Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-06-20
The PiccadiLIy Puzzle.
THE STORY OF A TERRIBLE EPISODE
In THE LIFE OF AN ENGLISH
EOBLEHAN.
BY F. w. HUME
CHAPTER x-Continued.

CHAPTER X-Continued.
First, asked Dowker, do you remem-
Der the night when Lady Balscombe
Not being born fool, I do, retorted
Miss LihOrd sharply. Such goings on
never saw.
Can you tell me all that took place on
that night?"
Miss Liford shifted thoughtfully.
There was ball they was going to-.
who were going tor"
Lady Balscombe and Miss Penfold
They did go, and left shortly before ten,
but before had time to turn round they
were back again, as Lady Balscombe said
she had a headache"
ooh, so I suppose she went to bed?"
Then you suppose wrong, retOrted
Annie triumphantly, for there was pus-
son waiting to see her"
"A LADY," asked DOwker eagerly.
4 don't know" retorted Miss Lifford
sharply. "She had veil on"
Can you describe her dress?"
Miss Lifford thought a moment, while
Lydia bent forward anxiOusly to hear her
answer.
"A hat trimmed with blue and brown
velvet, and a sealskin jacket"
Lydia Fenny sank back in her seat with
grOan.
1Oh, my poor mistress!"
Your mistress!" echoed Miss Lifford,
been Miss Sarschine who called on that
night"
But I'm certain it was, said Dowker
What impertinence!" muttered the
virtuOus Annie.
Never mind said Dowker, sharply.
$50 on with your story"
Miss LitfOrd shifted Indignantly and
resumed:
Lady BaIscombe returned at haIf-past
ten and went up to her dressing-roOm,
where this-this lady was waiting for
Der. Miss Penfold went to bed. I don't
know how long the lady was with my
mistress, as was told that my mistress
would not require me again that night;
but I waited about in case I should be
wanted, and saw the lady leave the house
shortly after eleven"
Miss Sarschine?"
%Yes-at least the lady in the sealskin
Jacket, and you say twas Miss Sarschine,
so I suppose it was. then went to Lady
Balscombe's room, but found the door
locked; So as I thought she had gone to
bed, went downstairs to get my supper.
When 1 came upstairs again, about
twelve, the door was still locked, so I went
to bed"
Lady Balscombe could not have gone
out in the meantime?"
No; because I asked the footman if
anyone had gone out or come in, and he
said no one.
"She could not have gone out without
attracting the notice of the servants, I
SUPPOSED"
mo, they would have recognized her at
once. think she waited till everyone
was in bed and then went OFF to meet Lord
Calliston."
But you are sure she did not leave till
after twelve?"
I'D swear it anywhere, returned Miss
Lifford, impatiently.
In that case, muttered Dowker, @it
. Z < d
saw Mr.. Desmond at Lord Collisions
chambers, o it must have been Lena Sars-
chine"
do you want to know more?" asked
Miss LiffOrd, icily.
"Yes. Tell me, what was Lady B sails
combe like?"
Miss IiffOrd laughed contemptuously.
Why, don't you know" she replied.
You ought to, as she was one of the beau
ties of the season. Her portrait was all
over the place. Why" catching sight of
the photograph on the study table, you
have one"
DOwker handed her the photograph.
do you say that1s Lady Balscombe?"
Yes, certainly"
What nOnsense!" said Lydia. why,
that is Miss Sarschine."
Il never saw Miss Sarschine," retOrted
Miss LitoFd, but 1 know that's Lady
Balscombe."
Lydia, angrily, -but I know that's Miss
Sarschine."
Dowker looked from one to the other
and then slipped the photograph into his
pocket along with the letters and the other
photograph.
There's only one way of settling this, "
he said, quietly. III call on the phOtog-
rapher and ask him who'it is"
He gave Annie Lifford some money,
and then left the house wrapped in
thought
This is new complication, he said
to himself, this resemblance-they must
be very like one another if their maids
mix them up like this-and then Lena
Sarschine calling on Lady BalscOmbe;
wonder if there can be any relationship
between them-nOt Iikely-a lady Of title
and a woman of light character-Well,
finished up DOwker, philosOphically, !
think the best thing for me to do is to dis.
cover as much about Lena Sarschine'
previous life as possible, and to do this