Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-05
to Kate Williams and inquire privatef,-.
VINO was left in charge Of Virginia

suspicious more definite shape. It APP
peared that ':James," Mrs. Willians's
man-of-all-work, had gone out for the
day, taking with him Maria, the upper
housemaid, with whom he was keeping
company. Mr.. Romney-Romnev him.
self had arranged this, like the rest of
the excursion. He had made presents
to all the servants in honor of. his en-
gagement, and had condescended to
ask, as a profound favor, that James
and Maria might be allowed to 90 and
visit friends at Dover. There remained
the cook and the under housemaid, and,
OF course, Kate added, Walters-Mr.
Romnev -Romney's man.
"Ah, l forgot him!'' said Bartlett to
himself. ''That makes two to reckon
with. And as likely as not they have
murdered the two women, and are now
ritling the house at their leisure, while
we are hung up on board this con-
founded steamer"
There was just one chance of being
even with Mr.. Romney-Romney yet.
While he was looking re gretfully at the
English coast, now rapidly dropping
down astern, Bartlett bethought him
that the morning steamer from
Boulogne was due to start somewhere
about the time that the boat from
Folkestone came in. He at once made
his way to the Captain of the Louise
Dagmar, and Intercepted that officer
as to the chance of catching the boat
back. If they were up to time at
Boulogne, the captain said, therewould
be ten minutes before the other steamer
started. U%nluckily, however, they had
been five minutes late in getting off and
had lost another three minutes through
a smack passing across their bows
coming out of harbor. On the othe.
hand they had one of the fastest boats
on the service, and a good tide under
her. With luck, the captain told Bart
lett he might do it.
After that, there was nothing to be
done but to return to the ladies and en-
deavor to beguile the next hour with
small talk. 1t was as anxious and ex-
citing an hour as Bartlett had ever
passed, and he found himself continual
ly relapsing into vacant silence, as he
mentally timed the STROKE of the en-
gines or measured the seemingly end
less distance between the ship and the
French coast. When at last Boulogne
harbor came in sight he was fain to
bolt away from his friends, and take up
a position in the bows. From that
point of vantage he deserted to his re-
lief the smoke Of a steamer within the
harbor. A moment later he learned
from one Of the crew that the Louise
Dagna7., after one of the best passages
on record was in nearly five minutes be-
fore her time.
Bartlett never quite knew how he got
on board the other steamer, still less
what excuse he made to his party for
this second desertion. All he clearly
remembered was his arrival, perspiring
and breathless, on board the Folkestone
boat about half a minute before she
cast Oft.
1t wa hardly one o'clock when he
found himself jumping again in Folke-
stone Harbor. In the meantime, he
had planned his next operations very
carefully. The first step:: was to drive
to the police station and obtain the
assistance Of an Inspector and consta-
BILE in plain clothes. The three alight-
ed just before they came in sight of
Virginia House. After sending the
constable round to watch tho house
from the back, Bartlett and the in
spector advanced to the front door,
Contrary to custom, it was shut, but
Bartlett had a latch-key in his pocket,
and they effected an entrance without
difficulty or noise. They at once be-
came aware OF a large pile of luggage
in the hall, p~ortmanteaus, trunks and
packing-cases being heaped up indis-
criminately; So, on seeing this, the in
spector changed his plan of operations.
Upon a sign from him, they retired
cautiously, closing the door again
noiselessly behind them, and took up
their position in a narrow side street
Immediately adjoining. They were
none to soon. Scarcely were they out
of sight, when Walters drove up in a
large roomy fly. He led the way into
the house, and was soon busily en-
gagged, with the help of the fly
man, in removing what Bart
lett's companion spoke of as
"the swag." AS the boxes and port
manteaus mounted up, Bartlett became
inpatient; but the inspector bided his
time. At last, Mr.. Romney-Romney
appeared on the steps, arrayed in a
travelling suit of a fashionable cut, and
carrying a rather pretty travelling bag,
winch q A1AOpo ACSOSLIACu do Lis OWL.
Then, at a given signal, the two police
men darted forward, and, just as he
was directing the coachman to drive to
"Shornclife Station-Dover side," Mr..
Romney-Romney found himself, with
his confederate in the grasp of the law.
An hour or two later the cook and
.house-mald came back in a state of CON
siderable agitation. They had been es-
corted down to sandgate by the atfable
Mr.. Walters, who, after sitting them
down to a lunch at a small inn, had
suddenly left them to speak to a friend
who was passing down the street, and
had forgotten to return. They assisted
Bartlett to unpack Mr.. Romnay-Rom-
ney,s luggage;
Miss Kate is now Mrs. Bartlett, but
Miss Williams is still unmarried, though
from her attitude towards one or two
gentlemen boarders, there is reason to
suppose that she is not inconsolable for
the loss of MI. Romney-Romney.-Lon-
don Truth.
In these days when so many build
ers of houses have grown apparently
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