The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-05-04

.S11e$Ss'' tiss lisys the q Bit. s'"sn1, sn%,
having told story against myself out
Of modesty, will now spin sne with
q successful ending out OF self-respect.
"It was in the heart Of the summer
and business was slack at the private
agency where j was employed, some
OF the men being laid off while we
who we're lucky enough to be kept
along on living wages used up our
time just as you and me arc doing
now, by swapping yarns. We sat
around the big rear room, which had
been given over to us in common,
smoking and chipning, and when,
once in a while, the managers door
would open and he would stick his
head ont and yell Shut upP we didn't
mind il bit, but went right on, be-
ing certain that il was the lack Of any
other orders 10 Issue that made him
so cranky. Our house was the Oldest
agency in this country, personally
conducted by two partners until they
became old and gray in the service,
when they brought over this Mr.. Red
clifie to take charge, their London cor
respondents having given him a big
seDd-of as n crack.a jack, and no mis-
take.
80, when the managers door
opened, one hot afternoon in mid-July,
Colonel, just as ! was in the midst Of
an adventure, expected to hear moth
ing more or less than some polite in
,imation to stop my yawn. On the
contrary, however, Mr.. Redclifie said,
'CroDkite, will you please step in here. ,
"rhe managers rooms were quite
extensive, covering tho front Of the
building; his private Office at one end
and then a succession OF little hutchcs
connected with tho main entrance by
O private hallway in which he could
stow away clients while no was busy
so that they could neither see nor be
seen. Everything in this private Office
was characteristic OF Mr.. Redclille, as
j now had the opportunity TO observe
since he waved me 10 chair in cor
ner, businesslike, certainly, with roll
ing-top desks, doublelocked files,
DiBoOhioicb iuii VI phpbiS, oNoh W Po-
writer on which he ratified of his notes
and correspondence, being too secre-
tive TO keep an amanuensis; but one
and all having bustling, slap. dash
air, as if only used and cared for to
accomplish definite ends. j say j OBJ
served, Colonel, for that was my men
tai habit when waiting, which could
not shake off if / would; and so, with
out seeming to lock, / noticed that
Mr.. Redcliffe was short and brusque
with the young lady, to whom he was
talking, and that she, though naturally
a sweet-faced, gentle girl, with big
trusting eyes and dependent way,
looked not only terribly worried, but
unalterably determined. / noticed
something else, too, simply for want
of anything to do, and with no idea
that it might be important; and yet,
rs you will see, that same little thing
led me out of the woods in which |
was about TO wander.
Finally Mr.. Redclffe motioned to
me, and l stepped over to his desk.
'Cronkite' he began, in his quick, de-
cided way, i want to introduce you to
Hiss Alice Leighton. have been do
ing little business for Miss Leigh
ton, and find her, if she will pardon
me for saying 80, a very obstinate
young lady, one whom it is quite inn
possible to convince that the suspi-
cions which brought her TO me are
groundless, absolutely groundless.
Hence, as you seem to have a super
abundance of time, which / haven't,
and 1t was the wish of my superiors
that you should be retained here, you
might just as well follow out her
wishes in this matter until she is salts
fed. ] can't stop to make any ox.
planation; and it's better that you
should hear the story from her own
lips, since might prejudice your judg-
ment, while her enthusiasm and en-
ergy may stimulate your own, il that
were possible. so, do you take her in
TO room ID, there, and after she has
fully unburdened Der soul, why, act
as your discretion suggests.
Now, miss, said /, when we two
were alone, you just start in and tell
me Tie situation as full as you can
90! won't attempt TO repeat her Ian
guage, Colonel; like the tone of her
voice, 10 was her own charming prop.
erty. Sat this is the substance Of
what - were. She was an orphan, q
clergynan's daughter, highly educated
and as poor as a church mouse, filing
the place OF governess in the family Of
a millionaire 10y the name o; March
mont, at which pricked up ny ears,
fer, of course, we kept tabs oh all
criminal matters of any Importance
Old Mnrchmont, il seemed. had pri-
vate secretary, young fellow named
Proctor, who also lived in the house,
and as was natural, these two, being
thrown much together during their
leisure, and pride working both ways
TO shut them off from the others, above
and below, fell in love and became en-
gagged. Then came the trouble. The
millionaire, like all old men twice mar
ried, was silly fond OF his young wife
and on her last birthday, about three
months before, TO show his burning
affection, presented her with a zone of
diamonds, easily worth when broken
mp and shipped over to Amsterdam.
$50, 900, and the Lord, lie alone only
knows what the old chap gave up for
il at retail. Quite an amount OF avail
able stuff, you'll be thinking, TO have
lying around the house, but neither
Marchmont nor his wife thought il
necessary to keep the diamonds in a
safety deEosit: for. az the same time.