The Norfolk weekly news. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1888-1900, December 21, 1899, Page 9, Image 9
i A V COPYtUGHT KSteAArJMS fcyV - fe Hifl IV 3 T Sl krws rfc rr v T VW ALUJAIU CMUUUt i CHAPTER XXIV Till KNIOMA OK NUMIIKHR When I told you that Mother Jam was out of the question in this matter I meant out of tho question for you Sho was a subject to bo bundled by tho po lieo and wo have liandlid hor Yestor day afternoon 1 mado a search of her cabin Hero Mr Gryco paused and eyed mo quizzically Ho sometimes docs oyo mo which same I am not bound to tako as a compliment considering bow fond ho is of concentrating all his wis dom upon small and insignificant ob jects I wonder said ho what yon would havo dono in such a search as that It was no common one I assuro you Thuro uro not many hiding places between Mother Janes four walls I felt myself begin to tremble with eagerness of course I wish I had beon given tho oppor tunity said I that is if anything was to bo found there Ho seemed to bo in a sympathetic mood toward mo or perhaps and this is tho likelier supposition ho had a minuto of leisure and thought ho could afford to givo himself a littlo quiet nmusoinent llowover that is ho an swered mo by saying Tho opportunity is not lost Yon Lave been in that cabin and havo noted I havo no doubt its oxtremo simplicity Yet it contains or rather did contain up till last night distinct ovidences of inoro than ono of tho crimes which havo been perpetrated in this lano Goodl And you want mo to guess where you found them Well its not fair Ah and why not Because you probably did not find them on your first attempt You had timo to look and chungo your mind and look again I am asked to guess at ouco and without second trial what I war rant it took you several trials to deter mine Humph Ho could not help but laugh And why do you think it took mo several trials Because there is moro than ono thing in that room mado up of parts Iarts Ho attempted to look puz zled but I would not havo it You know what I mean I de clared 70 parts 28 or whatevor the numbers aro sho so constantly mutters His admiration was unqualified and sincere Miss Butterworth said ho you aro a woman after my own heart How camo you to think that her mutterings had anything to do with a hiding place Because it did not havo anything to do with tho amount of money I gavo nor When I handed her 25 cents sho cried Sovcuty 28 and now 101 Ten what Not 10 cents or 10 but ten Why do you stop I do not want to risk my roputation on a guess There is a quilt on tho bed mado up of innumerable pieces Thero is a pavement under foot of neatly laid brick And thero is a Biblo on tho stand whoso leaves number many over 70 Ah was it in tho Biblo you found His smilo put mine quito to shame I must acknowledge ho cried that I looked in tho Biblo but I found nothing thero boyoud what wo all seek when wo open its sacred covers Shall I toll my story Ho was evidently bursting with prida You would think that after a half cen tury of just such successes a man would tako his honors moro quietly But pshaw Human nature is just tho samo in tho old as in tho young Ho was no moro tired of compliment or of awaken ing tho astonishment of those ho confided in than if ho was out on his first great case Of courso in proscuco of such weakness I could do nothing loss than givo him a sympathetic- ear I may bo old mysolf somo day Besides his story was likely to prove moro or less inter esting Tell your story I repeated Dont you seo that lam I was going to say on pins and needles till I hear it bnt that is a vulgar expression for a woman liko mysolf and might provo I was bo coming deteriorated by tho business into which I had beon pushed moro or less against my will so I altered tho words happily beforo thoy woro spoken into that I am in a stato of tho liveliest curiosity concerning tho wholo matter Tell your story of courso Well Miss Buttorworth if I do it is because I know you will appreciato it You liko mysolf placed weight up on tho numbers sho is forever running over and you liko myself havo con coived tho possibility of those numbers having rofereuco to somothing in tho ono room sho inhabits At first glanco tho oxtremo baronoss of tho spot seem ed to promise nothing to my curiosity I looked at tho floor and encountered no signs of any disturbance having taken placo in those symmetrically laid bricks for years Yot I counted up to 70 ono way and 28 tho othor and marking tho brick thus soleoted began to pry it out It camo with difficulty and