Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-09-04

careleSSly. after you had gone I no.
titced that she was clutching a bit of
paper in one hand. l searched around
the lake to see if 1 could find more.
found these. 1t is evidently part of
a letter, but the ink has run so you
! can make nothing out Of them"
Lets see them"
I handed him all of them.
'"This," l explained, II found in her
hand and the others were over there
under those bushes"
One by one the policeman examined
them, turning them carefully over and
over.
There's nothing to Them" he final
ly announceds "The wagon will be
here in a minute. I don't suppose
you'll want to be claiming any credit
for finding the body?"
had feared that he would insist
on my accompanying him to testify
to its finding. It was quite a relief
to hear him take this view of it.
"Of course not" I answered hastily.
"Then," said he with utmost can
dor, you might as we'll beat it. It
don't do a cop no good to have other
people finding things on his post If
you amt here when the wagon comes,
there amt nobody to say it wasn't me
that found the body. l want to thank
you, though, for coming and telling
me about it. There's a lot of fools
would have gone and telephoned the
arsenal and then I'd been on the car
/ was glad indeed of the opportunity
to get away. 1t was nearing ten
o'clock. My trousers and shoes were
in such condition that I wanted to get
to my apartments for change before
seeing Louise. I fastened to the
park entrance and hailed a taxi By
the time left my rooms and reached
the Parrish home it was ten minutes
after ten.
AS my taxi turned into the street /
saw another one stop before the Far
IRISH door. At first 1 thought it must
be the doctor or one of his assistants,
but as the front door closed behind
the tall figure of a man who had been
admitted to the house l realized that
1t was some one had seen before.
There was something reminiscent in
the broad shoulders, in the walk. 1t
was some one l knew, or ought to
have recognized, yet who it was or
where | had seen him 1 could not at
the moment recall.
| was not three minutes behind him
in reaching the door. Though the other
visitor had been admitted at once,
there was no Immediate response to
my ring. l waited a While and rang
again. 1t seemed minutes before any
one answered, then one of the maids
opened the door a tri1e and peered
out.
"Mr Kent to see Miss Louise" I
said.
To my great amazement she did not
open the door to me, but still holding
it just barely enough to enable her to
talk to me, said: I'm sorry, but l
have orders to admit no one to the
house."
Dumfounded at such a reception, 1
still thought she was only carrying
out a general order, the wisdom for
which l could readily see.
"Of course, understand that you
have your orders, but please tell Miss
Louise that Mr.. Kent is here
'I'll tell her, if you WISH" she said
doubtfully, carefully closing the door
before she went on the mission.
The shutting of the door in my face
gave me an odd sense of desolation.
1t seemed as if I were being shut out
of the life of the woman I loved Yet
on second thought smiled at my per-
turbation. The maid was only carry
ing out a necessary order. AS soon
as Louise knew l was there she would
come running to the door herself. In
a minute she would be folded in my
arms and all misunderstanding would
no cleared away. Undoubtedly she
would have a good explanation Tor
her telephone .r'essage OF the nlght
before. | told myself that it was only
lack of sleep and the incident IN the
park that had upset my nerves. MY
misgivings were utterly foollsh.
At length the door opened slowly. l
had expected to see Louise herself be-
hind it, but it was the same maid. lhls
time she held the OOor udlu1y O" "A0O
as before.
I'm sorry, sir, she said, but Miss
Louise says she can not see you now.
'What?" l gasped.
She repeated her message Whlle
stood there dazed There must be
some mistake. Louise must nave mis-
understood the name.
did you tell her it was Mr. Kent!
"Yes, sir, I told her."
what did she say"
"She said she could not see you or
any one else now.
was puzzled beyond expression.
Why should Louise refuse to see me!
| was conscious of having done moth
ing to offend her. If only could see