Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-06-29
CHAPTER KIN.
Quiet is Restored.


ed In the library. this mystery is
clearing itself up more rapidly than
! expected Have you got those two
notes with yoSg 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 a cramped labored hand
which was obviously disguised. while
the more recent one had evidently
been dashed OF hurriedly and With
NJ attempt az masking the cbriog.
rsphy OF its author In both in
stances, however, the English style Of
writing was so clearly exemplifed
and there were so many letters having
points in common. that IL did not re-
Quire the skin OF an expert 70 per-
ceive that the two notes were the
work OF the same individual
You see" exclaimed MacArdeI. Il
was right, only got the cart before
the horse. I told YOU that after we
had discovered how the FIRST note was
placed on your bed we would have lit
tie Or no difficulty Ga tracing its au-
thorship. AS matters have turned out.
however. we know the author but we
don't know how she got the pare~
into your room. Nevertheless YOU
ought 20 De 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 IT,"
Il am not so sure that we know who
wrote it even now" 7 returned. gloom
fly. The goinEs.on iu this house are
altogether too bewildering 90 suit my
taste
why. 81 must have been the
woman" cried MacArdel. with enpha.
sis Who else could have done 81. man?
You'll admit that both were written by
the same hand. and hardly think
youn deny that she was responsible
for the one we 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
MacArdcl. impauenuy What's the
use Of looking for more mystery when
the whole thing is as good as OK
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 veranda 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 it all IN from start 20 finish
Now. the widows no fool. Ware
and as soon as she realized that she
and jerks were completely in our pow
er she wrote this note al the desk In
the corner OF the room and kent II
In her hand until the opportunity came
20 slip IL into your pocket. She wrote
hurriedly for she did not know when
she would be interruptSaRpd so she
had no time 20 Disguise hi hand as
she did before. She's Nttneiish the
writings English and I'll vibrant the
paper in the desk is the same as this
she used"
We crossed the hall to the little re.
ception room, and. as MacArdel had
suggested. We found the desk open and
some stationery strewn about which
exactly matched the paper I held in
my hand. Moreover. on the floor near
by was a lead pencil which, apparent.
~, had been thrown down carelesslv
- that IL rolled on the desk TO the
place where we discovered II.
The note was in pencil. and. IN.
doubtedly, had been written with this
pencil or with one Of the same quality
OF lead.
There seemed 10 be no room for
further argument as TO the identity OF
the author OF these remarkable com
munications. but. while the facts con-
corning the second were sufficiently
plain. much mystery stiu surrounded
the first
Hang II all. Mac" 1 exclaimed, I'll
have 10 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 or
my bed?"
Guessed at IL, as far as your first
question is concerned replied Mac
Ardel, cheerfully. Just used her COM
mon sense as TO the fitness OF the
match, and took the chance. That's
all there is 10 IL, 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 In the world" laughed
MacArdel. You were in and out OF
your room after you made up the bed
for the night weren't you?"
Why, certainly" I rejoined. Il
fixed IL up first and then came down
and locked up the house. 1 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 a way
OF getting In and out OF the houses, at
pleasure. and while you were fussing
around downstairs the note was tuck
ed under a fold Of the counterpart
with the idea that you would ind II