showed mo nothing underneath but green mold and innumerable frightened insects Then I counted tho bricks tho other way but nothing camo of it Tho floor does not appear to havo been disturbed for years Turning my attoution away from tho floor I begau upon tho quilt This was a wor6o job than the other and it took mo an hour to rip apart tho block I set tled upon as tho suspicious one but it rvir 5 T IN THE LIFE OF AMELIA BUTTEBWCMH t iUVAmii iiTiilrMiic nccn - IVMllAhirVL AUTIIOI CF TICIFAVENJORTH GMT DUtiNO cuytb tcc that afpvib nut pcoc 1097 DY ANNA K ROHUV UC E1C all camo to nothing also Thero was no hidden treasure in the quilt Then I searched the walls using tho measure ments 70 bv 2S but no result followed these endeavors and what do you think 1 did then You will tell me I said if I givo you ono moro minuto to do it in Very well said he I see you do not know madam Having searched below anil around me I next turned my attention overhead Do you remember tho strings and strings of dried vegeta bles that decorate tho beams above I do I said not stinting any of thu astonishment 1 really felt Well I began to count them next and when 1 reached tho seventieth onion from tho open doorway 1 crushed it be tween my fingers and this foil out madam worthless trinkets as you will immediately seo but Well well I urged Thoy have been identified as belong ing to tho pedlar who was ono of tho victims in whoso fato we aro interested Ah ah I cried out somewhat amazed 1 own And number 28 That was a carrot and it hold a really vilunblo ring a ruby surrounded by diamonds If you remember 1 onco spoke o you of this ring It was tho property of young Mr Chittenden and worn by him while ho was in this vil lage Ho disappeared on his way to tho railway station having taken as many can vouch for tho short detour by Lost Mans lano which would lead him di rectly by Mother Janos cottago You thrill me said I keeping ciown with admirablo self possession my own thoughts iu regard to this matter And what of No 10 beyond which sho said sho could not count In 10 was your 2C cent piece and in various other vegetables small coins whose wholo value was of a pitiful smallncss Tho only numbers which seemed to mako any impression on her mind woro those connected with theso crimes Very good evidence Miss But terworth that Mother Juno holds tho clow to this matter even if sho is not responsible for tho actual killing and putting away of tho individuals repre sented by this property Certainly I acquiesced and if you though to examine her after her re turn from tho Knollys mansion last night you would probably havo found upon her somo similar evidence of her complicity in tho last crime of this tor riblo series It would needs havo been small as silly Rufus as I tako it neither indulged in tho brass trinkets sold by tho old pedlar nor tho real jow elry of a well to do man liko tho young westerner Silly Iiufus Ho wns tho last to disappear from theso parts was ho not Yes madam And as such should havo loft somo clew to his fato in tho hands of this old crono if her niotivo in removing him was as you soom to think entirely that of gain I did not say it was entirely so Sil ly Rufus would bo tho last porson any one even such a uou compos mentis as Mother Jane would destroyfor hopo of gain But what other motivo could sho havo and Mr Gryco whero could sho bestow tho bodios of so many unfortu nate victims oven if by hor great strength sho could succeed in killing them Thero you havo us said ho Wo havo not been ablo as yot to unearth anybodies Havo you No said I with somo littlo show of triumph showing through my disdain but I can show you whero to unearth ono Ho should havo boon startled pro foundly startled Why wasnt ho I asked that of myself over and over in tho ono instant ho weighed his words beforo answering You know somothing then definite ly ho declared You havo como across a gravo or a mound which you havo taken for a grave I shook my head No mound said L Why should I not play for an iustant or moro with his curiosity Ho had with niino Ah thou why do you talk of un earthing No ono has told you whero you caii lay hand on Silly Rufus body I tako it No said I Thohouso Knollys is uot inclined to givo up its secrets Ho started glancing almost roniorso fully first at tho tip then at tho head of tho cane he was balancing in his hand Its too bad ho muttered but youvo been led astray Miss Buttor worth excusably I acknowledge quito exousably but yet in a way to givo you quito wrong conclusions Tho secret of tho Knollys houso But