Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-16
SCENE 1.-THE BAR PARLOR.

X.
There was nobody missng-no hint of n
mysterious disappearance in the neighbor-
hood of Ledford Certainly there was no
mint OF trouble at Fairfield vicarage, as the
| landlord of the George discovered by a side
wind before his mind was at rest
The. landlords neXt-door neighbor was
Tyley, the baker, whose daughter was par-
lor maid at the vicarage. and this young
person. taking her afternoon out and drop
ping in at the George to see her old school
fellow, the landlords daughter, was
warmly pressed to stay to tea in the bar
parlor. While enjoying Mr.. Jocock's hospi-
taiity. ana In reply TO his questioning, she
told him that there was nothing in the way
of trouble in her masters house. and that
the young ladies were all as merry as
grigs."
Did any of you 60 to the ball t'otber
night? asked the landlord.
None or us went; our young ladies are
not out. the parlor maid answered grand
| ly, having educated herself by Ginner-table
talk. but masters nephew went"
"Oh," said the landlord, that cookbook
ing young chap that was at the vicarage
last Easter What may he be now"
hes barrtster up in London
"Oh, SO he went to the ball, did he? What
| time may he have got home?"
We'll. he didn't come back to the vicar
| age. He met a friend at the manor and
| they went up to London togethe- by the
early train-the one that leaves soon after
| five"
The 525 hup?' assented the landlord.
That was rather queer start, wasn't it %
"Oh, i don't know. Mr.. Desborough was
always bit wild in his ways; late in the
| morning, late at night, late for dinner
Ratick, the vicar used to call him. 'Ha--
| old is dreadfdlly 'ratick,' I've heard master
say times and often. He telegraphed TO
my mistress next day to apologize for CIV
| ing trouble. But there was nobody sitting
up for him. The hall door key was hidden
under laurel bush where he'd be able TO
| find it,
ooh he teepranhed did hoo" He ain't
written to your missus since I'll lay" said
the landlord rubbing whisker with medi-
tative movement of a large fat hand.
NO. he amt much of one to write
letters. He was always one to telegraph.
never troubling that every telegram costs
US a shilling for the messenger"
The landlord had lapsed into deepest
thought by this time.
"Ah, you seem to know all about this
here young gent Marian" he said. after a
lonsish pause. Il suppose he was rather
Never to me-" answered Maria prompt
ly. He held his head much too high for
/ that; But he was very attentive to some
one in our house"
Come Marian, it couldn't have been
your missus. She's a handsome woman
still. but there's too much OF her to take
| a young mans fancy"
." In the spring young mans fancy
lightly turns to thoughts of love- quoted
Maria from the fourth standar I'd reading
book. 1T was the spring when Mr.. Des-
borough was staying at the vicarage, and
him and the young ladies and the governess
was
What. that sandy-haired young 'ooman
with short petticoats and fiat feet. He
| must have been uncommon high If he pre-
ferred her to you. my lass"
No! no. Mr.. Jocock. That sandy young
person is Miss Pepper. She's only been
with us six weeks. 1t was Miss Heron that
used to be about with Mr. Desborough
Miss Heron is very pretty delicate lit
tie thing with dark eyes, and very young
looking. She never told her age to any of
us servants. but don't believe she was out
of her teens
so there was bit of a filtration between
them two" said the landlord.
1T was more than Irritation, I'm afraid
believe she was half heart-broken " hen
he went away; poor thing. though she
never let anybody see she was fretting-ex-
cept a servant like me. Sometimes when
/ went into her room with the water for
her bath of morning 1 could see by her
poor pale face and red eyelids that she'd
been awake half the night and had cried
herself to sleep. But she would come down
stairs an hour afterward looking fresh and
light and as neat as a new pin. She's
SELF
why did she leave her situation?"
Her health gave way. It's not what YOU
can call an easy place-four strong. active
girls to teach and look after and walk out
with, and expected to mend their under
linen into the bargain. She got through
the work well enough for the first six
months, and she was real good worker,
never idle for a quarter of an hour. always
active and bright and ready TO run about
with the children just like one of their
selves. But after that young man had left
us she gave way; and one day when the
children had all been very naughty about
their lessons, and Mrs. Challoner was cross
to her at lunch, making out that 1t vas her
fault. she burst into tears and ran away
from the table, and when missus sent me
to look after her I found her running down
the shrubbery walk like a wild thing, and
she threw herself on the seat in the sum
mer house in At Of the violentest hys-
terics 1 ever saw-and I've seen many a
Mt of Mysteries, and had 'em, too, dreadful
bad"
Poor thing" replied the landlord. I'm
AFRAID It's the old story-a silly young wo-
n doIlh .fa ad -