The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-20
BURGLARY.

large properly Go not ostSI Keep up MUCH
correspondence with an elderly relative.
George understood that his aunt was con-
tent, and that the dIsconsoiate yulture
had made no sign She was roaming the
continent in search Of some permanent
resting place. Having chosen Tours. Aunt
Kitty returned some months after. wards 20
make arrangements, and George called up
on her In town.
He was shown into the drawing room.
A very pretty. neat isttie girl rose from
the chair In which she had been buried
with a novel.
Bless me- cried George, ARE you
Resa?''
oh. am so glad to see you. Mr.. May
nard! l wanted To thank you for your
goodness TO me-
81 don't claim any credit. my dear"
George laughed.
'Oh. that's because you are 50 kind.
/ shall never forget what | owe YOU"
Then pay II by remaining always good
AS you are now. Tell me the truth" he
added merriIy. sitting down, aud holding
hsr befor. him. don't you ever banker.
just a minute now and then. after the aw-
ful life you used 10 lead? should, know
II We're In your place"
She colored and laughed. you don't
know anything about my life. Mr.. May
nard.''
Well. but don't you ever! 1 can see
You do
"I-whisper. Mr. Maynard-I wish you
were in prison or something lock
and key, Then i would show whether
I'm grateful or not. Only that once" The
door opened. ''Oh. please don't say a
word 10 Miss Nugent. She struggled 10
free herself, and George was laughing 50
that he could not hold her. The reforma-
ton was not quite perfected yet.
yTssyr. sz.s1~ NJ hiu
ordered to India. George went 10 Tours
to bid Aunt Kitty goodbye. He hoped to
find amusement during the three dun days
OF his visit In the society OF this little
burglaress. unseen since the interview re-
corded. But Aunt Kitty thought it in
judicious to recall the. dreadful old mem
cries. and she kept Rosa close. The child
was now IA, very small. but charming. AS
she shook hands with George her color
rose and her eyes had just the same
roguish half-smiie which he remembered
accompanying the whisper. please, I'm
a girlt' But Aunt Kitty had never once
reit' regret. She loved her charge almost
with passion. and it was pretty to see
Rosa's tender ways. not towards her benz
efactress only, but towards this ancient
maid who defended kind heart with an
abattis of prickles.
Aunt kitty's single grievance was a
some mysterious means with her father
The only serious ground she could advance
for this belief was in fact tribute TO
the girFs affectionate disposition. Loving
her father dearly. as she confessed, Rosa
would not have been so quiet had she not
known he was wei.
George learned indeed that this suspi-
eion was correct. On the morning Of his
departure Aunt Kitty observed that Rosa
was net well. She had been found crying
In her bedroom the night before-the very
first lime her tears had been seen--and
sreggEdsto be left alone. This morning she
was still quite unlike herself
George went into the grounds to smoke
after breakfast which was not his usual
custom, and thus IL CHANGED that he saw
Rosa crouched against tree her face
In her hands 1t was m attitude of grief
not pain.
MY poor child" said he. approaching.
You are In trouble?''
''oh. leave me. please! And. oh. don't
tell Miss Nugent"
II will tell TO one. dear; but can't /
give you any comfort l am your oldest
friend. and not the least one. though ev-
erybcdy IS your friend" He knelt beside
her and put his arm around her waist
Tell me what Il Is. little one. Perhaps
can help"
mo one can help. Oh. Mr. Maynard.
my father is dead-and I was here at the
theater. laughing. whilst he lay in pain at
the hospital Oh. dear-oh. dear, He was
so kind to me. and 80 handsome and so
merry / never thought he would die,'
She leaned on Georges breast, sobbng
II WAS not the moment 10 express sur
prise that a father SO loved and So loving
could train his child 10 felony George
thought he knew the TYNE Handsome
kind and merry"-a laughing. reckless
meier ao-weN. whose high spirits ard fine
constitution masked innate selfishnsss ana
villalny; a gentleman hy birth and
training perhaps. who had sunk even into
crime. Int never lost his polish. II Rost's
father vas such type much became In
tellisible.
George sci himself 10 console the child
patiently and tenderly. He succeeded be-
cause he made her talk Ru, even then
Rosa avoided any detail OF her fathers
life. George gathered vaguely that he had
house with a garden that he visited
among respectable people in the neigh
horhcoi. attended races and was popular
everywhere. This was Just what would
have been expected His death was due
- a fall from his trap"
For an hour they sat, un,I Rosa started
NJ.
They viii he looking for ne oh. Mr..
Maynard can't say how different |
fed think I can go to dear. dear Miss
Nugent now. and lstrn 30 herr You are
going away today. I VIII say good bye
now" She offered her Hrs FOR a kiss
"If hive for a century shall never for
get one atom OF all your goodness
s. George went - India And there. at
ter while he fell into a scrare The doe
tors sent him 10 nurse a wound n Drum
sals. where he met Mrs peeie "a woman
as able as attractive whose husband was
p,tied by the good. anf Knocked hv the i'll
natHred, he tried 80 escape the conscious
ness Of either Insult ny abandoning the
wife whom he dared nos accuse George
WAS rich and open handed None - Mrs.
Fceies admirers could give such enter
taOments. or - many. as he IEus wounds
80 not heal under such conditions After
a while the doct~fs insisted that hs must
50 home. Most urwillingly he submitted
Aunt Kitty was paving a visit In Lon
don. and thus he met Rosa once more.
Regarding her with tho diSin'erestna eve
O: Friendship. George declared that A
sweetcr and brighter maiden could not he
found in tho universe She showed ~ en-
harrasSrYent but a frank ufeaSDE. AZ
meeting him. That early phase ~ her ex-
iStence was never limited AZ now. ~ course.