Rware that she had been ont during
the day.
Miss Carney looked pale and care
worn and said that she had spent the
best pAgt of the afternoon lying down
and Nursing a severe headache. Mrs.
seemed reticent and de-
pressed and the meal passed off slow
ly and without incident.
When we rose from the table l had
plan which, thought,
might relieve the situation somewhat
and, apprising no one of my purpose, l
set out in the direction of the Widow
Bruce's cottage. 1t was my intention
to put the matter squarely before her
and ask her, not necessarily an ex-
PLANTATION of affairs, but a friendly CO.
operation with me in putting an end
to the annoyances she had been caus-
ing.
] had not formed a bad opinion of
the woman from her appearance, and
he new turn things had taken made me
wonder if she, like Miss Weston, might
not have been drawn into this business
and in all innocence. More
over, l was convinced that matters
were far from being as tragic as Miss
Weston, in her hysterical emotion,
would have me believe, for I could not
how a staid, respectable place
like Carney-Croft could, by any pos
sibility, be drawn into an affair that
might not be satisfactorily explained
in one way or another.
In a word, l had no doubt that a
luiet, good-natured talk with Mrs.
Srylce would accomplish all that l
oNld wish, and l was prepared to Of
er her money or any other induce
pspt that she might name If she
yghld let the matter drop. l confess
h my curiosity was greatly excited,
,ut l was willing to forego all knowl-
edge Of the underlying facts in the
Ease If the Bruce woman and the rest
If them would only depart and leave
Is In peace.
l approached the cottage from the
ear, coming down by a short cut
through the fields. and as l turned
he corner Of the house by the open
windows l heard wom-
ms voice sob out:
"Oh, must! l must, Mrs. Bruce! /
,annot live unless l dol"
Mrs. Bruce made some reply in
,entle, soothing tone of wonderful
weetness, and then she emerged from
he door of the cottage with her arm
around the waist of
annie Weston, who was weeping as If
Ter heart would break. The two passed
IN down the little gravel walk toward
he gate, while Mrs. Bruce continued
o pour words of comfort into the ear
II the agonized girl; and turned and
etraced my steps to the house that
night be there before Miss Weston ar
lived.
CHAPTER XVII.
A Vale Of Tears,