Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-11-06
CHAPTER

J$ CHAPTER (Contlnued.)
The name meant nothing to me and
u turned to Louise for explanation.
4 Though there were many callers at the
4 Parrish home, never had met Mr..
Il Crandall, nor had even heard the
name mentioned.
8s SIT must have been Hugh Crandall,"
4 said Louise II was afraid that 1t was
i he.'''' ssla x s$
Her remark puzzled me. The only
Hugh Crandall knew anything about
was a prosperous young broker whom !:
b never had met personally, though
had seen his name occasionally IN con-
nection with exchange and club affairs.
5 ',Do you mean Hugh Crandall. the
B brOker?" l asked.
Louise nodded, and leaning against
my shoulder, told me of chapter OF
the family history with which | was
wholly unfamiliar. This man, 1t
seemed, had met her sister two years
Z before on, steamer on which they
were returning from Europe. After
that he had been frequent visitor at
the Parrish home. Katharine was very
fond Of him, and he had been In high
favor both with the general and Lou
Use. Though no formal announcement
u Of an engagement had been made,
Y Crandall was looked on by every one
as Miss Farrish's most favored sutton.
About three months ago. just prior to
the time when / first met Louise, his
/ visits to the house had suddenly
& ceased. iii 1i, u VI
/ t.'I'm sure Louise. explained, that
Katharine cared for him very much
She and father had bitter quarrel
Il about him, though why, never could
understand, for father had always
seemed to like him. There was some
thing strange about the way his visits
ended. Father came home one day at
4 noon looking worried He called Kath-
\ arine into the library and shut the
Z door. could hear Katharine pleading
with him and once or twice I heard
both their voices raised as if in anger.
n When my sister came out her eyes
were red as If she had been weeping.
A She went at once to- her room and did
Z not come down to dinner. When Mr..
4sCrandall called that night she came
down to see him, but he stayed only
about ten minutes. He demanded an
4 interview with father, and father re-
n fused to see him. He left the house in
d heat an. never has been here since.
For several days Katharine seemed
& much depressed but she volunteered
no condolences and hesitated to ask
her any questions. She seemed after
d a while wholly to, have recovered her
Z spirits, and was convinced that she
4 had made up her mind to let Mr.. Gran
4 dali go out Of her life."
what effect did this have on the re-
lations between your father and sis
Bter?" asked, seeking in vain for a mo-
h tive that would have caused Katharine
to attempt her life. 4. 4.
None whatever that I could see.
Through it all, except for that one aft.
ernoon, Katharine attitude toward IA.
ther has been most lovable. If any.
thing, it seemed to me that she was
tenderer toward him afterward than
before. I i35 H .SSs isS 4 ss .ss5
do you suppose she has been meet.
h ing Crandall surreptitiously? ?" .. Is
Louise quickly and indignantly drew
1 herself away from me. .s..
NJ You don't know Katharine as do"
she said reprovingly. "or you never
would have said that. She is the soul
Of honor. If she was going to see Hugh
she would have done SO openly"
'But he telephoned her today" I per-
q sisted
That's so,'' admitted. Louise. "And
~ think he must have done so day be-
fore yesterday, too. Some one called
4 her, and she went out just as she did
4 today. Generally we tell each other
where we are going. and thought it
peculiar at the time that she said moth
ing to me-"
In deep perplexity we both sat, 81
lently bordering the mystery of Katha-
rine's action. What could have made
4 her do 1t? Was it, wondered, because
her father had learned something dis
4 creditable about her sutton and had
z forbidden him the house? Had Gran
dali been trying to persuade her to
continue to see him despite her "a
theirs wishes? Was the conflict in her
4 heart between love and duty too much
\ for her? Louise turned to me and laid
I her hand gently on my arm.
Harding" she said, there is some
deep mystery behind all this that has
been creeping like black shadow
across the lives of both Katharine and
my father. In some way Hugh Gran
dali is concerned in 1t. know 1t.
feel it. 1t is something more than mere
ly the refusal Of my father to permit
her to marry Crandall. I have watched
them both and know. l have seen
this mysterious specter lowering over
my father, gradually crushing the very