Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-01-01
CHAPTER XIV.


account Of her adventure as would satisfy
Miss Ramsden without making compromis-
ing revelations. She related how she had
heard the burglar in the dining room, how
she had waited for him outside-which ac-
counted for her prolonged absence-how she
had sprung upon him when he had ut length
emerged, and how he had been only too glad
to drop his spoil and run away. The unfor-
tunate thing was that her story did not tend
to exculpate poor Martha.
every we'll, my DEAR" Miss Ramsden said,
after Chris had vainly assured her Of that
faithful creatures innocence, keep your
opinion and I'll keep mine. You won't per-
Suade me that n man who knew nothing
about the house would have made straight
for the dining room and spent an hour there,
trying to force open box which might have
contained specimens of minerals and was
very unlikely to contain coin of the realm.
I shall not dismiss Martha, because she is a
useful servant and might go further and
fare worse. But IL she thinks she can de-
ceive me she is very much mistaken"
Chris felt guilty and ashamed; yet sho
could not bring herself to denounce Val, and
ii was some comfort to find in the sequel that
Martha, to whom these unworthy suspicious
were no secret, was very little distressed by
them.
"'Twas allus Miss Rebeccas way" she re-
marked, philosophically. Come to a ques-
ton of money and she's bound to suspect
somebody. II it hadn't bin me 'twould have
bin you, my dear, which might have bin
more ork'ard thing. IT'S best as it is, you
may depend. Let alone that she's in that
state as she didn't ought to be 'eld account
able for her words"
Chris was very uneasy about Val, and could
hardly even rejoice at being released from
her engagement to him, seeing in what way
that release had been obtained The very
enermity Of his offense showed TO what diro
straits he must have been reduced before he
could have thought of committing 1t. She
was afraid that he must be absolutely desu-
tute, and still more afraid that he might have
done what he had declared, with q sneer,
that he had not the courage to do, and put an
end to himself
Every day she scrutinized the newspapers
apprehensively, but found no mention of him
therein, either in the character Of a suicide
or In that Of O defaulter.
At length, however, she received a letter
from him which put an end to her anxiety. 1t
was dated "Cadiz," and in his opening SEN
tence the writer softened her heart by saying
that he would not have Ventured to address
her again. had he not thought that she might
be plying him more than he deserved. Then
he explained that he had a well-to-do rela-
tive, n Liverpool wine-merchant, to whom no
had applied in his extremity, and who had
very unexpectedly offered him a place in his
house of business at Cadiz, shipping him of
to his destination forthwith.
81 suppose" Val wrote, The thought that
was on the whole the cheapest way of getting
quit Of me; and it's certain that can't show
my face in England again, with all my bills
unpaid, not to speak of what / owe to the
: book-makers."
The letter was not an altogether satsfac-
tory one to Chris, except in so far as it proved
her correspondent to be no longer in want OF
! despair. He said he was in despair when he
reflected upon the sin and folly of which he
had been guilty; but long before she had read
as far as his signature Chris perceived that
he did not quite despair of being forgiven.
''of course" he wrote, al don't expect any
, answer to this, and Of course, il by any extra
! ordinary chance we should ever meet again.
your cutting me dead wouldn't at all surprise
me- Still, however insane one may have
been, one isn't an absolute monster. One has
ones feelings-some of them feelings which
nothing except death can change-and that
is why can't truthfully subscribe myself in
any other way than as
ever your loving
"VAL RICHARDSON"
Chris would have preferred his subscribing
himself In any other way, even at slight sac
rifce of truth, and it was with sincere relief
that she read of his inability to show his face
in his native land.
Miss Ramsden, fortunately, made no in
to make inquiries about anybody or anything,
except when, from timo to time, a sudden
, panic seized her and she took it into her head
that Martha was planning some fresh coup de
main. Slowly but surely she was sinking into
her grave; every day she grew slittle
weaker; and although tho change was
scarcely perceptible to those about her
day, pursed up his lips and shook his head.
He prescribed a nourishing diet, which was
unlucky, because that entailed slight in
crease of expenditure which his patient was
most unwilling to sanction. Only after pro-
longed argument ana persuasion could she be
got to sign checks for small amounts. "You
buy more fresh eggs In a week than I used to
buy in year," she would complain fretfully
"and why do you make my beef tea so strongi
We might all live for three or four days upon
the meat thatyou put into it,"
'Well, you can't live for day without il
now" Martha would rejoin, bluntly, $50 it's
got to be made, whether you like it OF
whether you don't, Miss Rebecca."
81 know I am going TO die soon; have
told you so from the first And if am going
to die. what is the good of wasting so much
money!" the invalid would plead with al
earnestness which was almost pathetic.
But the toughest struggle of all took place
when the weather grew so cold that it was
necessary to have a fire in Miss Ramsden's
bedroom. Nothing, she declared, should In
duce her to consent to such an innovation
She could not afford it; she had never beer
accustomed to it; she was sure that it would
make her i'll. Added to which the chimney
had not been swept for years, and the chance:
were that they would set fire to it and burr
the house down. When Martha, disregard
, ing these objections, left the room and pres
emily returned bearing a coal-scuttle and
bundle of sticks, the old woman became agi
| tated to the verge of Mysteries.
mot you, then" she shrieked. 81 won
have 1t done by you, Martial II I am II
! have a fire against my willard of course
am helpless-Christina, and nobody else
shall light it. Put down your sticks and g
away, Martha, we don't want you any more.
: That this was no mere caprice was proved
after Martha, to humor her mistress, had de
nosited her burden and retired for then Mis-