Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-21

MY poor dear little girl, I often come in this way to save kicking my heels at the door; but wouldn't have done 1t, frightening you out of your wits, if 1 had known you were in here. Thought every body would be occupied you, little woman?"
 was delighted to see him and to feel there was some one in the house could trust. told him at once had been compelled to assume some re- i sponsibility and expressed the hope that he would not be angry when he heard all had done.
 ''No, my child, I am sure I shall not" said he, helping himself to some cold beef on the sideboard-there was no regular supper at the Alders, but there were always meat and biscuits on ! the sideboard after tea for those who ner?"
 told him that she was no better and no worse, and that she had moved to- day into the front spare room.
 ''To-day?"
 "Yes. She was SO reluctant to leave her own room that took the liberty of telling Sarah would answer to you for delaying the change this one day. Was it too forward of me?" asked timidly.
 "No," said he. very kindly, drawing me into Q chair beside him at the table; II give you full permission to use my authority in any way you think proper"
 ''Thank you, MT. Rayner. And, oh, don't know what you will say, but ! made Sarah take Haidee's cot up to my room! The dressing-room in the left for Dr. Lowe. Was that right? had heard he was the best doctor in Bea- consburgh.''
 l asked this rather nervously, for 1 knew MT. Rayner disliked Dr. Lowe. But he was in too good humor to find fault with any thing.
 ''All that you have done is perfectly right, and always will be, in my eyes; SO you need never fear what I may say to you, child. Have you any more news? l want to hear all about Sarah's accident, and whether you were very much alarmed when you heard about the robbery at Denham Court.''
 II have a lot to tell you,' I said
 "but won't tell you any of it tonight. It is all bad news and I won't spoil your first evening. Every thing will come all right now you are back"
 MT. Rayner laughed and seemed
 much pleased. We sat chatting until
 eleven o'clock and grew very sleepy
 listening to his adventures in London.
 At breakfast next morning the talk
 was all about the robbery at Denham
 Court Mrs. Rayner said little, and I
 only told MT. Carruther's story, reserv-
 ing the suspicious things I had seen
 until could talk to him alone.
 was in the school room the next
 day when MT. Rayner came in and
 said he was ready to hear the bad news
 had mentioned the night before. He
 me and I told him of her taking tho
 letter had written from the mail bag
 and of her setting the trap for mo by . greasing the stairs.
 Mir. Rayner turned quite pale when I
 came to my slipping on the stairs and catching my foot in the string, and ho looked up and out of the window from under his drowning brows with an ex. pression of hard fury that made me in- stinctively move away from him on my chair, it was so terrible, so merciless. It was with averted head that I whis- pered all the suspicious things.I had seen and heard connecting Sarah and Tom Parkes with the Denham Court
 burglary-my views of Tom carrying something across the lawn; his return ing with Sarah; the fact of two men in Q cart having been seen outside; my seeing the brown portmanteau inside ! the back-door; and lastly my discovery of the portmanteau in the cellar under the store-room, and my recognition oi it and of the bracelet took out of it at hap-hazard as having both come from Denham Court.
 Mir. Rayner listened with the deepest interest, but with some incrcdulity. "My dear child, it is impossible-at . least hope from my soul it may turn 2 out to be so. Poor old Sarah is, I ac. , knowledge, the worst tempered and most vindictive woman alive. But the
 accomplice of thieves! can not be- ' lieve it.' He got up and walked 5 about the room. questioned mo again , closely, and then remained for g few , minutes in deep thought "She would F never dare! Sarahis afraid of me, and 3 to bring stolen goods into my house
 would be greater liberty than even ar 9 old servant would take, think" ? Iwondered MT. Rayner did not ash 7 me for the store-room keys and go him. !, self to prove at least one part of my t story; but did not like to suggest it r would ask me to go with him to tha :, dreadful cellar.
 z "Don't say a word about this to any I one. child" said he, at last. II mus
 sift the matter to the very bottom. Il y is possible that they may both have r been cheated by some clever knave into t assisting him innocently. But didn' 9 you say you saw Tom ParlSes carrying i. what you took for the portmanteau or e Tuesday night?'
 Yes, MT. Rayner."
 . "But the burglary was on Wednes = day! No, no; you may depend ther, J will be some explanation of the matte r as soon as Sarah is able to give an ac t count of herself. In the meantime t will make inquiries, and will set you l, mind at rest as soon as possible" H.