The Mill Mystery

the Pollard

your rue with

ML

next day. Towards evening, however, a respite came, and I took the opportunity for a stroll up-street, as much for the sa

ers had ventured upon any reply to my remark, I expected one, if not both, of them to join me on the way. But I reached the last turn of the path without meeting any one,

head turn, and realized that it was too late to retreat. I therefore advanced with as much calmness as I could assume, determined not to vary my conduct, no matter which of the brothers it should turn out to be. But, to my great surprise, the gentleman before me gave me no

ceptance of this that the gentleman had made the peculiar gesture I had noticed - an act which, if it came from Dwight, certainly possessed a significance which I was not yet ready to ignore; while, if it proceeded from his cold and crafty brother - But I would not allow myself to dwell upon that possibility. The flower must be mine, and if afterwards I found that it was to Guy I owed its possession, it would be time enough then for

n front of me the beautiful idiot boy whose peculiarities of appearance and conduct had so attracted my attention in the summer-house the day before. He was looking at me with a strange gaze of mingled curiosity

impulse

the blossom. "This will give yo

loud laugh, and then, shaking his head, and rolling it curio

nd he danced about me with grotesque gayety for a moment, then flitted away to a

him. As he flashed back and forth, I saw that his eyes were always on my face, and once, as I confronted him with mine, he broke out into a series of chuckles, and cried: "Do they like you now? do they like you now?" and laughed and danced, and laughed aga

here I lived. I reached it in a few minutes, and being so fortunate as to find my landlady in, succeeded before another half-hour

rain to enter in floods from a jutting portion of the roof. Next, that although an inquest had been held over Mr. Barrows' remains, and a verdict been given of accidental death, the common judgment of the community ascribed his end to suicide. This was mainly owing to the fact that the woman in whose house he had lived

ere well enough known, no whisper of suspicion had been breathed against her or hers, that showed in the faintest way that any doubt mingled with the general feeling of commiseration. And yet it was too evident she was no fa

ith their names at all, was much more interested in wondering what disposition they would make of the property now coming to them, than in inquir

da and Mr. Barrows were

scern that a masculine figure was again leaning there, waiting, as it appeared, for my return. The discovery caused me a sensation of relief. Now I should at least learn which of the two brothers showed this int

ould have offered you my protection in your dismal wal

e perplexity that had weighed down my spirits for the last half-hour. "It is not pleasant to walk the

he declared, reaching out and taki

slight struggle for me to overcome certain prejudices in which I have been reared. That I have been able to do so give

. On the contrary, she gains something, and that is the respect of every true-hearted man that knows her." And his step lagged more an

emarked, vaguely anxious to chan

served: "I know, however you may address me, Miss Sterling, you cherish a doubt of me in your heart. I cannot resent this, much as my natural pride might prompt me to do so. During the short time in which I have known you, you have won so deeply upon my esteem, that the utmost which I feel able to ask of you under the circumstances is, that, in the two or t

it. I am so intensely proud; and then I could not but acknowledge to myself that, whatever my excuse, I was certainly running a risk of no

t this sigh, nondescript as it was, re-echo painfully in my heart, and hung my head in remorse; but

vor to show me,

seized upon the basket he held in hi

hown you one?

ushes at our right, but not before I had seen, by the look of astonishment he had cast upon the flower, that, notw

whispered, as we halted an instant between the cedars before mounting the steep steps. "No one in this house wishes to annoy you - or if there should be any one w

sness in this way. "Let us go in," I added, feeling that I must escape to

laugh broke from amid the bushes, and the weird voice of the idiot boy, whom I thought had been left behind me

which he addressed me this time had a ring of menace in it, and I was not surprised to see Dwight

e streets. He seems to have taken a fancy to me, for he followed me nearly al

the door open till I had hurried in, when he vehemently closed it, looking at the same time as

wise: I had been down-stairs on an errand for Mrs. Harrington, and was coming back through the dimly lighted hall, wh

ember that beautiful flower I noti

plied, with some embar

rrow for my mother's funeral.

sure I'm very sorry, sir; but it has already been pic

cting attention; but having heard thus much, I found it impossible to go on till I had at least learned if

s flower?" he asked, in an accent indifferen

Guy,

with which Mr. Pollard dropped the subject,

, and I saw that an explanation of some kind was abou