wait a mo ment Then you were not locked up in your room last night Scarcely I returned wavorlng bo tweeu tho doubts ho had awakened by his first sentenco and tho surpriso which his last could not fail to givo mo I might havo known they would not bo likoly to catch you in n trap ha re marked So you woro up aud in tho halls I was up said I and in tho halls May I ask whero you wero Ho paid no heed to tho last sentence This complicates matters said ho and yet perhaps it is as well I under stand you now and in a few minutes you will understand mo You thought T1IK NOUKOLK NKWS TIIUUSIUY DKOKMIIKK 21 18 it was silly Unfits who was burled last night That was rather an awful thought Miss Hutterworth I wonder that you look as well as you do madam Truly you aro a wonderful woman a very wonderful woman A truce to compliments I cried If you know as much as your winds show of what went on iu that ill omened house last night you ought to show some degree of emotion yourself for if it was not silly Unftis who was laid away under tho llower parlor who then was it No ono for whom tears could openly bo shed or of whoso death public acknowledgment could be made or wo would not bo sitting hero talking away at cross purposes tho morning aft er his burial Tears aro not shed or public ac knowledgment mado for tho subject of a half cruy mans love for scientific in vest igatinn It was a dog you saw buried madam a favorite dog which Mr Knollys loved but which for all that could not escape that half monsters passion for vivisection You aro playing with mo 1 cried outrageously and inexcusably playing with mo A dog laid away iu such secrecy and with such a degree of feel ing as I was witness to You must think mo in my dotage or else Wo will tako lie rest of tho sen tenco for granted he said You know that 1 can havo no wish to insult your intelligence Miss Butterworth and if 1 say dog I must have ample reasons for it Can you contradict those reasons Do you know it was a man that was buried thero last night If you do there is no more to bo said or rather thero is everything to bo said for that would givo to tho transaction of last night a very dreadful and tragic significance which at present I am not disposed to ascribe to it Taken aback almost overwhelmed by a statement for which I was in no de gree prepared and yet which I could not but think false for all his quiet self assuranco I stolidly replied Sinco you say it was a dog provo that It will bo timo enough for mo to talk when your supposition is proved untenable Madam ho was not angry fol low feeling for tho disappointment ho quiet retort as interesting asanything you huo told mo of your invest igalioiH at Mother Janes cottage Did you think I simply walked on ho outside of things Mr iryee I should not havo dono you that in justice 1 havo pierced as I think deeper than oven yourself Into Williams chai ned i 1 think him capiblo but do sat isfy my curiosity on one point first Mr Gryco 1 low camo you to know as much as you do a In mt last nights proceed ings You could not havo been iu Ihu house Did you succeed lien iu mak ing Mother Juno loveal on hor ret in u what it was sho took pari in Tho tip of his eano was up and ho frowned at it Then he handle look its placo and he gavo it a good iialured smile Miss nnttcrwoilh said ho I havo net succeeded iu making Mother Jane at any time go beyond her numerical monologue llut you have been more successful And with a sudden marvel ous change of expression peso and man ner he throw over his head my shawl which had fallen to the leer in my us ouishmeut mid recking himself to and fro beforo me muttered grimly Soveiityl Twenty eight Ten 1 No more I can count no moro Go Mr Iryee I oxolaiined it was then you 1 saw In Mother Janes cottage with Mr Knollys ho finished And it was 1 who helped to bury what you now de clare to my real terror and astonish ment to have been a human being Miss Buttorworth what about tho knot of crape Tell mo CHAPTER XXV TKIILKH 1UJT NOT TUIKI1NO But 1 am methodical even at the most critical instant as I hose who have read That A lair Next Door have had am ple opportunity to know Having heaid him make his startling declaration 1 could not proceed to establish my stand point till 1 know a little more about his Kxouso mo ono moment said I If you had tho handling of ono of those ropes you weru nearer the heart of this business than I Is that why you decided it was no human being you wero burying DONT GIVE HER TIIE MOOEST COIN considered mo a prey to mado him very gentlo to mo madam if you know