The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-10-29

my SER lulu Is me mistress down
YETI
she amt in the library" answered
Bridget, busting about the kitchen
"lll go and see, shall II"
mo, III GO" and Janet rose up and
! went upstairs. 1t was not fitting that
this pert young h0usemaid should wait
! on her mistress now. SO she rustled up
stairs and knocked at Erica's dressing
| room door. but as no answer was re-
turned, she yentured in.
Poor darling!' she said, with sigh;
"she's just worn out and asleep, dare
say
She softly opened the bedroom door
and looked in, but stood transfixed at
the sight Of the empty room, the bed
evidently unused; everything looking
exactly as the housemaid had left it the
evening before.
she has never been to bed" ejacu-
lated the housekeeper, turning to de-
scend to the sitting-room. Poor lassie,
she II just be fairly worn out body and
mind"
But no mistress was in any of the
rooms, and, seriously disturbed in mind,
the housekeeper cast about whether
grief had not unhinged Erica's intellect,
and she had gone out into the night, or
thrown herself into the sea, Or"
"Oh, Lord!'' said the poor woman,
sitting down in drawing-room chair,
and wiping her eyes with her apron,
what Shall do? I'll send and have
the place searched and
What's the matter?" asked the
housemaid's voice, and she came in and
stopped, looking round.
The mistress isn't in her room, nor
she isn't here nor anywhere, that's
what's the matter, said Janet, rocking
herself to and fro. "Oh, what's to be-
done? She's gone and drowned her
self"
Il know she 'avent gone and done
nOthin' of the sort. You are a simple
old lady, y said Bridget with contempt,
her thoughts actively springing to the
most exciting notion; 'why she's just
took herself off with that there gentle
man as came one evening, and that's
what you saw, Mrs. Robertson-and
Wolf barking too-and it's real down.
right shame | call it, when the masters
away on such an errand, that | do
"lIaud your tongue We Saucy Wench,"
cried Janet, who was apt to become
Scotch when put ont. ''IIow dare ye
say such things q a WIFE
"Well, didn't you see some One?' per
sisted the housemaid, uudaunted The
best thing you can do is to send for
master Y
Poor SIrs. Robertson began to cry
very bttkrly. The more she had pro.
tested, the more she had felt in hef
heart that,she had not much ground 10
stand upoh, and she felt thoroughly
helpless. She had not notion what to
do, whether to send aud seek her mis-
tress. make inquiries, or let the matter
rest till her FIster returned.
And, oh,nsried the faithful woman,
putting her ap,on over her head and
fairly sobbing, 'what coming home it
will be? Oh, Lord. oh, Lord. what will
! we do?n
"She might, have gone out on the
beach" suggested Bridget, obviously.
1t was clear She made the remark from
a sense of duty. and would have felt
some little disappointment had her sur
mise proved correct. But Janet caught
at it. and soothed herself by protesting:
''-he was Just nathin' but an auld foo
not to think o that at once"
~ search on beach and rock proved
frultless, however. No one had seen
Erica, not even the fishermen, who re-
tled early in the morning; and the
, uT wore on without any tidings of the
lSst mistress. And then Mrs. Robert
. son, with heavy heart indeed, wrote
a ietter TO her master. as carefully
Worded as she knew how to make it,
poor soul.
MIR, ST. JoHN,--Sir, please come home at
once. We're In dreadful trouble, there being
only Bridget and me TO think, and we don t
know what to do. Pardon the liberty take in
. | wiring Yours respectfully,
JANET ROBERTSON"
, She did not know where he was ey-
actly, but addressed the letter to More
lys Hotel, where she knew he often
stayed when in town; but Philip was
i 'hen at WiltOn-le-Thorpe, and the letter
Ia3osached him Just after his brothers flu
II "neral, when he was about to start for
London once more to settle all claims
against the dead, of which there were
/, not a few. But he altered his determi-
nation at once on receipt of that mes
sage, whica somehow fell like lead on
his heart. Was Erica i'll? Why did
she not write? Why had she sent no
finer
II am afraid you have had more bad
news, - said his cousins voice, the head
, of the family at whose house he was
staying, and Philip looked up, crushing
the letter in his hand
81 am called home, . he said. II must
/ 90 at once. fear Erica is i'll. | shall
, catch the train to Pelham End, if |
e leave at once, and can change there for
: Rington."
a There was no more than time for the
( warm hand-clasp, which spoke such
1 sympathy, and the earnest words:
Write and let us know if it is illness.