Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-08

II Il fa II
Carneyts levity and frivolity left her,
and, motioning me to Q seat by her
side. she plunged at once into the con-
! sideration OF mass OF details con
corning Carney Croft and its AFFAIRS.
Suddenly she surprised me by asking
pointedly: js
i why did you remain at Carney.
Croft longer than you had first In
tended? Was It solely to superintend
the opening Of the house or was it for
some other reason! :"
This question, put to me 90 ingen.
uously, could be answered only with
4 the utmost frankness, and said earn.
estly: There was another reason,
Miss Carney. and an important one"
/ Then told her the whole story, a.
i far as its practical features were CON
cerned, but avoided. 40 much as pos.
sible, the recital Of any unnecessary
4 details.
$50 you think this will all be stop.
ped, now that you know who the ring.
leaders are?' she aaked. anxiously.
4 am sure that 1t WILL I replied,
more positively than my true feelings
warranted. There has been no more
Of it since we learned who wrote the
notes and 1t looks as II jerks and this
Bruce woman were going to keep the
affair entirely to themselves. Besides.
the new house the widow has Is much
better than the old one, and she has
! considerably more land than before.
I, She ought to be perfectly satisfied
with her present situation and stop
her performances, II only for her own
! sake
But about their getting In and out
Of the house whenever they want to y"
queried Miss Carney. Don't you think
lit is rather dangerous to have any
such mysteriously hidden entrance en-
tirely unknown to us? Might they not
set in again, while we are there. and
take things or do something Of that
sort!Y X
"Oh, mol" replied, reassuringly.
you may be certain they won't do
that II they had wanted to steal
they'd have done It long ago. when
/ they had the place to themselves. l
think they had key that opened one
Of the doors, and I've had new locks
put all over the house. They couldn't
get in now II they tried"
What was said In the notes !? asked
Miss Carney. Il wish you had saved
them. / should have enjoyed seeing
! =
them, know"
.'Oh, nothing Of any consequences" !
replied. hastily. Just few words
warning me not to allow you to return
and expressed in regulation penny
dreadful style. The whole thing was
crudely and awkwardly done and am
sure We have heard the last Of It.
II hope We have" she rejoined.
earnestly. Il am very fond Of Carney
Croft, and, while ] don't believe In
ghosts, and shouldn't fear them II I
did, cannot say that fancy the idea
or having human providers about the
place. / know that we can get rid Of
them sooner or later but 4 trust they
won't cause us any annoyance at all"
II said what ! could to reassure her,
and, as ! was going away, she offered
her hand and held mine while she said
softly:
.'You have been very thoughtful Of
my interests and happiness, Mr..
Ware, and l appreciate it more than ]
can tell you" |
The pressure OF her fingers tighten.
ed for an instant and made the blood
course through my veins until my
whole body tingled and my breath
seemed to catch in my throat. ! num-
bled commonplace reply. and pulled
myself together with an effort In or.
der to avoid making my exit like q
boy in his teens. %
Before reached my Office, however,
| had convinced myself that Miss Car.
ney's behavior was due only to her
simple, unaffected, generosity or dis.
position. coupled with her delight at
returning home, and that I was no
more than conceited ass in attach
ing any other significance to it
(To Be Continued.)