Litchfield enquirer., 1860-04-26
WILD MIR. WILL,
A STORY THAT WAS FLUSHED UP.
By GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA.

lldulglng ln the OrthOd0X amusement O. storytelling We had an ancient house keeper among us, who had known some e us ever since we were born, and the papas ard mammas of many others of us long time before we were born. } "Ah!" remarked this ancient dame, wher one of our stories--I think it was ghost story--had come to a conclusion--" it's all r very easy to talk, but suppose there are other persons who have seen strange things : aye, and can tell strange things about lem, too"
 No doubt, ma'am," one of us answered "there was the old woman who went up to the moon; she must have had some uncom- monly strange things to tell" Likewise the old woman who lived in a shoe;;" another took occasion to remark
 To say nothing of the old woman who fell asleep by the Kings highway" a third observer, land was so badly treated by Mir. Stout, the tiuker.''
 "Ah, yes, I daresayw the housekeeper rejoined, bridling up, adjusting her many bowed cap, and evidently in that state of temporary irritation known to young ladies at boarding school as "pet." That's right! Tease and mock poor lonely old body, do. It's very generous and manly, isn't it? It wasn't so when lived with the quality"
 "With whom, ma'am?" I made bold to inquire:
 "With gentlefolksl" the housekeeper re- torted snappishly. "With the very first families! With none of your rubbishing country squires; nay, nor with knights nor barrow-knights neither; but with born lords aud ladies With the very first nobility in the land, though I say it, that shouldn't"
 Indeed, ma'amw I interpoSed in as res pectful tone as I could command, wishing to conciliate the worthy, but somewhat irasci- ble old lady.
 Ycs indeed" pursued the housekeeper. "lt isn't for nothing, pert and fippant as you are, that lived seven years and three months ill the service of my Lord Mil lamant"
 "I knew his lordship wel," I observed gravely; "that is, have seen his portrait in the print-shops, and read of his achieve ments in the newsaapers when l was boy. He ran away with and married Miss Jag hire, the great Indian heiress, didn't he?"
 "Yes, sir, he did"
 He killed Sir Hargreavcs Grimwood, the West county haronet, in duel about Lady Grmwood, didn't he? I remember his trial and acquittal as though it had oc- cured yesterday"
 "Yes, sir, he did; but he was sad man lived at the Birthstone Coffee House, and always drank a pint of schiedam before breakfast. He wasn't the first tall gentle l ho bn6 cto ,o1v wood"
 And he died ambassador at Madrid, didn't he?"
 Yes, sir; but that was long after left his service. It is full forty years ago that l was housekeepcr to the Right Honorable the Earl of Milamant, Lord Lieutenant of Darkshire, and Colonel of the Darkshire Yeomanry Cavalry, at Cartfoil House, Hay Hill, Berkely Square,"
 And was it there you became acquaint- ed with any strange tae?"
 The housekceper nodded significantly.
 "What may it have been about, now LoveW
 "Not bit of it," replied the housekeep- CT, "I never could abide love, and wouldn't trouble my head about such nonsense No, |
 Murder, now," hinted
 "Worse" said the housekecper, emphat ically
 Worse" I repeated. "What can be worse?" I might have suggested fire, thieves, suicide, elopement; but thought murder would cover multitude of crimes. "Now what was it, my dear, good soul?"
 There" resumed the housekeeper, now thoroughly appeased, Il see you're all dying of curiosity to know about it, and won't keep you any longer in suspense. Besides, the story's very short one It was hushed up at the time, and it would have been much more than my place was worth to breathe 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 paunch by the butcher the day afterwards, as if, poor dumb creature, he could have wagged tail to compromise anybody"
 But we haYn't heard who the dog was, or the butcher either;' broke in, I am afraid, somewhat impatiently. "Pray begin at the beginning, my dear madam, we're all impatience to hear"
 "Well then," commenced the housekeep- CT, settling herself comfortably in her arm chair. "You shall hear all about it. Just draw your chairs closer round me, for Pm not very long of breath"
 We did as the old lady desired, and sLe went on thus:-
 In the year eighteen hundred and nine teen, I was, as have told you, bousekeeper to my Lord Millamant. The story 1 am telling you has to do with the winter of that same year. A bitter winter it was. Frosts three weeks long, and dcluge of mud when ever there was thaw. Goals, bread, and meat frightfully dear. The poor crying out fit to make your heart break, 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 the footman plastered their heads. We were all we'll fed and we'll cared for, for my Lord Millamant was far too proud and rich a nobleman to put us on board wages when ne went out of town, and always said that ne ne liked to see his servants plump and rosy It didn't matter to him how much the ootcn- CTS and bakers bills came to. He had lm- mcnse estates in Darkshre, and two or three comfortable things they used to call slnecure r in those days; besides, wasn't there his wife, the late Miss Jaghire's rich Indian fortune! "My Lord Millamant had been away 3 from London during the hunting season. He ' |, oc bounIe n& Ho,%co:I u.n flL-