Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-06-15

oooiO Oh Gne right side or n arch.
Curlously enough every word that
you say can be heard, not only by the
other diner, but by the servants be-
yond the screen through which they
bring dinner. This is worth knowing.
An echoing is a trap to be fore
warned against.
Half in fun and half hoping to
be believed, the man Who knew told
Churton the story of the Bisara of
Pury at rather greater length than I
have told it to you in this place wind
ing up with a suggestion that Churton
might as well throw the little box
down the hill and see whether all his
troubles would go with it. In ordina-
ry ears-English ears-the tale was
only an interesting bit of folklore.
Churton laughed, said that he felt
better for his breakfast, and went
out. Pack had been breakfasting by
himself to the right Of the arch, and
had heard everything. He was e
1y mad with his absurd in%fatuation
for Miss Hollis, that all Simla had
been laughing about.
It is a curious thing that when a
man hates or loves beyond reason he
is ready to go beyond reason to graft
fly his feelings-which he would not
do for money OF power merely. De-
pend upon it Solomon would never
have built affairs to Ashcroft and all
1900 l. l;1o -:4I - ~ ~ &c %1ono
had not been trouble of some kind in
his zenana and nowhere else. But this
is beside the story. The facts are
these: Pack called on Churton next
day when Churton was out, left his
card and stole the Bisara of Puri from
it's place under the clock on the man
telpiece! Stole it like the thief he
was by nature. Three days later all
Simla was electrified by the news that
Miss Hollis had accepted Pack-the
shriveled rat, Pack! Do you desire
clearer evidence than than this? The
Bisara of Puri had been stolen, and it
worked as it had always done when
won by foul a
There are three or four times in a
mans life when he is justified in
meddling with other peoples affairs
to ply Providence.
The nan who knew felt that he was
justified, but believing and acting on
a belief are quite different things. The
insolent satisfaction of Pack as he
ambled by the side of Miss Hollis and
Churton's striking release from liver
as soon as the Bisara of Puri had
gone, decided the man. He explained
to Churton, and Churton laughed, be-
cause he was not brought up to be-
lieve hat men on the government
house list steal-at least little things.
But the miraculous acceptance by
Miss Hollis of that tailor, Pack, decid-
ed him to take steps on suspicion. He
vowed that he only wanted to find out
where his ruby studded silver box
had vanished to. You cannot accuse
a man of the government house list Of
stealing. And if you rifle his room
you are a thief yourself. ChurtOn,
prompted by the man who knew, de-
cided on burglary. If he found moth
ing in Packs room, put it is not
nice to think of what would have hap
pened in that case.
Pack went to a dance at Kenmore
and not an ofice-and danced 15
waltzes out of % with Miss Hollis.
Churton and the man took all the
keys that they could lay hands on
and went to Packs room in the hotel,
certain that his servants would be
away. Pack was a cheap soul. He
had not purchased a decent cash box
to keep his papers in, but one of the
native limitations that you buy for 10
rupees. 1t opened to any sort of key,
and there at the bottom, under Packs
insurance policy, lay the Bisara of
Puri!
Churton called Pack names, put the
Bisara of Puri in his pocket, and went
to the dance with the man-at least
he came in time for supper and saw
the beginning of the end in Miss Hol-
lis eyes. She was hysterical after
supper, and was taken away by her
mamma.
At the dance, with the abominable
Bisara in his pocket, Churton twisted
his foot on one of the steps leading
down to the old rink, and had to be
sent home in a rickshaw g~rumbling.
He did not believe in the Bisaras of
Puri any the mor for this manifesto
ton, but he sought out Pack and call
ed him some ugly names, and ssthief'
was the mildest of them. Pack took