Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-15
"THEPOACHERS' LUCY
OF BALLNAGEE.
"Taies of Ten Travellers" Series.
ny Edgar L. wakeman.

/
Armagh, where the ducal family and
the invited guests came annually from
London and the continent.
The family plate, loads of pictures
and other brio -brac and scores OF huge
trunks had come week before from
tho London town-house, and MISS
Todgers, housekeeper, and John Jolly,
confidential factotnm, head butler and
peneralissimo at Ballnagee, of her grace,
the duchess, and his lordship, young |
yiscount Drogo Victor Randeville who |
would attain his majority and duke.
dom shortly after his arrival, with the |
assistance of the upper and lower
houses of Ballnagee servants, all "look-
ing alive" with great alacrity and zest,
as they were now out OF aboard wages"
and into REGULARS had set the great
castle to rights against the lords and
ladies' coming.
The etiquette of arrival, never stately
but always rigidly observed, had been
carried out The first coachman and
his assistants with the great carriages
had brought milady and her titled
guests, with their maids, from the sta
ton, and milady's maid and Miss
Todgers had met them at the castle
entrance and conducted them to their
apartments.
John Jolly ana the groom hau oroughs
young Milford ana his tltleu guests, anu
shown them to their apartments. lneh
the grooms' had retufheu Ior tu9
guests luggage ana inc Yaiets anu
"loaders," Tor pheasant shooting was 70
be the sport oil the young loro > guests
for week; while al inc peasanlry oi
the struggling hamlet, Which huaalea
like brown nest oil thatches uhaer lne
castle walls, had craned their nccks
from windows, hiied me leaning noors
ways and crowded 10 ihe loau.e9so u
the single street, crinelng anu uucAihs,
grinning and pulllng iofeiocks' anu
mentally wondering now nv muc ~ p coIh
might oVernoW from the eucsts Vi DAT
nagee into their needy, clutching pains;
Miss Todgers mad got all me laales
maids into their little rooms peslde thelr
mistresses' apartments, and Jonn Jolly
had seen that the gentlemen Vaiels
were all housed, Win que regard 70
precedence OF their masters RANK, IN
the servants hall IN the second story
of the great quadrangle ms huge
court was now illled WIN cores OF
men and maids scurrylng PACK
and forth on their dlllereht erfanas OF
service; Whlle along tne supterfahean
regions, in the housekeeper's rooms, che
buffers rooms, the WINE vaults, inc stof'
age chambers, the Kitchens ana sculi
cries, everything was fattle' claIter ahS
excitement This extended to the car
riage-roomss the gun-rooms, tne harness
rooms ana staDies, Where Ihe Sroohr
were cheerily kissing and "slsslng'
about the Well-nlled STUDS.
All the upper mouse OF Servants wer'
"Mistering, distressing ana MISS
ing" each other with great yolupility
but in rigid decorum; and Throughout
the lower mouse, ABOVE the ciauhor
the Jangling pelis leadlhg 10 Ine apart
ments OF Lord This, Lord mat am
Lord the Other, was hearu STEADY
amazing, interlectufal staccato, OF IN
vertcd application Of masters title 7
servant, OF "Bnnraven, there's yer man,
bellF "ScarIoorough, yer o. poy wan.
lis toys !! harrington, yer lads ,owlll
fur shaver WaIGouit, lycly nov
yer man wants 'ls toddyl ana "leVei
don, yer yally's waltln TO groom yer
Her grace, the alchess OF banchesVoi
could scarcely dof her travelling attn
before seeing Miss Iodgers, the houst
keeper-Todgers, she january Gale
her-a sharp-taced woman Oh Az, WIN
curious upper squint OF one eye ana
dropping, subdued look out OF the othe
which with her thln, fed-tppeu nos
aad her firmly-set, thin lips, gave NJ
the appearance ot always being reaa.
defiant and deprecatlVe, Tor an III
mediate accounting and month
notice.. :,
"Todgcrs," asked mllady apruDtly,
there anything for me to know r
"Nothink, your grace, save as yc
will find Ballnagee very neat and tidy
Nonsense, lodgers You know Wh
mean-how about that girl Lucy
Jest the same, your grace, as heVe
only a trite more So haskin yo
grace's pard'n, you'd sometimes TIM
us 'ow she were to hoWn Tn 'ouse q
reckly!
The eyes of the duchess flashed, b
she added indiilerently epougl
''Nothing happened to her, Todgers
"Appened, your grace Happened
OR? WY, eVprythlnk pears to app
to hevery other body, where she is \"
swell what about my orders
?"-Filer was the agent OF Ba
nagee-"to have the gamekeepe
family removed from Ballnagee2"
IVY, tn hagent was carryin' c
your horders, your grace, Lucy all
time laughin' at i'm like idjut, w
'long come telegraptic borders from
A lordship, sayin' as 'ow ee'd be Duke
Manchester in about six months, an
zee didn't want to lose lis 'ead, ee bet
let tn OIL gamekeeper and IS folk alo
II Wat could poor Filler do, your grace
"Oh, nothing, nothing" This {