Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-07
himself unperccived to the counted

At halfpast IL o'clock there was G
sound Of steps upon the garden walk.
+ and Harry's voice could be heard
through the half-open window. The
Colonel caught the very words, against
his will. Harry was talking with Ten
Whitmarsh. who had walked round to
see him home his voice was a little
thick, as if with wine, and he seemed
terribly excited ito judge by his accent
about something or other that had just
happened.
Goodnight, Tom" the young man
was saying, with an outward show OF
carelesSncss barely concesling 4 great
deal of underlying irritation. "Ill
paw YOU up what | lost Tomorrow or
the next day. You shall have your
money, don't be afraid about it,"
"Oh, it's all right Tom Whit
marsh's voice answered in an of-hand
fashion. Pay me whenever you like,
YOU know, Woolrych. 1t doesn't mat
ter to me when you pay me, this year
or next year, so long as get it sooner
or later"
Sir Thomas listened with sinking
heart. "Play," he thought to himself.
PLAY. play, play, already! 1t was
his fathers curse, poor fellow, and !
hope it won't be IIarry's. It's some
comfort to think, anyhow, that it's
only billiards"
" Well, goodnight, Tom" Harry
went on, ringing the bell as he spoke.
Goodnight, Harry. | hope next
time the cards won't go so persistently
against you
The cards. Phew. That was bad,
indeed Sir Thomas started. He
didn't object to a quiet after-dinner
rubber on his own account, naturally.
But this wasn't whist; oh, no, nothing
of the sort. This was evidently Sc
rious playing. lie drew a long breath,
and felt he must talk very decidedly
about the matter to Harry tomorrow
morning.
lis my uncle home yet, Wilkins:'
"No, sir; he said he wouldn't be
back probably till 2 o'clock, and we
wasn't to sit up for him."
All right, then. Give me light
for minute in the library. I'll take
a settler before go upstairs, just to
steady me-"
Sir Thomas almost laughed outright.
This was really too ridiculous. Sup
pose after all the waiting Harry was to
come over and discover him sitting
there n the darkness by the window,
what a pretty figure he would cut be-
fore HIN. And besides, the whole
thing would have to come out then,
and after all the thief would never be
discovered and punished. The Colo
rel grew hot and red in the face, and
began to wish to goodness he hadn't in
the first place let himself in, in any
way, for this ridiculous amateur-de-
toctive business.
But Harry drank his setter standing
by the side-table, with no brandy,
either; that was a good thing, no
brandy. If he'd taken brandy, too, in
bis present excited condition, when
he'd already certainly had quite as
much as was at all good for him, Sir
Thomas would have been justly and
seriously angry. But after all, Harry
was a good boy at bottom, and knew
how to avoid such ugly habits. lie
| took his setter and his bed rOOm can
die. wilkins turned out the light in
the room and Harry went upstairs by
himself Immediately.
Then Wilkins turned the key in the
library door and the old gentleman be.
gan to reflect that this was really a most /
uncomfortable position for him to be
left in. Suppose they locked him in
there till tomorrow morning Nh .
happy thought; if the worst came to
the worst he could get out Of the Ii /
brary window and let himself in at
the front door by means Of biz latch .
key.
The servants all filed upstairs, one A..
by one, in an irregular procession; .
their feet died away gradually upon the .
upper landings. and a solemn silence /
came at last over the whole household. /
Sir Thomas's heart began to beat
faster; the excitement Of the plot in
terest was growing stronger upon him. /
This was the time the thief would .
surely choose to open the davenport. .
lie should know now within twenty .
minutes which it was Of all his people,
whom he trusted so implicitly. that was
really Iobbing him.
And lie mad treated them all so .
kindly, too. Ha, the rascal he should .
catch it well, that he should, whoever /
he was, as soon as ever Sir Thomas
discovered him.
Not if it were wilkins, though not
if it were wilkins Sir Thomas hoped
it wasn't really that excellent fellow
Wilkins-a good, old-tried, and trusty
servant. If any unexpected financial
/ difficulties
Hush, hush! Quietly now. 4 step
upon the landing
Coming down noiselessly, nOiSeless-
/ ", noiselessly. Not Wilkins-aot
heavy enough for him, surely; no, no.
a wOman's step, so very IlSht' so H5ht
and noiseless. Sir Thomas really hoped
in his heart it wasn't that pretty, deli
cate-lOoking girl, the new hOusemaid.
If it was, by Joye-yes, he'd give her
good lecture then and there, that
very minute. about it, offer to pay her
passage quietly out to Canada, and
recommend her to get married decently
10 some good young fellow on the earli-
est possible opportunity.
The key turned once more in the
lock, and then the door opened stealth
lily. Somebody glided like ghost into
the middle of the room. Sir Thomas,
gazing intently through the slit in the
curtains, murmuredt to himself that now
at last he should faiyly discover the
COMPOUNDED rascal.
la How absurd He could hardly
help laughing once more at the ridicu-
lous collapse to his high-wrOught ex-
pectation. And yet he restrained him
self. 1t was only Harry Harry came
down, candle in hand, no doubt, to get
: another glass of settler. The Colonel
a - -