New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-26


went over and felt the gas stove. The iron was
hot. Evidently the flame had only Just been
turned out. My portfolio Of Poranesi llustra-
tions was lying open the table. The ash trays.
which / never use. had come into service, the
top was off my best box of cigars and one OF
my tobacco Jars had been taken from the sher
and left on the sofa. I sat down beside It, feel
ing rather dazcd. AS did So my heel touched
something under Observation-Disclosures do you call
it---round the sofa"
Valance" interJected Mrs. Keston, DreathiesS.
WAS 1t a man."
"No-a tea tray, laden with cakes and jam.
one teacup. and three glasses OF brandy ana
seltZer."
Three. The sons"
Il pushed the tray back and went and opened
the window The geraniums In the flower Ded
underneath were trampled and there were foot-
/ prints In the earth. good many things became
! plain l stood there l knew that my library
! had mnistered to the intellectual needs OF the
| three musketeers, and that my brandy and my
/ tobacco had helped their mother to keep them
out of public houses and bad company. ana l
began to see how she might feel herself Justinea
/ I'm spelling the Egyptians for so cody an emu
If she had only stood her ground. and not tod
me that feeble lie For the truth there might De
excuse, there might be unanSwerabe argument
for the lie nothing but pity. that the cowardlce
and servility in the womans blood should betray
even such a nature as hers
James. II can't believe It,"
MY dear, we expected too much or course. l
didn't know then what do now; that most IL
not all the book borrowing was for little 1aVio
1t was for little David you know that she put
on the yoke Of service again In her old age. l
noticed" Mr.. Keston added as he held open the
vicarage gate for his wife. Il noticed that little
David appeared less moved than any one near
the grave"
Yes" said Mrs. Keston, and her voice was
heavy with establishment. Yes, thousht
little David didn't seem to care
She went into the house feeling that she had
come home to face bleaker misfortune tnan
mere death She went upstairs to take of her
things: but instead OF doing so at once, she
walked aimlessy through the upper part OF tne
house. till she came to Anne Carriers room. She
opened the door and looked in Scrupulousy-
spotlessly clean. 1t had been all these ten
years. The only beauty, the only color In that
bare, white room came through the single WIN
dow opening on the west But there was an IN
fuence there still. alive eloquent. imperious'
repudating so sternly Mr.. Kestons interpreted
tion Of that scene In the study, that his wire
bowed her head with humiliation and looked up
almost radiant with relief. II wasn't true. Anne
had simply shielded some one else
Mrs Keston had promised the sons that she
would have their mothers belongings packed up
and ready to 20 away early the next morning
with a dim notion OF making up for the Wears
unworthy suspicious. she determined that no one
but herself should touch Anne's things. She took
off her bonnet and laid 1t on the bed. The key to
Annes trunk had been found under her pillow.
Mrs Keston turned 1t In the od-fashioned lock
and leaned back the lid few winter clothes
were laid loosely In the bottom, with squares OF
camphor. Mrs Keston lifted the things out to
fold them hatter. Underneath was an old lac
quered box and portly bundle labelled 'David
Trial Sermons" And there were loose copies OF
THE Times" apparently taking up room to no
purpose Away with them! And what were all
these regular shaped packages underneath the
newspapers? The wrapping round one was torn
1t a packet Of writing paper bearing the
house stamp.
The vcarage,
Lyttelton-Leas.
Feeling like a thief Mrs. Keston broke the
wrapping on one after another. The last packet
had evidently been made up long while ago. 1t
was stamped with the crest which the Vicar had
given up using eight nine years before Mrs.
Keston dropped her knees beside the trunk.
and turned up the contents feverishly. The en-
tire bottom lined thick with stamped en-
velopes and postcards. She shrank back as II her
own belongings burned her. If only 1t had been
an ordinary servant! If only it hadn't been Ammo
Carter
i've been looking for YOU" said voice. The
Vicar stood at the open door. What's the mat
ter?" He was coming in. Mrs. keston made
an involuntary movement with her hands to
prevent his looking into the trunk. But he was
already staring down on that varied assortment
of all the stationery he had used for the last
ten years He said nothing for some moments.
Mrs. Keston had looked away. Presently she
was conscious Of his STOPPING and taking up the
lacquer box.
ibid you ever see this before?" he said.
mo"
II had It when I was a boy. When put 1t
away in the long cupboard years ago. both the
hinges broken"
Dear. this may be another You know
how forgetful you are about details
The Vicar shook his head with the ghost OF
smile.
mo. this was given to me by He broke off
suddenly and looked on the underside. There's
q letter I scratched on 1t when was twenty
She thought ii was old thing you'd thrown
away" Mrs. Keston urged.
Her husband turned abruptly, and looked at the
capacious drawers in the old press When
you go through those you may find other OLD
things.
NO no." Mrs Keston's voice was almost
cry ",There's nothing there but Annes own
clothes James" she added. in a lower voice,
getting up hurriedly from off her knees. let us
go downstairs. I-I-think I'll let Maria do the
packing"
The Vicar hesitated moment and then laid
down the box VERY WELL" he said. But he
took 1t up again and studied the faded LACQUER
I'm sure you're mistaken. said his wire. ms
box hasn't broken hinges" She took 1t out OF his
hands to demonstrate the fact: at,
mo. the hinges have been mended." he SAID
stared The box was full to overnowing WITH |
postage stamps. - ,.,.,
from the box to his face and back again into the |
box you're not thinking all these
HIN" said the Vicar. turning them over:
They are not in sheets, you see They are all
pulled apart as have them in the drawer down.
stairs
put she-she may have had some fad about |
saving her money In that form; she may nave
bought them one or two at time-through all |
The vicar shook his head. There are only the
kirds here that keep. Penny, half-penny' Two
nence- half-penny and six penny ones for tele- |
"Oh why why didn't she burn all this hoard'
Mrs Keston walled. she wasn't taken by sur
prise" , go
my dear" said the Vicar. 1.-THE reason we are
taken so much by surprise is that we have sup
messed the servant code and ours to be the same
Anne Carter was the product OF centuries OF
servitude She looked upon these things as her
perquisites boarding them was IN act so nat
iral to her thrift, and so permissible In her po-
s,tion that i'm the great preoccupation of dying |
she forgot all about II. -
1--WE mustn't let her sons know" Mrs. Keston |
,yhispered hastily png up the stationery. We |
must get all this out of sight" She seized the
lacquer box. A.. w.
'No no" said the Vicar, leave that. We |
can't he quite sure about the stamps'-(C T.. |
No, Reyi