Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-23
THE Mystery
Of a 6rio.
[Original.l

and it and its occupants were duly
reverenced by the people. 1t had
passed down from one generation of
Heyfords, from whom the town de-
rived its name, to Another till it fell
into the lands Of Lawrence Heyford,
a bachelor about thirty. He kept serv-
ants there and stayed there himself at
times. Since he was a man of the
world.' the neighbors wondered why he
stayed there at all. but he had little or
no intercourse with any Of them, and
there was no way of finding out why
he did so.
Some suspected that young woman
named Agnes Dow had something to
do with Heyfcrd's visits to the stone
house. This, however, was because he
had once or twice been seen with her
and for no other reason. Miss Dow
was not especially handsome, but
there was something about her attrac-
tive to men. She had no friends among
women. Whether this was because she
did not care to be intimate with those
Of her own sex or they did not care to
be intimate with her was a mooted
question among the men. The women
knew all about it, but either could not
or would not make any EXPLANATION.
One day Edwin Tower, who knew
Heyford, when passing through town
far removed from Heyfordville read in
a newspaper of a singular trial that
was going on. A men named Gesell
was being tried for the murder of one
Picton. Gesell bore evidence of refine
ment, though he did not show it in his
appearance or his clothing. There was
the best circumstantial evidence that
he had committed the murder though
the prosecutor for the state could not
find the slightest motive. The man
would tell nothing Of his antecedents,
and no information with regard to
them could be derived from others.
Towers curiosity was excited. and,
having time to kill, he went to the
courtroom. The prisoner was evidently
terribly depressed. He wore a stubble
beard and a tramp's clothing. There
was something in his appearance ia
miliar to Tower Tower was sure he
knew the man, but could not place
him.
Tower was obliged to leave for home
that evening. On reaching Heyfords-
vile he went to the stone house on the
hill and asked if Mr.. Heyford was
there. He was not On the street
Tower met Agnes Dow. He asked her
if she knew Of the whereabouts OF
Lawrence Heyford. She drew down
her brows and the corners Of her
mouth in a singular fashion, paling
slightly, and asked him why he ex-
pected to gain such information from
her. He apologized and went on. For
awhile after that he was observed by
his friends to have something on his
mind.
When Heyford made his next visit
to the stone house he shut himself up
there for long while. Indeed, he had
been there some time before any one
knew Of his arrival. He was seen out
once or twice, but it was winter, and
he was much muffled. After awhile he
went away again.
Tower had kept in touch with the
trial of Gesell and learned that he was
acquitted rather from the fact that the
chain of evidence against him was i'm
perfect than as to any doubt that he
was guilty. There are times when a
person will connect different happen
ings without being conscious of any
reason for doing so. Tower made such
a connection in his own mind between
three persons-Agnes Dow, Lawrence
Heyford and GeseIl, the murderer. For
his life he could not get rid of group
ing this trio in some mystery.
Meanwhile the gap between Agnes
Dow and the women of Heyfordsville
whisperings. The more intelligent
class of people have but little knowl-
edge of the superstition Of the lower
classes. Where the idea emanated
from no one knew, but the children Of
the place came to speak of her to one
another in whisper as a witch. When
they met her on the street before pass
ing her they would cross to the other
side. Young women of her own age
simply avoided her. Their mothers
were divided on the matter. Some
scoffed at the treatment she received,
while others forbade their daughters
to have anything to do with her. As
for the young men, some of them would
have been glad to pay court to the OBJ
ject of all this variety of opinion, but
Of late Agnes would not permit any Of
them to come near her.
Years passed, and Lawrence Heyford
did not return to the stone house.
Where he was no one knew. Two serv-
ants who had from their birth grown
old in the service of the family stayed
in the house simply as caretakers. Peo-
pie often asked them where the owner
was, but they said they did not know.
All their communications were with
Mr.. Heyford's agent in the city. Agnes
Dow outlived the other members of her
family and dwelt alone in the house
they had occupied together. No one
else ever went into it, and she never
II L.