Manfred's Quest: Or, The Mystery of a Trunk — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MANFRED’S QUEST. _ © T have been in C—— several days. ”’ The lady’s agitation again became evident. “* JT told you I was a detective?’’ ** You did.’’ **T am on a particular case.’’ “The lady made no remark. **T am investigating the Silver mystery.’’ ‘The lady uttered a scream. ** Aha! I thought so!’ muttered Manfred. =—_— =— The dady had grasped his arm and was trembling vlo- | dently. 2 What would you say?’’. she demanded, in a husky Voice. ‘* What do you expect me to say?” ** T expect nothing.” ** Oh, yes, you do.” ** What do I expect?’’ ** You expect me to say something about that murder.’’ ** Murder?’’ ejaculated the lady. = Yes, murder!’’ ‘* You suspect it was a murder?” éé T do. 323 ~ The two had come to a halts the lady’s agitation was ex- ¢reme, but she said: ** I do not know as I have any interest in the tragedy to which you allude. ’’ ** Yes, you have, madame.”’ ** Why do you say so?” ** You have betrayed yourself!’ **T have betrayed myselfr’’ **'Yes; but I suspected from the start that you knew @omething about the murder. ” | ** You proclaim it a murder?” éé Yes. b Pd ‘* Listen. As I live, I know aneiung about it!?? ** But you are interested in it?’’ oe A ‘Good. Iam glad you admitsomuch. Whence comes your interst?’’ The woman was silent. ‘Come, confide in me.’’ ** Oh, that I could.’’ ** You can.” ‘* You are a detective?” | £6 T am.”’ ** Who employed your... “*T will explain later on.’ ‘The fady made a ae exclamation. CHAPTER XII. _. THE two stood in the opening dawn on a country road. The sky was beginning to brighten in the east, and sur- rounding objects were becoming more clearly visible. ‘Will you tell me,” the woman repeated, ‘“‘ who em- ployed you to investigate the mystery?’’ ** No one. ”’ ** No one?’’ repeated the lady. -** No one.”’ ‘* And how did you chance to interest yourself?’ ** T have a strange story to tell.” ~ ** Tell it to me.”’ ** Not until I ear your story.”’ ** Did you know Mr. Silver??? **T never saw him to my recollection, dead or alive ** You never saw him??? | ** Never!’* 17? ** You know his history?’” 6¢ if do. 3 ** Are you acquainted with any of his friends??? ** Not to my knowledge. ”’ *€ And no one engaged you to investigate the mystery?” ** No one.” ** Oh, that I were sure I could trust you!’’ ** You can trust me.’’ °° T have an interest in the tragedy.”’ ‘** I thought so.’ ‘* A vital interest. ” *¢ Will you explain it??? A moment the woman was silent, but, at length, she said: °*T will trust you. ”’ ** And you will never regret your confidence in case cir cumstances make it so that you need a friend?’’ **T do need a friend. ’’ “* Then I will prove myself one on one condition. ~ ‘* ‘What is the condition ?”’ ‘* That you are worthy?’’ ‘*T am a suffering woman.” ** And innocent?’ ‘*T am innocent of any crime. ’’ — ** You had nothing to do with the murder?’’ ‘* You still persist in declaring it a murder?” ‘* T am satisfied it was a murder. ”’ ‘* T fear you are right.” ‘‘ But will you tell me your interest in the tragedy??? ‘* My interest, as I told you, is a vital one.”’ °° Name it.”’ “Mr. Silver was my husband !’’ The detective gave a start and ejaculated: ** Aha! I thought so!’’ ‘* You thought he was my husbandt **'No; but I thought you had some we 2 interest in the affair. ’” ‘*T certainly have. ”’’ ‘*'We may have no better opportunity; tell me your story.” ‘* It is the old, old story.”’ ‘* Tell it to me.” The woman remained silent some moments. peared lost in deep thought, but at length she said: ‘*T will trust you, and if you betray me I am lost.’’ ‘“You need not fear; I will stand by you under all emergencies if, as you state, you are an abused woman.”’ 6é I am. I? ‘* Let us not lose time; tell me your story.’’ ‘*T was an orphan. I became a governess. I was trav- eling in Europe with the family who employed me. We met Mr. Silver. He was a middle-aged man, a bachelor. He fell in love with me and asked me to become his wife. He was a relative of the lady whom I served. She discov- ered that I-had won Mr. Silver’s love, and. from that mo- ment she became myenemy. I now know that she desired to marry Mr. Silver herself. She was a widow and he was very rich. She slandered me, but Mr. Silver loved me, and proposed a quiet marriage, I wasa helpless girl and he was a kind and, as I supposed, good man, and I secretly married him. ‘* Our marriage was maintained a secret for over a year, and then it became necessary that I should demand an an- nouncement of the fact of our marriage, when to my horrer my husband declared that I was not his wife!’’ ‘* Ah, you were deceived!’’ said Manfred. ‘* No, I was not deceived; my marriage was a valid one. €33 She ape | I found the clergyman who married us and secured from | him all the necessary proofs that the marriage was legal, comicboo ~