The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-12-01

say you arc MY NlSlCOl, II lucy uttlac any
difficulty about letting you in. One thing
morel have nothing particular TO do, and
am no fool. Here, in tho parlors, | see
everybody who comes into the house or goes
out Of the house. Leave me your address; l
may get some information for you yet"
Priscilla Marley was just as willing, and
far better able, to help me, on her SIDE. As
it happened, she was mistress of her own
movements.
4 Her fellow servant, tho house maid, was a
London girl. After leaving Mrs. Crcsscapel
sho got another place in the district of
Bloomsbury. Priscilla was not SO successful
/ She had a natural aversion to lodging houses,
and she did not possess experience enough to
take cooks place in the service Of gentle
folks. Having rather quick temper, she
! doubted her own endurance if she accepted
! the only alternative, and served as kitchen
maid under the orders of a stranger. 1t
ended, for the time being. in her hiring a
room in respectable house and supporting
herself by her needle
In this case good employment was easily
! obtained. Though she dislilled tie occupa-
/ ton, Priscilla was a good workwomall, and
! she had a written recommendation from the
/ clergymen of the parish, which l copy here.
/ 1t tells her simple story before size came to
/ London in the plainest and fewest words:
~ gladly recommend Priscilla Varley for
any respectable employment which she may
be competent to undertake. Her father and
mother are infrm old people, who have lately
} suffered q diminution of their income, and
/ they have younger daughter to maintain.
1 Rather than be burden on her parents,
/ Priscilla goes to London to find domestic en-
1 ploynent, and to devote her earnings to the
i assistance of her father and mother. This
circumstance speaks for itself. l have known
the family many years, and ! only regret
/ that have no vacant place in my own house
/ hold which / can offer to this good girl
/ "(Signed) HENRY DERIINGToN,
! "Rector of Roth"
This COPY / made at Priscillas own re-
/. quest. 1t arose out of my telling her that 1
! was resolved to devote every hour Of my
spare time to tracing the murderer. ''It is
/ my notion said, .'that the proceedings of
the persons in Mrs. Crosscapeps house have
not been closely enough inquired into yet |
believe Mr. Deiuc committed the murder, and
| want to find out if any of the dodgers wcre
in his confidence or had any relations with
him in past times"
She said II think your plan is a good one
/ IT you begin by satisfying yourself about the
servants let me offer you the means Of look
/ ing into my past lifen With that she placed
the clergyman's certificate in my hand.
| | thought she was joking. She was per-
fectly in earnest, and she made me copy the
certificate.
This naturally set me on speaking of the
other servant. / asked her If she could tell
me anything which associated the housemaid
/ with Mr. Deiuc She was unwilling to an
swer II may be casting suspicion on an in
nocent person. she said. Besides, was for
so short time the housemaid's fellow ssrv-
anti
interrupted the rest. "You slept in the
same room with her" remarked; ''and you
had opportunities of observing her conduct
towards tho dodgers If they had asked you
at the examination what | now ask you
would have answered as an honest woman"
To this argument she yielded. Iheard from
her certain particulars which threw new
light ON Mr.. Deluc, and on the case generally.
On that information | acted. 1t was slow
work, owing to the claims on me of my regu-
lar duties; but | steadily advanced towards
the end had in view. You will nov perhaps
understand why devote some space in my
narrative to person who had only been
servant in d lodging house. But for Priscilla
should never have discovered who killed
Zebedee.
Besides this, owed another obligation to
Mrs Crosscapers nice looking cook. The
confession must be mado sooner or later, and
may as well make it now first knew what
love was, thanks to Priscilla. had delicious
kisses, thanks to Priscilla. And when
asked il she would marry me she didn't say
no. She looked, must own, little sadly,
and she said, "How can two such poor peo-
pie as we are ever hopo to marry?" To this
answered--''It won't DO long before lay my
hand on the clew which my inspector has
failed to find. l shall be In position to
marry you, my dear when that tirnc comes"
This encouraged her to look to the future
almost as hopefully as l looked.
At our next meeting we spoke of her pa
rents / was now her promised husband.
Judging by what heard of the proceedings
of other people in my position, it seemed to
be only right that should be introduced to
her father and mother. She entirely agreed
with me; and she wrote home that day, to
tell them to expect us at the end of tho week.
took my turn of night duty, and SO gained
my liberty for the greater part of the next
day. 1t was time stolen from my inquiries
but, as / thought, the occasion justified it. /
dressed myself in plain clothes, and we took
our tickets on the Kent railway for Higham,
being the nearest station to the village In
which Priscilla's parents lived.
VI
Tho train stopped as usual at Gravesend.
Priscilla had been at work late in tho night
she was tired and thirsty. left the carriage
to get her some soda water. Tho stupid girl
in the refreshment room failed to pull the
cork out of the bottle, and refused to let me
help her. She took q corkscrew, and used it
crookedly. lost all patience and snatched
the bottle out of her hand. Just as / drew
the cork the bell rang on the platform.
only waited to pour tho soda water into
| glass; but the train was moving as left the
refreshnlent room. The porters stopped me
when tried to jump on to the step of the
carriage was left behind.
As soon as l had recovered my temper
telegraphed to Higham, asking Priscilla
either to wait for me, or to leave me instruc-
tions for following her to the village when
arrived by the next train. We had reached
Gravesend at five minutes past /. By good
luck the next train was due at forty-four
| minutes past l, and arrived at Higham next
station) ten minutes afterwards II l had at
tempted to walk the distance between tho
two places should have lost time instead of
saving it. Tho interval before me was not
very long; occupied it in looking over the
/ town.