The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-07-18
The Mystery
Carney-Croft
By
JOSEPH BROWN COOKE
Copyright, 1877. by Story Pres. Corporation.

CHAPTER xvI.-continued.
She leaned forward weeping bitter
ty, and said nothing until she began
to control herself once more and
choke down her sobs in an effort to
speak again. Then said gently:
Don't say anything more about 1t
now. Miss Weston. am sure you will
- what is best, and though am ut
terly at loss to know what you
mean, am, of course, willing to wait
reasonable time until you are able to
tell me. l will trust you without
question. and in every way, but you
will understand that we both owe it
to Miss Carney to do away with all
this mystery as soon as we can. 1t is
spelling her pleasure in life and ruin
ing her property, too, and, as her
friends. we must not let 1t continue
II we can possibly put stop to it"
ooh, yes, know" she said, "but we
mustn't stop it now. It's too soon, Mr..
Ware, and IL Florence should learn
heart"
''Why. what do you mean?" 1 ex-
claimed. You surely do not expect
me to believe that this affair could
affect Miss Carney in any way, do
you?"
YES" she moaned, rocking back and
forth in her seat and speaking with
difficulty, ut would affect her and all
of us here, but me. most Of all, Mr..
Ware; me, most of all. When the time
comes it will be easier for everybody.
but nothing can be done now, or
things will be even worse than they
are Oh, do wish l could tell you
what little know about 1t, Mr.. Ware,
but cannot, and know that you will
trust me for a few days anyway"
walked slowly with her back to
the house, and, when dinner time
came and she sent down her excuses,
l learned that no one in the house was
aware that she had been ont during
the day.
Miss Carney looked pale and care
worn and said that she had spent the
sst part of the afternoon lying down
and nursing severe headache Mrs.
Randolph seemed reticent and de-
pressed and the meal passed OF SLOW
ly and without incident.
When we rose from the table had
formulated plan which, thought,
might relieve the situation somewhat
and, apprising no one of my purpose,
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.
1 had not formed bad opinion of
the woman from her appearance, and
the new turn things had taken made me
wonder If she, like Miss Weston, might
not have been drawn into this business
unwillingly and in all innocence. More
over, 1 was convinced that matters
were far from being as tragic as Miss
Weston, in her hysterical emotion,
would have me believe, for could not
conceive how 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, had no doubt that a
quiet, good-natured talk with Mrs
Bruce would accomplish all that 1
could wish, and was prepared to Of
fer her money or any other induce
Afnent that she might name IL she
I3ould let the matter drop. 1 confess
that my curiosity was greatly excited,
but was willing to forego all knowl-
edge Of the underlying facts in the
case If the Bruce woman and the rest
of them would only depart and leave
us In peace.
l approached the cottage from the
rear. coming down by short cut
through the fields, and as I turned
tho corner of the house by the open
sitting-room windows l heard wom-
ans voice sob out:
"Oh, must! must. Mrs. Bruce! 1
cannot live unless 1 do!"'
Mrs Bruce made some reply in
gentle, soothing tone of wonderful
sweetness, and then she emerged from
the door of the cottage with her arm
affectionately around the waist Of
Annie Weston. who was weeping as II
her heart would break. The two passed
on down the little gravel walk toward
the gate, while Mrs. Bruce continued
to pour words of comfort into the ear
of the agonized girl; and turned and
retraced my steps to the house that I
might be there before Miss Weston ar
lived.
CHAPTER XVII.