Wichita eagle., 1888-06-10
A CHANCE CHECKMATE.

Three years ago l was a girl of sixteen,
unemapcipated from the schoolroom- Ny
father was-and is-banker at Siston- The
town lies In q valley, and By great many
people is thought unhealthy. Having kinS
man whom be can thoroughly t.ust as acting
manager papa these many years since has
abandoned the red house in Siston Broadway,
and resided at the Manor, Walnsey This is,
however. twelve miles from his place of
business-eight by rail added to four by road
The Manor has one drawback--it stands in a
very isolated situation. Our nearest neigh
bors are our namesakes the Escotts of VAIN
sey Cross, and Valentia Lodge, the country
seat OF Capt. Milne Escott, lies westward
across the wilderness we call the Heath
good three miles.
The month when my story opens Yves that
OF February Filldike, and it was justifying
its name OF storms we seemed to have q
ceaseleSs succession. Heavy rains and high
winds had been for several weeks the pre-
vailing meteorological condition Alchemy
younger sister-and were prisoners within
doors. and we should have found time drag
more heavily than it did but for the presence
of Val An only brother is always a girls
hero and Val WAS ours In age he came be-
of the year was at Rugby But be had met
with an accident at Christmas, and was only
lust couvalescent. Hence his holidays had
already lasted in excess full fortnight Of
the working term AS perhaps Val may read
this. | viii be candid, and add that there
were Seasons when, owing to his teasing, We
heartily wished him back in the Midlands.
The Tuesday on which papa announced his
ever. not one of those occasions. Boreas was
doing his best to bring the house about our
ears We could not possibly go out IN the
tempeSt We were not ultra enthusiastic
readers, and fancy work was ever Ahce's
bette noir therefore we must have settled
into tame subIection to ennui but for Val
Ii was his business, as he put it, to make
things lively and he aid
had ventured To demur TO papa's going.
Surely it was my place 10 care for tim as
mamma would have done had she lived, and
ms health had troubled me- of late, thought
less As TOO frequently was.
at Is a dreadfuliy rough day. papa" |
said Cannot Sir Hugo Ferris waite 1t is
such distance too to Ferris Court and all
cross country You can't reach the place
readily by rail"
No. wish that could" papa answered
but the journey is quite imperative Sir
Hugo is one of our best patrons He tele-
graphs that his departure for Anglers is fixed
definitely for rhursday-an alteration of a
week ID his arrangements, and have urgent
matters to discuss with him. He insists
foolIshly but | cannot help it--on nego-
tlatlng with the principal. he will have none
OF Mr. Bellows" | suppose my face was
vislbly lengthening, for before / could reply,
papa added. Don't look SO glum about if,
Maggie You'll be quite safe here in charge
o. Airs Climber, our new houseEeeper | am
convinced that. after many changes and mis-
haps. we have secured a treasure. | say this
because il is uncertain if | shall return to-
night"
mot return tonight" echoed helplessly
NO" he said. 81 have decided TO take the
horses the whole way; and as the roads are
In a bad state, Spence will put the cattle up
in the next village and then drive me back
the next morning | shall be sure of COM
Portable quarters at Ferris Court"
.'ls it quite-safeT' asked
"For me, do you meanp
moo, for US Tins house is so lonely, and
Il is known that there are mammals jewels
and the pictureS-and the plate"
Papa scotfed at my fears. 1--WE are too far
from the track of the light fingered ,prowler
to receive his attentions he answered.
But it was an error
Ever since that day have had q lurking
belief in presennments. | know very well
that the confession will cause some superior
persons. fortified in the lines of a sane COM
mon sense, to smile with pity ct my girlish
weakness am somewhat disposed to smile
with them. and yet it Is not more certain
that plot existed to rife the manor, than
that hour by hour after papa had gone
grew more and more vaguely but genuinely
uneasy | said nothing to either Val or
Alice What was there to sayl Nor to Mrs.
Climber Somehow | had not taken TO the
fresh arrival so warmly as the others. did
not dispute that her recommendations were
first class that her defneanor to each OF us
was precisely what it should be-neither
overdeterentiaI nor too familiar-that she
was skiuful house mistress and paragon
OF order
Dusk thickened at last, and we had the ap-
prevail of our couscienceS in closing blinds
and drawing curtains to, and shutting out
by every recognized expedient the driving
cloud rack the desolate landscape, and the
And then Nal accepted q stray challenge
mine OF Ahce's cannot now be sure, the
point is immaterial-and proceeded, with
fiow of hoyIsb eIoquence which promised well
for his intended future at the bar, TO vindi-
cate his latest hobby, the science of graph
ology lie had notable little collection of
autographs and specimens of caligrapty
which be rummsged out of his hoard of trea-
h., i,
the dogmatiSm Of the professor and al the
fervor of the disciple AS he was pointing
out to hall skeptical critics and listeners an
alleged resemblance between traits IN the his
torlcaI character of the Duke of Wellington
and features IN the great warriors hand
writing, he was interrupted To the surprise
OF each OF us we heard the rumble OF ep-
preaching wheels on the soaked avenue with
out
Can papa be back after all. and as esrly
as thlsT Alice cried
Mot be- That isn't our carriage. It's
brougham certainly but Spence isn't driving
1.-THE rattle is different Val answered, a.
the eud Of snort pause.
Then who can ii hes" | said with wonde
and q res--,Iaess'.srce Of nnxlety
Val crossed to TIE window and csughs
question ana reply Of visitor snd coachInan
as this the piacef" inquired the former,
"Tes. this lie sir Esco5ts o. c Mano-,
WalnSey," returned the latter.
Cleng went the hall bell, ard in another
half minute Jose,,hs, our butler, looking any
thing but pleased at the Interference with his
lesson. OF enjoyment in the kitchen. opened
Dur door and pouderously announced; MIR.
Lldiaw
The name was entirely unknown 20 me. -