Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1894-01-13


to leave the house when my master was
away? What am here for but to protect
the house and my masters interestsi If It
had happened while | was at home, 1t
would have been a great misfortune, but at
least I should not have been culpable; no
one could have said suffered the mischief
to be done"
docs any one say so now" asked.
"Why, it is evident, my poor friend. Any
good for nothing watching his opportunity
might have opened the front door with .
bent nail and walked in. And, animal that
am, / did not even look round the place
when / came in to see that all was safe as
left it."
Kavanagh' suggestive equestio- returned
forcibly to my mind, and ! found it was
quite conceivable that a crafty person
should accuse herself Of a partlonable fault
to screen herself from the suspicion Of an
act of baseness.
"And to think that this Is my fault and
that owe everything in the world to that
dear master. One would say that did it
expressly to show that there was no more
gratitude In the world" and the tears
starting from her eyes again she rose and
went out of the room, whimpering: "Heav
ensi ! deserve to be turned out Of doors.
and then what would become of me?"
! I started, thinking that I had key to
the mystery in that phrase. Had not the
dread of being cast adrift induced Mere
Lucas to connive at the destruction OF the
groupi II she had been warned of the fatal
consequences to Taras, which the produc-
tion Of this work must entail, would she
not, for his sake as well as her own, agree
to this simple measure for averting such a
terrible resulti Gauging her disposition by
my own, believed she would, and my
heart readily forgave her offense. But
though affection for the old woman In
clined me to accept this explanation re-
solved to watch her closely till had seen
Kavanagh and heard the result of his in
quiry respecting the friend in Soho.
followed her when she went out shop
| ping. | slept with my door open. and wax
/ ing at a fancied sound crept out in the
! darkness to listen on the stairs. | discov
! cred nothing tending in the slightest de-
! gree to confirm the suspicion of her com
plicity In the outrage; on the contrary, her
continued detection, which the cheerful
remonstrance Of Taras failed to remove,
seemed to confirm the sincerity of her sor-
row and humiliation.
Apparently Kavanagh found greater
| difficulty than he had anticipated In his in
vestigations, for q week elapsed before
saw him again. When he went up with
Taras into tue workshop to see the new
group, which was already taking form,
followed with the hope Of finding an op-
portunity of hearing the communication
which thought he might have to make TO
| me.
''I shall finish it now," said Taras conf
A. 81 % ILL |.
ready to be fired"
"If nothing happens to you or it in the
meantime" said kavanagh somberly.
'It isn't likely the rascals will try that
/ game on again If they do, SO much the
| worse for them. They will have to settle
accounts with poor old Mere Lucas"
| And supposing, nevertheless" said Kav.
anagh, with glance at me as he turned to
Taras, that this group shared the fate of
the last, what them"
What theni Why, would begin an
other, with q revolver by my side, and
| protect"
Kavanagh nodded gravely. but made no
| other comment. For some minutes he
stood silently watching Taras as he built
up fold in the drapery with pellets of
/
! abstraction, he looked at his watch and
pleaded an engagement. Taras laid aside
/ his clay, and despite his friends remon-
strances led the way down the steps to see
| him to the door.
In that moment Kavanagh. turning to
me, murmured:
II have something to tell you when get
the chance. But, for heavens sake, don't
lose sight of Mere Lucasp' Then he added
some commonplace in a louder tone and
ran down tine steps
At dinner time Taras said to me
II am going to smoke pipe with Cor
don presently. win you walk as far as the
Adelphi with mes"
Nothing would have pleased me more,
but with Kavanagh's warning still ringing
In my ears | dared not accept the offer.
"How long shall you stay with him"
asked, thinking that If the time were not
too long Mere Lucas might be left
"A couple of hours or so, too long for you
to wait. And can't very well ask you to
10 up into his rooms"
| II know that" l had almost ceased to
be exacting and no longer begrudged Taras
the liberty which man always wishes te
feel THANK you very much, but ] think
| would rather stay ut home tonight"
1t was s O'Clock when Taras started. AT
9Mere Lucas came In to bid me lugubri
GUS adieu, and then began to listen to the
footsteps In the street. though had no rea
son to expect Taras in for at least another
hour. AT 10 o'clock went out as noise
lessly as could and looked up at Mere Lu.
cas- window There was no light in the
room, but as reached the door Of the work
shop the window sash was thrown open.
and her head in its white nightcap ap-
peared She had heard me unbolt the back
door.
WHO is thereS" she cried In a tone oi
alarm.
told her 1t was l, who had come out to
see If the lock which had been put on the
workshop door was secure.
my poor little friend" said she, ''do
you think | could lie down II had not
made sure of thati Is 1t that my good lit
tie master has not returned yeti"
told her that expected him in every
minute. and with a mutual good night"
she closed the window. and entered IN
house.
had left light in the kitchen. Look
/ sns \ hot arvfh; INN 1,