The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-04-14
A STORY THAT WAS HUsHED Up.

nre-a ieaping, roaring, jovial coal fire.
and ,ndulging in the orthodox amusemspts
OF story telling. We had an ancient house,
Keeper among ~, who had known some Of
10 every since We we're born, and the pspas
and ma'mas Of many others Of us long
time before We were born.
Ah ~ remarked the ancient dame. when
one OF our stories-I think it was ghost
story-had come to a conclusion; "its oil
very easy to talk, but suppose there are
| other persons who have seen strange thing.
j-sye, and can tell strange things about
'em, too"
.'No doubt, ma'am," one Of us answered:
'.there was the old woman who won't up to
the moon; che must have had some uncous-
monty strange things to tell"
/ 'Likewise tho old woman who lived in
snoe, smother took occasion to remark.
| ITO say nothing Of tho old woman who
teil asleep by the kings highway" a third
observed, "and Was 90 badly treated BY Mr..
Stout, the tinker"
"Ah, yes, l dare say p the housekeeper
rejoined, "that's right! Tease and mock a
poor lonely old body, do! Its very generous
aud manly, isn't it? IL wasn't 90 when
lived with the quality" s
"With whom did you say, ma'am 20 I
made bold to inquire.
''With gentletolks - the housekee re-
torted, snappisbly. "With the very frst
families! With none Of your rubb,shing
country squirss; nay, nor with knights nor
barrowknights, neither; but with born lords
and ladies. With the very first nobility in
the land, though say it, that shouldn't-''
! "lndeed ma'am!' | interposed, in az
respectful tone as could command, wish.
ing to conciliate the worthy but somewhat
irascible old lady.
| s'Yes, indeed p pursued the housekesp
sit isn't for nothing, pert and fippant as
you are, that lived seven years and three
months in the service of Lord Millament.'
/ 81 knew his lordship WE'LL" l observed,
gravely, "that is, have seen his portraits
in the print shops, and read Of his achieve
ments in the newspapers when was hey.
He ran away with and married Miss Jaghire,
the great Indian beiress, didn't he ?"
"Yes, sir, he did"
"Hs killed Sir Hargraves Grimwood, the
westcountry baronet, in u duel about Lady
Grimwood, did't he? remember his trial
and acquittal, as though shoy had occurred
yesterday"
eyes, sir, he did bu. he was badly pro-
voked. Sir Hargraves was q ssd man-lived
! at the Birthstone coffee house, and ALWAYS
drank pint Of scheidam before breakfast.
he w:sn't the first tall gentleman who had
been s1ho. about Lady Grmwood."
"And he died ambassador at Madrid
didn't he 2''
"Yes, sir; bus that was long after left
his service. 1t is fui, forty years ago that
was housekeeper to the Right Honorable
the Earl of Millament, Lord Lieutenant Of
Darkshire, and Colonel Of. the Darkshirs
Yeomanry Cavalry, at Csrtfoil Housr, Hay
Hill, Berkeley Square,"
"And WAS it there you became acquainted
with any strange tale?
| The housekeeper nodded significantly.
"What may it have been about, now
i.,.s?"
"No.. bit of it," replied the housekeepsr
.I naver I'D abide love, and wouldn't
troub my heu,. --'out such nonsense; No.
it wasn't the least Ii: tS- world about love-
"Murder, now," hin:ed.
"Worse!'' said the hou.ekseper, emph4t-
| ically. ..
"Worse!'' ! repeated. "What cas- be
worse?" might have suggested fires
thieves, suicide, elopement; but l thought
murder would cover o multitude OF crimes.
SHOW, what was it, my dear, good soul ?"
| "There,' resumed the housekeeper, low
thoroughly appeased, 81 see you're al! dying
of curiosity to know about it, and | won't
keep you any longer in suspense. Besides,
the story's very short one. 1t was hushed
| up at the time. and it would havo been much
more than my place was worth to breath
word Of it to living soul. But the chief
people concerned in it are all dead. The
very dog was poisoned with two ounces of
poisoned meat by the butcher the day after
wards, as if-poor dumb creature he
could have wagged up his tail to oomp.omise
anybody"
s.But We bavcu't heard who the dog was,
nor the butcher either" broke in, | um
afraid, somewhat impatiently. "Pray, be-
gin at the beginning, my dcar madam
we're all impatient to hear"
"Well, then, commenced the houseksep
or, settling herself comfortably in her arm
chair, "You shall hear all about it. Just
draw your chairs closer around me, for I'm
not very Icing Of breath"
We did Ss the old lady desired, and she
went on thus:
"In the year eighteen hundred and nineteen
I was, as have told you, housekeeper to
my Lord Millamens. The story pm telling
you has to do with tho winter of that same
wear. A bitter winter it was. Frosts three
weeks long, and a deluse of mud Whenever
there was a thaw. Goals, bread, and meat
frightfully dear. The poor crying out tit
to make your heart bleed, and the taxes as
heavy as hard dumplings. Our taxes were
paid for US, thank goodness, even to that
on the hair. powder with which tho footmeu
p!a.tered their heads. We were all well fed
and well cared for; for my Lord Millament
was far too proud and rich pobleman to
} put US on board wages when be went out
Of town, and always said that he liked TO
see his servants plump and rosy. 1t didn't
matter to him how much the butchers and
bakers bills came to. Hs had immense
estates in Darkshire, and two or three COM
Portable things they usod to call siuecurss
| n those days besides, wasn't there his
wife, the late Miss Jagshire's rich Indian
fortune2
"My Lord Millament had been away from
London during the hunting season. lie had
. pack Of hounds at Garfield Hal, the fam
liz name wac Cartfoil,) Darkshire, and had
been entertaining all the gentry Of the coun-
try side, with many OF tho nobility from
London, in the true style Of old English hos
pitalitv. All tho grand furniture in the
mansion en- Hay Hill had been covered up
since September, when his lordship and her
ladyship went out of town. The carpets in
the grand saloons Bere rolled up, the chan.
; deliers wrapped in yellow garss; the
pictures the same-dreadful grim old pic
lures there were, Of noblemen in curly wigs
and the ladies in hoop petsicoats and shock:
: ing low dresses-and the rich silver and
parcel gilt of which my Lord Millament. be.
ing 90 great nobleman, had vast quaint.
|ty, was safe and sound in four oak chests
clampsd with iron, at Messrs Dou5lon and
Moydor's, the bankers, in Fleet street. 1t
was good plan to send ones silver to tho
bankers, for there were plenty OF house.
, breakers about in those days, and no police
: exc.p. the whse1y old constablss, and the
; Bcv stree. red waistcoats.
: "It was on the 2lss of Decemb r, 1910,
: that your humble servant received post
: letter, franked by Mr.. Tubweil, one OF the
county members for berkshire. for my Lord
Mllalnent was always too generous with his
franks and never had any to spare for him.
self. The letter was from his lordship, and
!, in his usual kind style, though to my very
IL IL a.