Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-07-25
CHAPTER xvl.-contlnued.

She leaned forward weeping bitter
~, and I 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 H.
now. Miss Weston. ] am sure you will
do what is best, and though | am ut
terly at a loss to know what you
mean, l am, Of course, willing to wait
a reasonable time until you are able to
tell me. ! will trust you without
question, and in every way, but you
will understand that we both II
to Miss Carney to do away with all
his mystery as soon as We a It Is
spelling her pleasure In life and ruin
ing her property, too. and, AZ her
friends, we must not let It continue
II we a possibly put a stop to It,"
"Oh, yes, | know" she said. but We
mustn't stop II now. It's too soon, Mr..
Ware, and II Florence should learn
the truth now It would break her
heart"
Why, what do you mean?" I 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 1t will be easier for everybody,
lint y,tbtnu onn lao dana nnuT nr
things will be even worse han they
are. Oh. | do wish | could tell you
what little | know about it, 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.
] learned that no one in the house was
aware sthat she had been ont during
the day.
Miss Carney looked pale and care.
worn and said that she had spent the
best part of the afternoon lying down
and nursing a severe headache. Mrs.
Randolph seemed rcticcnt and de-
pressed and the meal passed off slow.
ly and without incident.
When we rose from the table ! had
formulated a plan which, thought,
might relieve the situation somewhat
and, apprising no n of my purpose, I
set out in the direction of the Widow
Brucc's cottage. 1t was my intention
to put the matter squarely before her
and ask her, not necessarily an OK.
PLANTATION Of affairs, but a friendly co
operation with me in putting an end
to the ~annoyanccs she had bcen caus-
Ing.
] had not formed a bad opinion Of
the woman from her appearance. and
the new turn things had taken made me
wonder II she. like Miss Weston, might
not have been drawn into this business
unwillingly and in all innocence. More
over, ] was convinced that matters
were far from being as tragic az Miss
Weston, in her h~ysterical emotion,
would have me believe. for I could not
conceive 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, | had no doubt that a
quiet, ~good.naturcd talk with Mrs.
Bruce would accomplish all that I
could wish, and | was prepared to of.
fer her money or any other induce.
ment that she might name IL she
would let the matter drop. ! confess
that my curiosity was greatly excited.
but ] was willing to foregO all knowl.
edge OF the underlying facts in the
case II the Bruce woman and the rect
OF them would only depart and leave
M In peace.
approached the cottage from the
rear, coming down by a short cut
through the fields, and as I turned
the corner OF the house Wy the open
Citting-room windows ! heard a won.
ans voice sob out:
"Oh, ! must! ! must, Mrs. Bruce! I
cannot live unless ! dol"
Mrs. Bruce made some reply In a
gentle. soothing tone OF wonderful
sweetness. and then she emerged from
the door of the cottage with her arm
a~nectionately around the waist of
Annie Weston. who was weeping as II
her heart would break. Tine two passed
or down the little gravel walk toward
the gate, while Mrs. Bruce continued
to pour words OF comfort into the car
OF the agonized girl; and I turned and
retraced my steps to the house that I
might OF there before Miss Weston ar.
'rived.