The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-10-29
MORNING, OCTOBER 20, 1869.

Is now to come, may add TO this, that the
shrubbery path was Mr.. Franklin's hyorite
walk. When he was out In the grounds, and
when We failed to find him anywhere else, We
generally found him here. -
an afraid must own that am rather an
obstinate old man. The moro firmly Sergeant
Cuf kept his thoughts shut up from me the
more firmly persisted In trying to look In at
them. As We turned Into the shrubbcry
| path attempted to circumvent him In another
way. :.
Gas things are now" said, "if was In
your place I should be at my wits end"
eff you were in my place." answered the
| sergeant, ''you would have formed an opinion
and, as things are now, any doubt you might
| previously have felt about your own conclusions
| would be completely set at rest. Never mind,
for the present, what those conclusions are, Mr..
Bctteredge. haven't brought you out here to
draw me like badger; I have brought you out
here TO ask for some information. You might
have given II to me, no doubt, In the house. in
stead Of out Of il. But doors and listeners have
knack Of getting together, and. In my line
OF life, We sometimes cultivate healthy taste
for the open air."
Who was to circumvent hh man' Igave In
--and waited as patiently as ] could to hear
what was coming next.
"we won't enter into your young lady's mo-
tives," the sergeant went on; eve will only
ay It's pity she declines 10 assist me, because
by 20 doing, she makes this investigation more
difficult than Il might otherwise have been. We
must now try to solve the mystery Of the smear
on the door-which, you may take my word
for II, means the mystery OF the Diamond also
lin some other way. have decided to sec
the servants, and 70 search their thoughts and
actions, Mr.. Bettcredge, instead Of searching
their wardrobes. Before begin, however. /
want 10 ask you question or two. You arc an
observant man-did you notice anything strange
In n Of the servants (making due allowance,
Of course, for fright and Hustcr) after the loss
Of the Diamond was found out. Any particu-
lar quarrel among themi Any one Of them not
In his or her usual spiritsi Unexpectedly out
Of temper, for instancc' or unexpectedly taken
illw HT. "E
I had Just time to think Of Rosanna Spear
mans sudden illness ut yesterdays dinner-but
not time to make any answcr-whcn saw Ser.
gcant Cuff s eyes suddenly turn aside toward
the shrubbery; and I heard him say sofsly to
himself, "Fuilor"
whats the mattcrr asked. ere
"A touch Of the rheumatics In my back said
the sergeant, In loud voice, as II he wanted
some third person to hear u.s. I'VE shall have
change In the weather before long,
A few steps further brought us to the corner
Of the house. Turning of sharp TO the right,
We entered on the terrace, and went down by
the steps In the middle, into the garden below.
Sergeant Cuff stopped there, in the open space,
where We could see round us on every side.
about that young person, Rosanna Spear
man = he said. ut isn't very likely, with her
personal appearance, that she has got q lover.
But. for the girls own sake, must ask you at
once whether she has provided herself with q
sweetheart, poor wretch, like the rest Of
themi'
What on earth did he m an, under present
circumstances, by putting such question to me
as thati stared at him instead Of answering
him. Ih
II saw Rosanna spcarman hiding In the
shrubbcry as We went by said the sergeant
'when you said 'IIullof - ~.
y 'Yee-wbcnI said 'Hullo.' II there's 4
sweetheart in the case, the hiding doesn't much
matter. II there isn't--as things are In this
house-the hiding is q highly suspicious cir
cumstance, and II viii 10 my painful duty to
act on II accordingly
What, In Gods name, was TO say to him
knew the shrubbcry was Mr.. Pranklin's IA
yorite walk; knew hc would most likely turn
that way when he came back from the station;
knew that Penelope had over and over again
caught her fellow-servant hanging about there,
and had always declared to me that Rosanna's
object was to attract Mr.. Franklins attention.
II my daughter was right, she might have
been LAYING In wait for Mr.. Franklin's return
~ hor II npt
between the two difficulties OF mentioning
Penelopes fanciful notion as II IL was mine.
or Of leaving an unfortunate creature TO suf-
fer the consequences, the very serious consc-
quences, Of exciting the suspicious of Sergeant
and my character, out Of pure pity for the girl
Il gave the Sergeant the necessary explana-
tions, and told him that Rosanna had been mad
enough to set her heart on Mr.. Franklin Blake.
Sergeant Cuff never laughe1. On the few oc-
casiops when anything amused him he curled
up q little at the corners Of the lips, nothing
more. He curled up now. - 7r'..r n.
Hadn't you better say she's mad enough to
be an ugly girl and only a servantf he asked.
The falling In love with q gentleman Of Mr..
Franklin Blake's mapners and appearance
doesn't seem TO me to be the maddest part Of her
conduct by any means. However, I'm glad the
thing is cleared up 1t relieves ones mind to
have things cleared up. Yes, I'll keep II q Sc
cret, Mr.. Betteredge like TO be tender to hu-
man infrmity-thoughI don't get many chances
Of exercising that virtue in my limo Of life. You
think Mr.. Franklin Blake hasn't got q suspicion
Of the girls fancy for himi All he would
have found II out fast enough II she had been
nice-looking. The ugly women have bad time
Of II in this world let's hope II viii be made
up to them in another. You have got y nice
garden there, and q well-kcpt lawn. See for
yourself how much better the flowers look with
grass about them instead Of gravel. No, thank
you, won't take rose. II goes 10 my heart
TO break them of the stem. Just rs Il goes to
your heart, you know, when there's something
wrong In the servants hall. Did you notice
anything you couldn't account for In any Of the
servants when the loss Of the Diamond was FIRST
found outf
I had got on very fairly we'll with Sergeant
Cuff 20 far. But the slyness with which he
slipped In that last question put me on my guard.
In plain English, I didn't at all relish the notion
Of helping his inquiries, when those inquiries
took him Tin the capacity Of snake In the grassy
among my fellow-servants. go,
Il noticed nothing said, except that we all
lost our heads together, myself included
'Oh,' says the Sergeant, that's all you have
to tell me, Is it!' I.- 49,, ,.,. -. ..
I answered, with (ss aattcred myself an
unmoved countenance, That is ALL
Sergeant Cuffs dismal eyes looked me hard
in the face. .l'iF'T j.
'Mr. Bettercdgc.' he said, have you any
objection to obligc me by shaking hands I have
taken an extraordinary liking to you.'
(why he should have chosen the cxact mo- |
mcnt when was deceiving him to give me that
proof Of his good opinion is beyond oil compre-
hension I felt little proud-I really did feel
little proud Of having been one too many at
last for the celebrated Cuff
We went back to the house the Sergeant TO |
questing that would give him room to him
self, and then send In the servants (the indoor
servants only, one after another, In the order |
Of their rank. from 6rst 10 last.
I showed Sergeant Cuf into my own room.
and then called the servants together In the hail.
Rosanna Spearman appeared among them, much |
A.. usral Che WAS "A ouick In har ~sv an fhe /