The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1886-09-11

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were tn,sn .f families who had been
for generations on the estate. The idea
uf suspecting any of them was too
painful. Taylor was the only excep-
tior, and she had been with Lady
Hayward two years.
j ST begin to believe," said Lsdy
Hayward sthat il is one of our guests"
4 "Good Heavens, Kate, what an
idea ~
s.Can you suggest anything else"
ldeviltry at work, but heat my brains
i how I will, I can't see where ii comes
FROM"
81 tell you what we must do, Yer.
non," said Lady Hayward decisively.
i any one, and keep our own counsel.
Ride over to the town early tomorrow
morning and telegraph to Scotland
Yard for detective TO come down dis.
guised 10 the hall. There will be so
many people the servants won't have
time to notice him. He must stop on
/ as visitor until he finGs out some-
thing"
"That will do" exclaimed Lord
Hayward.
| SNOW 6os Salu Aiuy nay WaIu,
ringing the bell tor Taylor; II must
dress at once"
| AS he went out he met the maid in
the doorway, aud gave her Il more cu>
rious look than usual. The result was
only 10 give up his idea as preposterous.
She had very gentle. good face her
soft brown hair, brushed smoothly
over her ears, gave it an almost Puri-
tanic look. Lady Hayward had made
something OF friend Of her, and the
girl had never presumed in the least
upon it, but had always retained her
subdued, sweet manner.
| Lady Hayward scrutinized her, too,
during the process of the dressing, but
she shrank from the thoughts in her
own mind. She had grown fond of
her treasure of maid, and felt
ashamed of her quickly suppressed
suspicious.
Early next morning the telegram
was sent to Scotland Yard by Lord
| Hayward who rode over alone to send
1t and waited for the answer, The
reply seemed to please him and he
rode back in good spirits to late
breakfast. He even faced, with Iaod-
crate cheerfulness, Lady Hayward's
eldest sister, who was in. a frightful
state about her necklace. This lady
was one OF his pet aversions; she was
not pretty or clever like his wife, but
she was more irreproachable, more
moral, more perfect, and she was an
old maid. Probably she was the only
person in the world of whom Lady
Hayward was afraid. Miss Collette
was severe censor in all things and
| kept her eye-glass well fixed on her
younger sister, who had an important
position to fill before the world. AT
present Miss Collette was very angry
| because she did not know what was
being done about the thefs: she had
found out before that the exemplary
Cecilia could not hold her tongue.
This extreme discretion having been
observed, the Scotland Yard detective
| arrived as visitor, and no one paid
any particular attention TO him. He
was very quiet and adopted the char
| acter of the man who does not dance,
or talk, or do anything, and it ans
wered admirably. A number of other
men with superb shirtfronts hung
about the doorways and looked bored;
Mr.. Hawk was admirably gotten up
| for the purpose, and had only to mingle
| with these others and look as bored as
they. Lady Hayward was delighted
| at this excellent effacement of himself
and kept her eye on him with great
interest. She managed to speak to
him very late when the party was
breaking up. He had discovered
nothing so far-not even "clew"-
and she went to bed disappointed.
Visitors at Hayward Castle break
tasted, of course. at any time during
the morning but the family and house
| hold always assembled to m 1rning
prayers at a quarter 10 0, and break
fast formally began directly afterwards.
Mr.. Hawk fiad learned this and was
in the breakfast-room early--the only
guest present. No one else turned up
but Lord and Lady Hayward them
selves, Rose Mannering, who alwas ap.
peared with her charge at this time,
and the servants. Even Miss Colleite
was too tired to come down, though
no one was stricter, theoretically, on
the subject of family prayers. How
grateful was Lady Hayward, half an
hour afterward, that her sister had
been late that morning.!
| The servants all came in, led by the
butler and the estately housekeeper, aud
Lord Hayward read prayers. Mr..
Hawk sat very quietly in the shadow
of curtain.
With all decorum the servants filed
out again, and Mr.. Hawk did not
move. The moment the door closed