The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-05-04


as designed ninety years ago, fdr q
drawing room. Handsome rosewood
furniture filled the apartment. The
thick carpet was blue with pink rose
wreaths; blue brocade curtains draped
the windows. through which caught
glimpse of the long line of futed
gray balcony columns. In the shadows
at the back of the room | caught the
glitter OF tall glass-doored bookcases.
The effect of the room was intense
~ grand. formal. forbidding. Amid
pairs of ruby-glass plates and china
dogs. and painted vases, the one touch
of individuality was a miniature wal
nut work table inconspicuously placed
among some books on a little table
in corner. II was complete In every
detail, though only about ten inches
high, and thought must be very USE
full to its owner. If she were as fine
sewer as she was an artist. And
then a door opened, and she came into
that strange, formal, bright-colored
room, sharp setting for somber, ar
resting personality.
Julia GrosvenOr was In black, as l
had seen her before her face was still
perfectly white; but now self-posses-
sion characterized her bearing. She
came forward with certain grace
despite her limp on the right foot,
which should of course have ex-
pected, but which, for some reason,
surprised me for an instant Through
my mind unaccountably shot that SEN
tence from Daisy Abbott's story:
"After Miss Grosvenor ztepped
short, she stumbled"
"How do you do" She touched my
hand, and sat down on the long blue
sofa opposite me. II am glad to see
you ;. again"
Her voice had that clear ringing
note l had heard before. l said:
"oh, yes, you've seen me at my
DESK"
81 meant" she rejoined very d.
rectly, that saw you when you were
taking care of me last Monday. l
came to one instant when you were
covering me up with my cape. You
were bending over, and didn't see me
look at you. l tainted again imme-
diately."
mo, | didn't know that until now"
| said, trying to show no surprise.
II told no one. Miss Fuller" her
voice sank-"did you notice my slip
pers?"
There was nothing to do but meet
her directness.
"Yes," | answered point-blank. Il
said nothing about them, though. !
thought you could explain them your
self at the right time, If, indeed, 1t
should ever be necessary"
She looked at me with evident graf
itude, and said not one single word.
II suppose you know" l resumed,
that Mr.. Almy wants me to help him
clear up the mystery of your grand.
fathers death | am an entirely un-
official assistant, but l do wish, Miss
Grosvenor, that it lay in my power to
do something to help you"
''I'm under great obligation to you
already for your attention to me when
| was so ILL.," she said cordially; "but
I'm afraid | can't even help myself
much. l couldn't even tell Mr.. Almy
ifmy grandfather had any enemies, If
there was any reason for an attack
to be made on him. Indeed, | haven't
really been very clear In my mind as
to what | saw at the time ] found
him in Darrow's on Monday morning.
| thought perhaps, however, If could
talk with you, knowing you were there
at the time, that you might help me
recall part of what l fail to remem-
ber."
That's a good idea," said l, looking
at her keenly, and remembering what
Peter had said to Mr.. Almy about his
impression that Julia GrOsvennor had
lost track of her surroundings when
he encountered her In the aisle. 81
suppose" | haZarded, "the shock you
suffered robbed you temporarily of
your memory to some slight extent.
Nothing unusual about that"
81 shouldn't wonder" she agreed.
well, to begin at the beginning, you
know my grandfather collected litera-
ture about Virginia? He had big
collection, gathered just In the last
few years, too. Last Sunday we saw
in the paper that Darrow's had bought
a number of Virginia books from
Judge Leavitt's famous library, and
planned at once to see If any of these
would interest my grandfather. So on
Monday | went to Darrow's. AS am
not familiar with the shop, spent
good deal of time, perhaps more than
| realized, searching for the books in
those many alcoves. Finally | found
some of the Leavitt books in the his
tory section, and | followed the shelf
on which they stood, around into the
next alcOve, and"
She broke off a minute, her lips
trembling.
And there In front of me-" she
finally continued. "lying on the floor,
/ saw my grandfatherl His right
wrist was cut, blood was squirting out
of it. remember turning, running
into the aisle, and stumbling, and
then, they say, screamed for help. |
don't remember doing so, or anything
else. except that Que instant | saw
you, until found myself In the hos
pital. Mr.. Almy thought maybe you
could help me ill up some of the
gaps"
They were certainly numarons
enough Miss Grosvenor had given no
definite idea of how she had occupied
her fine I'm DarroW's. she had mado