The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-04-17

| WAS DdSSlUS IL Di)uoC W hith nav
not since been able to identify exact
ly. though | have several times reyis-
tied Boston in the hope Of doing so.
when suddenly and without any warn
ing whatever this slipper dropped at
my feet. All the houses in the neigh
borhood seemed deserted. with win
dows and doors tightly boarded, and
my closest scrutiny failed to discover
any opening from which that slipper
might have been flung. The region Is
so decorous and acts of violence are
so foreign to its dignity and repose
that / could scarce believe that ! held
that bit of tan leather In my hand
Nor did its unaccountable precipita-
ton into the street seem the act OF
| housemaid nor could | believe that
nursery governess had thus sought d.
version from the roof above. | hesi-
tated for moment. not knowing how
to meet this emergency. Then ! bold
ly attacked the bell of the house from
which believed the slipper to have
proceeded. | rang until a policeman.
whose speech was fragrant of the IT.
| ish coasts. babe me desist, informing
me that the family had only the pre-
vious day left for the shore. The
house. he assured me. was utterly va
cant That. Miss HOLSTER. is all there
is of the story. But ever since | have
carried that slipper with me. 1t was
| in my pocket tonight as | traversed
the upper halls of your house. seeking
| the ghost of that British soldier. and
had just discovered my loss when |
heard You calling. In returning it you
have conferred upon me thes greatest
| imaginable favor | have faith that
some time, somewhere. | shall find the
owner of that slipper. Would you not
| infer from its diminutive size and the
fine. suggestive delicacy of its outlines.
that the owner is a person of aristo-
cratic lineage and of breeding? | will
confess that nothing is nearer my
heart than the hope that one day |
shall meet the young LADY, am sure
she must he young-who wore that
slipper and dropped 1t. as it seemed.
from the clouds at my feet there in
sedate Beacon street. that most sol
emn of residential sanctuaries"
stantly, with an assumed severity that
her smile belied, Il cannot recall that
my niece Hezekiah ever visited in Bea-
con street. yet dare say that II she
had done so and a young man Of your
pleasing appearance had passed be-
meath her window one of her slippers
might very easily have become de-
tached from Hezekiah's foot and fall
en- with a nice calculation directly in
front Of you. But now. Mr.. Ames. will
you kindly carry your candle into that
trunk ROOM
The foundations of the world shook
as | remembered the compact by which
Hezekiah was excluded from the house
and realized what her impending dis
covery would mean to Cecilia. her ia
Their and the hayward Hezekiah too.
But l was in for it. Miss Octavia in
dicated by an imperious nod that was
to precede her into the trunk room. and
| strobe before her with my candle
held high.
But the sprites Of mystery were still
abroad at Hopetield The room was
unoccupied save for the trunks. Heze-
kiah had vanished. Instead of sitting |
there TO await the coming of her aunt, |
she had silently departed without leav-
ing trace. Miss Hollister glanced up |
at the trapdoor in the ceiling and so
did l. 1t was closed. but did not |
doubt that Hezekiah had crawled |
through it and taken herself to the
roof Miss Octavia would probably or
der me at once to the battlements. but
worse was to come.
"Mr. Ames" she said. will you kind
ly lift the lid of that largest trunk?"
had not thought OF this. and shud-
dered at the possibilities.
She Indicated the trunk upon which
Hezekiah had sat and nibbled her
cracker not more than ten minutes be-
fore Could it be possible that when
! lifted the cover that golden head
would he found beneath? My life has
known no blacker moment than that In
which I flung back the lid of that trunk.
| averted my eyes in dread of the i'm
pending disclosure and held the candle
close.
But the trunk was empty. Incredibly
empty, My courage rose again. and l
glanced at Miss Oetavia .triumphantly.
| even jerked out the trays TO allay any
lingering suspicion Why had ever
doubted Hezekiah? Who was she. the
golden haired daughter OF kings. to be
caught in trunk? She had slipped up
the ladder while | talked to her aunt
and was even now hiding on the roof,
but it was not for me to make so trea-
,onable suggestion. Miss Octavia
might press the matter further il she
iked but | would not help her to trap
Hezekiah.
Miss HOLSTER did not. to my surprise
Ind relief. suggest an inspection of the
'oof. She nodded her head gravely
Ind passed out into the hall.
MIR. Ames, il | implied moment
lgo that doubted your story of the
iropping OF that tan pump from
Beacon street roof or window, now r
ender you my sincerest apologies" '