Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-11

But what a dreadful woman to have
in the house! And why had the
stranger spoken of Tom Parkes as
"Jim?"
CHAPTER vi.
The next morning l woke up with
that strange feeling of oppression
which is caused by something unpleas-
ant heard the night before. l soon re-
mcmbered what it was, and tried to
shake off the recollection of the talk in
the plantation and of Sarah's vindic-
tive tones. l looked 1T her searchin civ
as she came in demurely to prayers
with the cook and poor little Jane, and
| could not help thinking that Tom
Parkes, or Jim" as the stranger had
| called him-but then man of such a
desperate character as they had de-
scribcd him to be would have dozen
altaScs-might be excused in preferring
the simple little kitchen-maid Jane to
that forbidding-looking shrcw. l had
seen Tom Parkes two or three times
and should have supposed him to be
stolid and good-humored, and GER
tainly not the man to rule the formi-
dable Sarah with Il rod of iron. That
afternoon when Haidee and | returned
AAoAiA ~ " GIN We lIstSSCu lIlt StIN ANT -
entrance. Tom Parkes was sitting out
side the door, eating bread and cheese;
while opposite to him stood Sarah and
Jane, both apparently in high good
humor. One held Il jug and the other
glass, and they seemed united in the
desire toplease him. They were talk
ing about kisses, and | think they were
going to illustrate the subject, when
Tom suddenly became aware of our
presence, and, taking his arm from
around Jane 5 waist, remained stand
ing until we had gone by.
What strange contradiction this
scene seemed to give to what | had
overheard on the night before! Sarah
was scarcely the sort of IA woman tc
exercise great self control when among
her equals; yet here she was, all laugh
ter and rough gayety, submitting in
the best of trmpers to receive only the
smaller of Toms attention with her
rival Jane.
That evening, when the time came
for GuiZot, l remembered, with a panr
OF conscience. that had left that nice
ly-bound book out in the damp all
night. l hurried through the planta-
ton, eager to see whether it was much
injured; but, when | got within Il few
yards of my nest, | saw Mr.. Rayner
there before me, standing with the I'M
lucky volume in his hand.
If had been conscicncc-stricllcn be-
fore, when my guilt was known only
to myself, what did feel now that it
was discovered? had not the courage
to face him, but turned, and was
sncaking back toward the house when
he called me:
Miss Christic!''
| went back slowly, murmuring:
Eyes, Mr.. hayner,' and blushing with
modification.
He was turning the leaves of the book
as came up.
IL am very sorry, Mr.. Rayncr," l
began, with voice which threatened
tears, II was ineXcusably careless-in-
deed L will never bring one of the
library books out again.
and why not. Miss Christie?" said
he, looking up with his usual kindly
smile. Il am sure Guizot is dry
enough to stand a little moisture. But
what makes you spoil your young eyes
by plodding through such heavy stuff
as this?'
Il am so ignorant" said L, humbly;
land | want some day to be able to
teach girls much older than Haidee, so
that have to read to improve myself
And don t read only dry things. This
morning found time to read nearly
the whole of yesterdays paper
We'll, there was nothing in it, was
thcrc?"
Yes, several things, among them
an account of that big burglary"
'What burglary?"
"A large house in Derbvshire, be-
longing to Lord Dalston, was broken
into Wednesday and many valuable
articles stolen. They say it looks like
the work of the same hand that COM
mitted several large jewel robberies
some years ago"
Whose hand was that?"
''Ah. they don't know. The man
was never discovered.
That is mere newspaper common
place. To imply that there is only one |
thief in England with skill enough to |
battle the police raises him into a half |
divinity whom it is quite excusable not
to catch"
We'll l hope they will catch this
one"
"Why, what harm has he done you?"
81 believe you have more sympathy
with the thieves than with the police
men. said |, laughing.
Il have, infinitely more l have Just
the same admiration for the successful
diamond robbcr that you have for
Robin Hood and Jack Sheppard"
'Oh, but that is differently l broke
in, hotly-for l always put down
Robin Hood as ''my favorite hero"
"Oh, yes, it is very different, l
snow said MIR. Rayncr, maliciously.