The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-07-31
6YcOGiEElH 5ROW COQKEA =

pencil or with one of the same quality
Of lead
There seemed to 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 still surrounded
the first.
Hang it all, Mac!" exclaimed, I'll
have to 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 on
my bed?"
Guessed at It, 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 to it, 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. II
fixed it up first and then came down
and locked up the house. 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 find it
when you turned in. AS a matter of
fact you didn't find it till morning, but
you probably slept as well, for all
that"
How about the cigar case?" ask.
ed, with grin.
ooh, bother the cigar easel" ex-
claimed MacArdel. THAT was only an
incident in this whole plot to scare
people away from here. 1t looks queer,
l know, but SO did the other things,
for q time. Well find out how it was
worked, sooner or later, and, even If
we don't, can't see that it makes any
great difference. We know the lead
ers in this business and we've got them
pretty well subdued. All you have to
do is to go ahead and open up the
place. There won't be any more non
sense when they realize that you don t
care a snap of your finger for them
or their doings. Just get your serv-
ants here all at the same time Have
the house cleared and aired from top
to bottom and keep lights burning in
the halls all night Fill the stable
with horses as you told me you in
tended to do, and see that all the
servants cottages on the place are &C.
cupied.
"You won't have any trouble, Ware,
IT, you will only take the precaution to
have all these people come at the
same time, and transform the place
. into one of bustling activity within q
few hours. All you have to do to
stamp out this ghost business is to
overwhelm it entirely and there won't
! be any more of it, I promise you, as
soon az the place is running full
blast"
MacArdel's idea seemed to be the
most practical one that presented it..
self, and within few days, the house
was filled with workmen and their
helpers, while the retinue of carefully
chosen servants was imported from
town, and gave to the establishment
an air Of permanent occupancy As
many men from the village as could
be persuaded to work on the place at
all were assigned to the roads and
lawns, and every effort was made to
beautify and render attractive the en-.
tire estate.
had no hesitancy in authorizing
the lavish expenditures which were
necessitated by such wholesale rehab.
ilitation Of the property, for not only
was I assured that anything l might
do would meet with the full approval
VI 4S1loS So1ASys ouIS 1lO lily pOSlLlOu
as her trustee, I knew that the in
come of the estate would warrant the
steps was taking toward it's improve.
ment.
There were no further uncanny man
ifestations or mysterious happenings
of any kind, and jerks and the widow
continued to follow their usual voca-
lions as If nothing out Of the ordinary
had occurred, so that we were forced
to believe that they were living up to
the spirit as well as to the letter of
their oath.
MacArdel who had remained with
me as my guest and companion while
this work was in progress, did not half
like this submissive behavior on the
part of jerks and the Bruce woman
and his suspicious were greatly in
creased when l ordered the widow out
Of her cottage to make room for the
golf links that Miss Carney wanted
laid out.
Keep an eye on her, Ware,' said