Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-02-17
beautiful but unfortunate pendant safe
" inside my desk, resolved not to wear
x In,
CHAPTER XVII.

| CHAPTER XVII.
q. was up next morning before any
Dne else and went out into the garden.
| was walking across the lawn when /
suddenly came face 10 face with Tom
Parkes, in bis Sunday clothes. He was
| !isconcerte1 and tried to avoid me, but
| accosted him ut once.
'"Tom-Tom Parkes. don't you know
me-Mlss Christie?" said.
''Lor' yes, Miss, to be sure" said he
awkwardly touching his hat.
why, you must have known me,
Tom! You looked sif you had seen a
ghost!"
well, the truth is, Miss, asking your
pardon" said Tom, sheepishly. ''that
didn't want you to see me. You see,
I've been took on here as extrv under
gardener and help, and the head gar
dener he don't like Londoners, and 1
don't want him to know as I'm a Lon
don chap. So. if you be SO good, Miss,
as not to mention as you've seen me
before, should take it kind"
Every well, Tom, 1 won't betray
you." [ replied, laughing, and then
went into breakfast.
The bells of Denham Church had be-
gun to ring before breakfast was over,
and Lady Mills wanted to know who
was going.
''Do try to make up respectable
number" said She 1--WE scandalize
the ncighborhood quite enough as it is
by not going to bed at ten o'clock and
other wicked practices. And last week
we were only three at church out of a
party of seventeen"
Are you going Miss Christie? I'll
go if you will find all the places for me-"
said Mr.. Carruthers.
And when we got to church-we
mustered eight altogether-he sat by
me, and picked out from among the
books the biggest church-service he
could find, which he put in front of me
when the collect was given out, whis-
pering:
Find it for me, please
At first | would not take any notice,
for it was just like playing in church;
but he began making such disturb
ancc, rustling the leaves of his book,
looking over those of his neighbors,
and dropping with crash all those
within reach on the ledge before him,
that was obliged to find it for him,
and all the other places too during the
service. just as if he had been a little
boy. But L was very angry all the
time, and when we came out 1 would
not speak to him. He came, however,
and walked by my side, while talked
to somebody else, and at last he said,
meekly:
Have I offended you?'
Eyes, y | said: II think you are very
irreverent."
Il did not mean to be irreverent,"
he said, in still meeker tone.
IS lnn't l,n1iax1,, t<> H.,
people like you any good at ALL" re-
marked l, gravely.
Anu Mr. Carruthers burst out laugh
ing, and sail it was very wrong of me
to discourage him just when he wanted
to try to be good.
Most of the people spent Sunday
afternoon just as if it had not been
Sunday at all, except that nobody rode
or drove. But some went on the river,
and some played lawn tennis, and
some lounged about and read novels;
and others, of whom l was one, sat un-
der the trees on the lawn and drank
iced champagne. which is quite the
incest thing l ever tasted. heard the
mysterious man-servant give an order
to Tom Parkes, calling him: "Herc,
you, gardner, what's your name?" as
If he had never seen him before, and
walked up and down Mr.. Ravncr's
garden, and gone into Mr.. Rayner's
stable with him only two nights before.
What silly fellow Tom was with his
little mystery. pointed out the other
man to Mr.. Carruthcrs, and asked if
he knew whose servant he was.
He is mine, and the best I ever
had. I've had him six months, now,
and OF late I've given up thinking
altogether; he does it for me so much
better"
began to wonder whether this mvs.
FERROUS man-servant was some poor re.
lation of Mr.. Rayner's who had taken
TO this way of earning his living, but
was ashamed of it. and who came pri
vately to see his richer connections, to
spare them the talk of the neighbors
about what people like the Readcs, for
instance, would certainly consider a
great disgrace. So l said nothing
more about him to Mr., Carruthers, who
was sitting near me, smoking, and
teasing me to read Sunday news
paper, which did not think right.
After a time left him and went to
my room to see how the pendant had
left in my desk would look at my throat
with some flowers l had just pinned
here. But when [ unlocked my desk |
md opened the shabby case in which
MIR. Rayner had given it to me, the pen
liant was gone. Nothing else in the |
iesk had been disturbed. Imade a
careful search without success. | was
certain ! had placed it in my desk be-
ore retiring,
1t had been stolcn-by whom could |
lot guess, ! was frightened by its
Mysterious disappearance. At first l
bought would tell Lady Mills of nv
oss, but my courage failed me. I
cared it would lead to scene, that the
ervants would be suspected, so 1 re-
Owed to say nothing aboutit, although
felt the loss more than l had thought
possible.
So l went downstairs to dinner with
piece of plain black velvet round nv
hroat. told Mrs. Cunningham, who
,skei why did not wear my pendant,
hat had come to the conclusion that