it was not a dog say so I do not wish to wasto my time I do not know it Very well then I will toll you why I think my supposition true Mr Knol lys as you probably havo already dis covered is a man with a socrot passion for vivisection Yes said I I havo discovered that It is known to his family and it is known to a very few others but it is uot known to tho world at large not even to his fellow villagors I can boliovo it said L His sisters who aro gentle girls feel dreadful about it Thoy have tried iu overy way to influonco him to abandon it but unsuccessfully so far for ho is not only entirely tiuamcuablo to persuasion but has a naturo of such brutality ho could not livo without some such excitement to help away his lifo in this dreary houso All thoy can do then is to conceal thoso cruelties from tho oyes of tho peoplo who already oxo crate him for his mauy roughnosses and tho undoubted shadow under wliich ho lives Timo was when I thought this shadow had a substanco worth our in vestigation but a further knowledgo of his real fault and a coinploter knowl edgo of his sisters virtues turned my inquiries in a now direction whero I havo found as I havo told you actual reason for arresting Mother Jano Havo you anything to say against it Cannot you seo that all your suspicions can bo oxplained by tho brothers cruol im pulses and tho sisters horror of having thoso impulses known I thought a moment then I cried out boldly No I cannot Mr Gryco Tho anxiety tho fear which I saw dopictod on thoso sisters faces for days might havo somo such explanation perhaps but tho knot of cruno on tho wiudow shutter tho open Biblo in tho room of death Williams room Mr Gryco proclaim that it was a human boiug for whom Lucottas sobs wont up and so shall I contiiiuo to think till investiga tion has proved my mistake I do uot follow you ho said moved for tho first timo from his com posure What do you mean by a knot of crapo and when was it you obtainod entratico into Williams room I havo points to rolato was my In a measure yes Having somo skill in theso disguisos especially where my own infirmities can havo full play as in caso of this strong but half bent woman I had no reason to think my own identity was suspected much loss discovered Therefore I could trust what I saw and heard as being what Motlior Jano horsolf would bo allowed to see or hoar under tho samo circum stances If therefore tho Knollys and this old crono had been ns you scorn to think thoy aro in league for murder Lucotta would hardly havo greeted mo as sho did when sho camo down to meet mo in tho kitchen And how was that What did sho say Sho said Ah Mother Jano wo havo a piece of work for you You aro strong aro you not Humph And then sho commisoratod mo a bit and gavo mo food which upon my word I found hard to oat though I had saved my appotito for tho occasion Bo fore sho left mo sho bade mo sit in tho ingle nook till she wanted mo udding as sho went out to Hannah who that moment camo in There is no uso try ing to explain anything to her Show her when tho timo conies what thero is to do and trust to her short memory to forgot it beforo sho leaves tho houso Sho could not understand my brothers propensity or our slmuiu iu pandering to it So attempt nothing Hannah Only keep tho inonoy iu her view So and that gavo you no idea It gavo me tho idea I havo imparted to you or rathor added to tho idea whioh had been instilled iu mo by oth ers And this idea was not affoctcd by what yon 6a w afterward Not in tho least rather strength ened Of tho few words I overheard ono was uttered in rofereuco to yoursolf by Miss Knollys Sho said I havo locked Miss Butterworth again in her room If sho accuses mo of having dono so I 6hall toll her our wholo story Better sho should know tho familys disgraco than imagine us guilty of crimes of which wo aro utterly incapable Well I criod you heard that Yes madam I heard that and I do not think sho know sho was droppiug that word into tho ear of a detectivo but you may differ with mo I am not ready to say so yet I re plied What oho did llioao girls lot fall Iu your homing Not much It wan ITaiiiiiih who led me Iulo the upper hull ami Uaiuiuh who In signs mid signals rather him words shoWid me whnl was expected of me llnwcMi when after he box was lowered Into the cellar lhuiuuh was drawing me away Lueollu stepped up and whispcied In lur oar Dont give her the biggest coin live hev the little one or she may mistake our ronwin for secrecy 1 wmildii1 like own a foul lo do that even rnr Hie moment II would remain lodged