Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-03-25

ner, lie has moments of energy that would
surprise you. Talking of surprises, L have
something to tell you about Moody. Within
the last day or two there has been marked
change in him change for the worse"
"You astonish me, Lady Lydiard. In
what way has Moody deteriorated!'
''You shall hear. Yesterday was Friday.
You took him out with you, on business,
early in the morning"
Mr.. Troy bowed, and said nothing He
had not thought it desirable to mention the
interview at which Old Sharon had cheated
him out OF his guinea
I'm the course of the afternoon" pursued
Lady Lydiard. 81 happened to want him,
and | was informed that Moody had gone
out again Where had he gone! Nobody
knew Had he left word when he would be
back! He had left no message of any sort
OF course he is not in the position of an or
dinary servant. | don't expect him to ask
permission to go out, but do expect him to
leave word down stairs of the time at which
he is likely to return. When he did come
back, after an absence of some hours, l
naturally asked for an explanation. Would
you believe it! he simply informed me that
he had been away on business of his own, ex-
pressed no regret, and offered no explana-
pendent gentleman. You may not think it,
but kept my temper l merely remarked
that hoped it would not happen again. He
made me low, and he said: My business
is not completed yet, my lady. l cannot
guarantee that it may not call me away
again at a moments notice. What do you
think of thatl Nine people out of ten would
lave given him warning to leave their SER
uica / fn 1 wonderful
woman; l only pointed to the door. One does
hear sometimes Of mems brains softening in
the most unexpected manner. / have my
suspicious of Moody's brains, can tell you"
Mr. Troy's suspicious took different
direction; they pointed along the line of
streets which led to Old Sharons lodgings.
Discreetly silent as to the turn which his
thoughts had taken, he merely expressed
himself as feeling too much surprise TO offer
any opinion at all.
"Wait a little" said Lady Lydiard; II
haven't done surprising you yet. You have
seen boy here in pages livery, think.
Well, he is good boy, and he has gone home
for weeks holiday with his friends. The
proper person to supply his place with the
boots and shoes and other small emplOynents
is, of course, the youngest footman. lad OF
only few years older than himself. What
do you think Moody does! Engages stranger,
with the house full Of idle men servants al
ready, to fill the pages place. At intervals
this morning heard them wonderfully merry
in the servants hall-so merry that the noise
and laughter found its way up stairs to the
breakfast room. / like my servants to be in
good spirits. but it certainly did strike me
that they were getting beyond reasonable
limits | questioned my maid, and was in
formed that the noise was all due to the jokes
of the strangest old man that ever was seen.
In other words, to the person whom my
haI faIa 70 in
the pages absence. ! spoke to Moody on the
subject. He answered in an odd. confused
way that he had exercised his discretion to
the best of his Judgment, and that Gf |
wished it, he would tell the old man to keep
his good spirits under better control
asked him how he came to hear of the man.
He only answered, BY accident my lady,
and not one word more could | get out of
him. good or bad. Moody engages the SER
wants. as you know; but on every other occa-
sion he has invariably consulted me before
an engagement was settled. | really don't
feel at all sure about this person who has
been so strangely introduced into the house;
he may be a drunkard or thief. | wish
you would speak to Moody yourself, Mr..
Troy. Do you mind ringing the bells"
Mr.. Troy rose, as a matter of course, and
rang the bell.
He was by this time it is needless to say,
convinced that Moody had not only gone
back to consult Old Sharon on his own re-
sponsibility, but worse still, had taken the
unwarrantable liberty of introducing him as
a spy into the house. To communicate this
explanation to Lady Lydiard would, in her
present humor. be simply to produce the dis
missal of the steward from her service. The
only other alternative was to ask leave to
interrogate Moody privately, and, after
duly reproving him, to insist on the departure
of Old Sharon as the one condition on which
Mr.. Troy would consent to keep Lady Lydiard
in ignorance of the truth.
81 think shall manage better with Moody
if your ladyship will permit me to see him in
private" the lawyer said. ''Shall go down
stairs and speak to him in his own room!"
"Why should you trouble yourself to do
thats' said her ladyship. ''See him here,
and l will 60 into the boudoir."
AS she made that reply the footman APP
peared at the drawing room door.
'.Send Moody here" said Lady Lydiard.
The footman's answer, delivered at that
moment, assumed an Importance which was
not expressed in the footman's words. "My
lady," he said, "Mr Moody has gone out"