Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-07-02
bility for the lady's maid to have crossed

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to start afresh at reading it Thus he
found himself on the afternoon Of Aug.
13-his request for leave of absence
having been granted-talking to q
pretty, neat-looking girl in a small
semi detached villa on the outskirts oi
the new and fashionable watering place,
| Stonelay.
$50 you've been getting on pretty
well. eh, Nellie?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, Jem. very. The air here
seems to be quite setting me up, so !
fancy had been working bit too hard,
though always said it was mothers
nonsense. It's true it's rather dull here,
but then / often go into Stonelay and
have look at the smart visitors $50 even
il Aunt Sarah Is snappy at times don't
mind. She's kind enough, really"
-She couldn't have got any one else
to bring her here, so she ought to be.
l bet the beastly water puts an edge on
temper like heri Yes, / expect it's
pretty dull alone with her. Poor
Nellyi"
"Oh, I don't mind; and we've got a
new neiRhbor."
"Old Mrs. what's name-you told me
OF, gomez
"No. She's got a new lodger-a man
good looking, rather. She brought
him in one day to tea, and we meet him
now and then on the road. But he
doesn't go out much"
"Oh, biding on some account, is he 2"
asked Jem rather snappishly of the
pretty dressmaker.
Nonsense, Jem. he isn't hiding. He
is drinking the waters, he says, and lie
has very pretty sister,"
Sister? Then they both lodge next
door?"
mo. She comes to see him. She is
a lady's maid staying at Stonelay. The
hIE ERapd ~aSt.he lady she Is with is drink
ugh! lady's maid?" said Blayne
spitetully, thinking of his recent trials,
with which his fiance was acquainted.
Really, Jem. believe your failing
to fix the stealing business on the poor
lady's maid has made you hate the lot.
And, talking of your jewel affair, 1 find
while you lose"
"How do you mean?"
why. yesterday found such lovey
button on the path Just outside here. 1t
was sparkling in the sun and L picked
it up and brought it in. / went In to
old Mrs. Brown to ask Mr.. Martin cher
lodger) if he knew anything about it !;
but he was away for two days, she told
me, coming back tonight Auntie
SAYS I'll have to make it known, per-
haps advertise it if 70 ore claims it, for
this morning ] showed it to Mr.. Frazer,
the ieweler at Stonelay, and he said it
was a very good button, and uncommon,
as the stones are beryls.
Dear me! beryls. Are they as ex
traordinary as all that?"
THAT depends. Show us the but
ton. Nellie?'
Here it is" she said, taking it from
the mantle shelf.
Twelve gold filigree buttons jeweled
with beryls," Blayne murmured to him
self. Il should like to see your neigh
Dor, Nellie, and his sister, the lady's
maid"
why, Jem. you don't think-oh, ]
remember now, that description you
sent me of the lost jewels But this
can't be. She is such a dear little
tnlnp, ana so pretty.
"Yes; what sort?"
"Oh. middle height, dark hair,
pretty eyes, nice figure"
"That'll do. Nellie. ,S Il SSsfhst X, THAT .n com
"Why, that's Mr.. Martini" said Nell
lie, as Blayne instinctively got behind
the muslin window curtain, from which
post of vantage he could easily see
without being seen. "Hes good-look-
ing, isn't he, Jem? Looks like a gen.
tleman, ratherP
"Ye-es, Just that last. 1 think I've
got his measure"
"And oh, there is his sister just be-
hind him-see? Now. that's not your
lady's maid, is it?"
"That!" exclaimed Blayne, with eyes
nearly starting through the lace of the
curtains. "Is that your lady's maid
and that man's-sister?
"Yes," answered Nellie, as hel
neiehbor and his sister, nodding anG
smiling to her, entered the next house
Does she stay the night there?' in
quired Blayne.
"Oh, no, nothing more than al
hour. Her lady couldn't spare her
But what is the matter with you, Jem
laughing in jerks like tbat?'
"Oh, nothing. say, Nellie, is there
visitors Inst in the paper here?"
"Yes; but Jem-now that wasn't you
lody'e maid, was itP
mo, dear; now-the paper"
Blayne wandered steadily on through
the list of fashionable visitors" till Ii,
came to "Victoria hotel. Sir Rober
ane Lady Merton" Then he folded M
the paper, saying: well, Nellie, IL
90 into .Stonelay with you tomorrow
morning to have a look at the fashions
Here is Aunt Sarah coming to see af
ter us" as that respectable lady en-
tered the room.
And there goes Mr.. Martins visi
tor" said Nellie as a woman hastll.
closed the door of the next house an,
hurried away.
~She must be late"
Rather" said Blayne.
The next day the detective aud hi
intended walked into Stonelay an,
after few minutes private conveIss
tion with the manager Of the Victori
he astonished Nellie by insisting o
buying her different trash in all tn
: shops that commanded q view of tn
hotel. At length, on his offering her
pink glass mug decorated with th
; legend "In Affectionate Remembrance,
in forget-me-nots, she began protest
, ing.
I "All right, dear, well take il TO Aur
Sarah" he said, with his eyes fixed o
: q gentleman who was mounting a hors
} that groom had been leading up an
> down in the front Of the hotel.