in Mother Janes mind Well well I cried again certain ly puzzled for these stray expressions of the sisleiH wete lu a measure contra dictory not only of I lie suspicions I en tiiliiiueil but of Hie fuels which had seemingly come lo my ut lent Ion Mr Iryee who was probably watch ing my face more closely than the move ments or the cane lib whose move nieulM lie was apparently engiosscd slopped to givo a finessing rub to the knob of thai samo rutin bclote saying One such peop behind the scenes is worth any amount of surmising on the wrong side of the curtain I let jeu share my knowledgo because il Is your due Now if you feel willing lo ex plain what you mean by a knot of crape on the bhuHcr 1 am at your service madam Then I told him and as 1 talked I saw his face leiigl hen anil doubt tako the place of tho quiet assuranco with which he had received my various intimations up to this time The cane was laid aside and from the action of his right forefinger on the palm of his left baud 1 judged hat 1 was making no small impression on his mind When I hud finished ho sat for a minute silent then he said Thanks Miss Buttorworth you have more than fulfilled my hopes What wo buried was undoubtedly hu man and the question now is who it was and of what death did his person die You think it was silly Itiifus 1 did not answer There wis a weak point in tho position I had taken iu this matter and I knew it lie did not try to hurry me I appreciated this and took my time Presently I said 1 have a confession to make Up lo a certain moment 1 never had a thought but that it wiih silly Rufus they held imprisoned in Williams room and who died there nor am 1 quite sure that 1 am yet leady to embrace any oilier the ory but Mr Gryco in he minuto 1 took Id look about the room from which tho victim had been so lately carried I saw standing iu one comer a pair of shoes hat could never havo been worn by any boy rani I havo ever seen or known of Neithcrcould the havo been the property of any ono I had ever met iu the Knollys house Lorccu and Lu cottu both havo trim feel but theso wero tho shoes of a cliihl of 10 very dainty and of u cut aud make worn by women or rather 1 should say by girls Now what do you make of that Ho did not seem to know what to mako of it Tap tap wont his finger on his seasoned palm and as I watched tho slowness with which it fell I said to myself I havo proposed a problem to him now that will tax oven Mr Grycos powers of deduction And I had It was minutes beforo ho ventured an opinion and then it was with a shade of doubt iu his tono that I acknowledge to havo felt somo prido at putting thero They wero Lueottas shoos Tho emotions under which you labored very pardonable emotions madam con sidering tho circumstances aud the hour Kxcuso me said I Wo do not want to wasto a moment I was excited suitably and duly excited or I would havo been a stone But I never loso my head under excitement nor my sense of proportion Tho shoes were not Lucot tas She nover woro any approaching them insmallness sinco her tenth year Has Simsbury a daughter Has thero not been a child about tho houso somo timo to assist tho cook in errands and so on No or I would havo seen her Be sides how would tho shoes of such a person como into Williams room Easily Secrecy was required You were not to bo disturbed so shoes wero taken oil that quiet might result Was Lucotta shoeless or William or even Mother Jane You havo not told mo that you wero requested to walk in stocking feet up the hall No Mr Gryco tho shoes wero tho shoos of a girl I know it becauso it was matched by a dress I saw hanging up iu a sort of wardrobe Ah You looked into tho wardrobo I did and felt justified iu doing so It was after 1 had spied tho shoes Very good And you saw a dress A littlo dress a dress with a short bkirt Tho Misses Knollys do not rido a bicycle I tako it and this could only bo tho dress of ono who did or of a child It was a silk dress another anomaly and tho color I think was blue but I cannot swear to that point I felt very hurried and took the brief est glance But my brief glances can bo trusted Mr Gryco That I think you uro beginning to know Certainly said ho and as proof of it wo will now act upon theso two premises that tho victim in whoso bur ial I was mi innocent partaker was a human being and that that humau be ing was a girl child who camo into that houso woll dressed Now whore- did that girl como from Tho town so far as wo know has lost nono of its inhabitants lately That you should know said I A visitor But no visitor