New-York tribune., 1900-12-30

talk to the cats mistress about the pink cat
until we get an entrance, then Wen make a plan:
You two others can patrol round the house, and
come If We whistle Quick! out of the way. she's
coming"
We slipped round the corner of the portico just
parleying between Gvette's voice and the deep
bass of the fiend housekeeper. and then the door
shut suddenly. Peeping round the corner,
saw no one left in the porticO. and L became for
the first time anxious about Yvette and wished
l had not let her venture without me into the
den.
There's where the cat escaped" I said to
Jack pointing upward toward the gutter.
He screwed up his eyes staring at the place.
"Ah" he murmured, that's it. is it? and he
spat on his hands thoughtfully, and measured
the wall with his eye.
I'm not a man of action, l followed him
obedently to the inner courtyard, which he sug
gested we should visit. There he disappeared
under a straw loft and emerged with a long
ladder, which we carried away between US with
out any surface indication of disapprOval from a
stone deaf and venerable hind who was summing
himself seated on the shaft of a long dsused
cart. felt that he must be the husband of the
woman we had seen in the yard on our last visit.
We carried it back. | say, and. acting under
Jacks direction and with Jacks rather g-udg
ingly yielded assistance. planted il against the
wall.
Wait bit" said Jack
While / waited a bit he up the rungs,
and, laying hold of the coping stones. swung
himself up and disappeared among the gables.
would have followed him. but he had desired
me to wait, and Yvette might want my help,
and l was not certain whether could do that
SNiHSiHS up business In I'VE minutes by my
Waterbury he came back, dropping to the ground
like a squirrel:
Come on to the house." he cried. excitedly;
I've spoken with him-LOrd. Lord'-
We turned the corner again just as the door
opened.
Come in quick uuick!" called Yyette and
we followed her down the passage at the double.
In the picture gallery the hOusekeeper, trem-
bling with rage stood before an open door in
the wall like a black silk lioness guarding the
entrance To her cavernous private life.
ITS a secret door" whispered Yvette. II
found the spring because that knob of the cary
ing was so worn and shiny, and touched it,
but
p. c. Kelly facing her like a man. though
exhausted by remonstrances. He hailed my ap-
that l was 4 magistrate. For constable
thought this good point of cunning, but il drew
on me the beetling glance OF the housekeeper.
He" said she. recognizing me at once that
he aren't He's a stroller"
Ard at that moment Jack who had lurked
behind me, sprang under her arm and dashed
up the little staircase behind the panel door
With positive roar of anger, the woman made
5 though she would follow him, when the de-
termination suddealy falteTed and she said
mildly: Take him and lock him up yourself
then Now, what were you saying about my
pussy cat? He's not had drop of dye for three
days. poor thing
While z. c. Kelly paused to answer her Yvette
and / crept after Jack up the STAIR which ended
in little lobby and few feet square with
door at the end. which Jack opening with
rusty. squeaking key.
Ii opened. and out stepped little man in a
frock ccat, covered with cobweb. his hair scanty
and sandy gray bald forehead For a
minute he merely blinked in an embarrassed
manner.
MAY | ask?" ! began
I'm Sir CrevecPur Tuke.' he said; have you
got her locked up-Ars. Bullimore / mean?"
He blirked at YVette and at once began slap
ping his sleeves and trouser knees, and running
his dingy fingers through his cObwebby hair.
My old nurse would have sketched his condition
as crooked with fluff and flock and flue'; she
would have been quite right
What earth?' We said.
Down below we heard Il. G. Kelly summarize
ing the English constitution at great length to
that erstWhile mysteriarch, Mrs. BUllimOre.
she had never seen me, you know said the
Baronet rapidly, not before l came back-been
away more'n twenty years-been here about a
fortnight
What earth?" we were saying again.
Come home at last he said. "Brokin in
Johannesburg last thing-'fore that, brOkin' in
New Orleans. Took me into the hail. she did
that's my pitcher. don't y know, in the hall.
Said You aren't bit like it l never was like
<ilat, though my poor mother thought l was
then. Said / a swindler. and she expected
Sir CreVecoRur home every minute
What did she dO?" asked.