The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-30
VANISHED.

CT had died when was aged Is, and since
her death I had been my fathers house
keeper and companion. My brother, two
years my elder, was at the bar.
We occupied suburban villa. residence
rather superior to villa-it had large
garden in front, and a drive to the door,
and terrace on which the drawing room
window opened. We liked to regard our
selves as a cut above suburban villa peo-
pie We kept carriage and pair and
had butler and had a greataunt who
was an honorable, and SO believe we were
what we believed ourselves to be.
My father had been in South Africa.
He had made his fortune in the Kiimber-
ley diamond mines and had made it some
what rapidly, having had the good fortune
to find number of stones of great size
and good water.
One of the finest he had not disposed of.
He kept it as specimen Or as q nest egg.
1t was rather cause of anxiety to us, as
he carried it about with him in his purse.
He would not trust it in the house. He
thought it safer on his person. So it
might have been had he not been won't to
produce it after dinner, as well as at other
times when servants were present and show
it and expatiate on it's beauty and value.
We had a butler whom we did not like.
We called him the bandit, from his wild
and savage appearance. His dress was
right enough, but he had a. forbidding face.
He conducted himself harTnlessly enough
till on one occasion he got drunk at a din
ner party we gave. Then my father dis
missed him, and he took up his residence
not far from our house, where there was a
sort of slum inhabited by persons of no
very fixed occupation.
Ny father refused him q character, OR
rather he said that if he were called on for
character be would state the truth con-
corning the man and not give "a false char
acter, as is SO often done out Of good ma
ture in order to give Il servant another
chance. It is singular that employers
should be SO considerable for the employed
and SO little considerable for their brother
employers as to let them engage servants
whom they know to be unsatisfactory
and likely to give trouble.
The bandit Of course knew that my IA
ther carried the diamond about with him.
It was odd that the bandit should have
settled in the neighborhood
These two thoughts did not strike me,
or strike me as connected, till later
My father was, dare say, somewhat
troubled at my engagement He would
lose me, as was going to India with my
husband, and, as I have said, was bis
companion and housekeeper after my moth
er's death. But my father was not man
of demonstrativeness, and he made no
show of greatly concerning himself at my
loss. He took the prospect more coolly
than perhaps liked
My father belonged to good family
The honorable greataunt was his aunt,
not my mothers. He had been intended
for the church and q family living, but
had preferred going to South Africa, and
eventually, through the death of an uncle,
some money came to him, which in addi-
ton to what he had made in the diamond
fields enabled him to retire and live up to
the honorable aunt mean to keep car
rage and pair and a butler and have a
house cut above villa.
In couple of months I was to be mar
ried.
One evening sat up late, thinking over
the fire.
The season was October, the air was
little chilly, but not cold, SO fire was de-
sirable, but not necessary. Tho blinds
and curtains were not drawn, at my de-
sire, as the hunters moon was shining and
was nearly full, and I am at all times
fond of moonlight. When one is in love
and anticipating marriage one simply
adores it. So had told the servant not to
close the shutters and draw the blinds
The windows were such as are called
French-that is to say, they opened to the
ground and were windows and doors in
one. They commanded the terrace
1t was mig fathers habit every evening
before retiring to smoke pipe on the ter
race, and as 1 sat by the fire, with the lamp
turned down SO &c to enjoy the moonlight,
] could see him walking up and down the
terrace. could see him if chose-I actu-
ally sew his shadow. The moonlight fell
through the two long windows on the poi
ished oak floor and oriental rugs. AS I
sat l saw his shadow flung on the floor be-
fore window No. I, then u couple Of sec
pnds later on the floor before window No.
3. Then ensued minute as he walked
TO the end OF the terrace, then in reverse
srder came his shadow in the light of No.
Z, and then, after a 1nomentary interval,
his shadow obscured the light from No. l.
How long this went on 1 cannot tell.
Presently it stopped. | did not particular
~ notice when. ! was thinking of my
presents.
Some time after the butler came in and
asked if he should lock up the house and
shut the shutters. answered Eyes" as
my father, I said, had done his pipe and
come in. l concluded he had come in, be-
cause 10 longer saw his shadow, and
judged from his invariable habit of always
coming indoors when he had done his pipe.
Next morning [ came down to breakfast
as usual and waited for him.
"Please, miss" said the housemaid,
''master left the lamp burning in the study
all night"
''Did hes" said l. 1t was unusual. He
was SO methodical in ell he did
The tea would spoil unless he came
quickly. I rang for the butler. "Will
you call your master? He must have over
slept himself Say there is grilled par
fridge, and it is getting cold, and the tea
will taste bitter.
Presently the butler returned.
Please, miss, the master is not in bis
room. Ee has not been there all night.
The bed is undistUr!oed. The hot water
has not been taken in
My father had disappeared.
G l.. i