could en ter this houso without it being kuowu far and wide Why I heard of your ar rival hero beforo I left tho train on whioh I followed you Had wo allowod ourselves to bo influenced by what tho peoplo about hero say wo would havo turned that Knollys houso insido out a week ago But I dont boliovo in put ting too much confidence iu tho preju dice of country people Tho idea they suggested aud which you suggest with I out putintK it too clearly liito wmi h m much Ion horrible to boneini upon Without the lest of reason ilmpt e hilVe round those reasons yet I lill feel like usk lug where did this girl ome from mid how cimld she have Inc me a pilsner to the Knollys house wo In tit the knowledge of Madam u hu met Mr Tiolim The queitloii was so sudden 1 b id not time to collect myself Hut pnliimil was Hoi nicessnry for I ho slnii utli Hull loll I Used Heemed lo Hlllsf Mr Gryco who went on o say It is he who first HUlninoiieil u r mid ills ho who has the greuli -I intir est Iu locating Hie houicc of tin dis appearances yet he has seen no child come here Mr Trohtii is not a spy said F bill Hie remark happily poihapH fill unheeded No one has he begun We must give another turn lo our suppositious Suddenly u silence fell upon iih both His finger ceased lo lay down the law and my gavo which had been scan hlng his face inquiringly became Used At Hid same moment and iu much tho samo lone of voice wo both spoke he saMng llimiphl and I Ahl followed by a similar I havo found II The phantom cm riuge explained I Which rolled so quiet ly into Lost Mans lane ho evening preceding your ariival It was no phantom I went on Two saw it and I hero I could not suppress a slight toss of my head re member now a petty circumslanco which I dare you lo match iu corrobo ration of this new theory Vou have had advantages ho com menced And disadvantages I finished de termined that he should award mo my full meed of praise You am probably mil afraid of dogs You could visit the stables Ami did madam but 1 saw noth ing I thought not I could not help the interruption It is so seldom one can really triumph over this man Not having the cue you would not be apt to see what gives this wholo thing away I would never have thought of it again if wo had not had this talk Is Mr Simsbury a neat nian A neat man Madam what do you mean Something important Mr Gryco If Mr Hiinsliury is a neat man ho will have thrown away tho old rags which I dare promise you uumbered his stable Door the morning after the riding in hero of the phantom carriage If he is not you may still find Iheiu there Ono of them 1 know you will not find Do pulled it oil of his wheel with his whip the ultornoou ho drove me down from the station I can see the sly look ho gave me as ho did it It made no impres sion on me then but now Madam you have got it That car riage was tho old coach to bo found now in thu Knollys stable mid its phantom appearance was due to its noiselessness which you have now in a measure ox plained but Miss Butterworth if thoy went to the length of winding ruga around the carriage wheels to mako them noiseless even tying up tfiohorsoH feet for tho samo purpose perhaps thoy must have had a motive dark enough to warrant your deepest suspicions And William was not the only ono involved Simsbury at least had a hand in it nor does it look as if the girls were entirely innocent of a foreknowledge of what was likoly to occur I cannot consider tho girls I de clared I can no longer consider tho girls No said ho wo must do our duly Wo must find if any child alight ed from the cars at thu mountain sta tion that night or what is moro prob able if sinister results wero expected from tho littlo station at C five miles farther up iu tho mountains And I urged seeing that ho had still something to say Wo must mako sure who lies buried under tho floor of tho room you call tho flower parlor You may expect mo at tho Knollys house some timo today I shall como quietly but in my own prop er person You aro not to know mo aud unless you desire it need not appear in tho matter I do uot desire it Then good morning Miss Butter worth My respect for your abilities haa risen oven higher than before Wo part in a like mind for once And this lie expected mo to regard as a compliment To bo contliiuvil noxt Saturday Advorsity flattereth no man but tho pains of dyspepsia turn his atten tion to Hoods Sarsaparilla aud in its uso ho finds a cure J For all coughs i and colds t i Ayers juicrry roiurau The medicine tried S for 60 years is the r i medicine you can afford to try r