The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1914-03-30
The
Mysterious Grade
BY Mrs.. c c. DSeman.
CHAPTER V.


brought Messrs. Smith, Rowe and West
wood to our place then asked Mr.. Price
and | to bring the young woman s
property and come to the upper parlor
We now saw the ladies without wells
They were near of "A size and might
have been sisters. One looked to be
forty.ive or fifty, the other looked to
be twenty-five or thirty. They had
brown eyes and brown hair that waved
about their foreheads beautifully. The
young man had brown eyes and dark
curly hair. A strong family resem-
blance marked them.
CATER greeting us cOurtcously the
elder lady placed kerchief to her face
and kept it there constantly. At sight
of the satchel, she again gave that low,
sad moan. The young man Immediately
drew his chair nearer her and
stroked her hand tenderly. Mr.. Pearson
was spokesman and said, after few
preliminary remarks expressing appre.
citation, etc, "Thcsc are near relatives
of the young lady and wish to hear all
you know of the sad affair
"Mr. Smith, in his usually kind and
sympathetic voice, gave a detailed ac.
count, then called on each Of MS who
had been with him for additional facts
| gave the chambermaid's story and
described the package she had received.
1t was handsome gold brooch, with
pendants wrapped in linen kerchief
with initials M. IT,. in the corner in
neat hand stitch.
"When we finished our report we sat
silent. The strangers sat with sad
faces and heads bowed. OF course we
expected some kind of an explanation.
but not word was said.
"Mr. Pearson arose and at a motion of
his hand We left the room.
"Mr. Pearson ordered the carriage and
drove with them to the graveyard where
the ladies remained while he and the
young man went on to Portsmouth.
The next morning men and teams
came from there bringing that free
stone basement and that beautiful iron
railing which was placed "a you now
see it. Late in the afternoon the young
man sent a dispatch that puzzled our
agent. 1t read
." 'Sciotovillc. $3.50 a. M. June Goth
r. H."
"Thc next morning the $50 express
and the strangers went aboard,
and Jack Pearson went with them aud |
we never saw them again.
Before leaving our house the young |
man called for our bill, which we gave
him. Judge of our surprise when hc !
handed us just four times the amount. |
We tried to protest, but he, with a !
kindly smile, waved silence. We after.
wards learned that he had, through Mr..
Pearson, paid every one who had help
ID in the smallest particular, in the
'ame lavish manner. Even the men
who had brought the boat hooks were
given liberal sums of money.
1--WE afterwards, to the best of our
bility, counted the money left among
IS, and found it was considerably more
han two thousand dollars.
"Not a clue did We have as to who
hey were or where they CAME from.
1.-Two facts seemed plain. First, they
ere people of culture and wealth.
" Second, their names were Hamilton.
Surmises9 Oh, yes, surmses a.
enty. We met, seemingly ON pur.
'sc to 'Surmise, Everyone had 4
eory.
Some 'surmiscd elopement, others
and so on. Mr.. Smith always
sisted that Jack Pearson know moro !
an he ever told.
All our surmiscs went for naught h
wever when few months later
pit. Thomas said: That unfortunate
air cost me the best clerk l ever had, +
those people were only stopping TEN. q
rarily in New York. A few weeks y
ter they left here they sailed for r.
gland and Jack Pearson went with n
en-" q