The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-12-06
! a Spiders Web. &


ev.rything valuable in the house. includ-
ing some silver plate. a gold watch worth
forty guineas, and notably a siiver-pislt-
ed dessert spoon. which had been given as
= present TO one of the children. and bore
the initial OF his Christian name. the let
ter p, on the handle. Poor Maggie was
found In an insensiblo state on the moor
by the other servants and then word was
sent 10 the Central office. as Well 40 ps
telegraph 10 the master OF the house y he
LlessaGe broasht 10 the ofhce "ae 10 i-e
effect that entrance had been Halnso py
picking the lock. and anfastefink in SOME
way the bolts of the 'front.' door, bect"s"
that MAS the nnly door iu the house found
open. hut upon my arrival clearly
proved the thing impossible The heavy
bars on the door had each "A patent last
ening which could be loOsened from the
inside only. A close search and Keen eA
animation OF the other doors and VIM
dows revealed the astounding fact That
not hinge or hasp had been forced or a
window pane broken, and | was begin
ming TO doubt the correctness OF my own
decision regarding the front door till
was shown the scullery window Here,
II is true, the window was fastened by a
strong bolt. which they assured me was
never drawn. and had not bcen touched
for years; but a second glance showed me
that IL had been all but covered by
recently torn and mangled by the draw
ing OF the bolt
Some one has opened this bolt lately
from within, | said decidedly: and as no
servant but Maggie had entered the scnl-
lery for some days. the question was
finally referred 10 her She was still In
bed. but quite ahlc TO speak and think;
and her FIRST answer Was a decided mega
tive.
mo one ever opens that window. or
could open it hut me-. she said emphat-
ically. 1T has not been opened Tor
years
..The bolt has been drawn lately, and
the window opened too, i as firmly per-
sisted: "there are shreds Of spiders webs
hanging at various places where they
have been wrenched asunder In opening
the window Think again might not
some one have slipped into the house
whils. You were ii smother part OF the
building merely 90 uafasicn The bolt FOR
after nseg'
"No one cou.d come In without me
knowing as there's spring bell on the
back door was her reply. ''and, indeed,
no one is ever allowed within the door
Mr. Naismith is 80 strict on these points
lat least 40 one but Peggy. the milk
girl
Peggy. the milk girl7" / echoed with
fresh interest: ''and what kind OF char
acter does she bear? Might she not have
done IL?
You can ask her." answered Maggie.
with confident smile
Ask her?" l repeated, with a derisive
smile. that Is scarcely good plan.
People do not generally speak freely tho
words which are to send them TO prison.
But is she poor? needy2''
Very poor. but honest and hard-work-
ing as a grown woman. She's only a
girl, but she has as much In her head az
many twice her age.
$50 begin 10 fear was my reJoinder.
spoken rather dryly. II must have her
address, and see IL j can get ans fresh
light on the subject
Had the time been little earlier In the
season. when the family were at home.
Peggy would have been there morning
and evening, and might thus have heard
of the robbery before me; but az IL was,
she was necessarily Ia complete ignor-
ance OF what had occurred. ! got as COM
plete list of the things carried OFT as
the tabc-maid could furnish me with;
and then by calling at the dairy which
employed Peggy. / procured her address
"a rather dingy place I'm the Causeway-
side. The house was single room on
the ground floor, with only half a window
above the ground; and IL was only after
hammering rather noisily at the door
that ! made myself heard; and then obey
Ing the injunction 10 come in, l
opened the door and saw an old man
kneel.ng before the empty CRATE with a
blackhead brush In his hand huge
towel fixed before him for an apron. and
his face red with hard brushing at the
little CRATE.
Come In. sir; never mind me. I'm only
doing my housework. he said. as ] ad-
vanced In hesitation: Peggy learns me
how TO do IL while she's out working for
us. but I'm afraid III never be so good
at II as Peggy. DO you think now that
it's possible for a learner like me ever
10 be able TO make that crate as good
as lookfng-glass?'
''That depends" gravely began.
when ne auiclSly caught me up with the
words
"Ah. that's it II depends on the learn
er. Now, I'm dreadful slow. There, al
washing now I'm nowhere. It's a fact,
so you needn't look surprised. When
it's a plain sheet or n pair OF stockings
I'm not SO bad; but when II comes to one
OF Bob'a shirts, or one OF my white ones
I'm a fearful soven. It's the wristbands
apd odd corners where the shirt gathers
that bother me. And Peggy has such 90
eye for tindng them out when I've missed
them. Silt she SAYS IN learn through
time. l'eggys always hopeful" and hs
slattxhf on the CRATE before him tiil
1ant reflection OF his crimson face an,
sweating 1ro~ began tv show on th,
polished jamhs
"a surrosc Peggy ~ "a good giil as wei
- hard Working oue inuluringi'
rema -hrh. iakmg tho scat le had rrot
fered.
Good. There's nobody IN this worl'
will ever find out how good she is ans
wercd the old man with enthusiasm. an,
determined look around, as IL prepares
20 knock amy one down VINO disputed tn
point "Peggy's the mother OF this family
without Peggy we'd all 90 20 wreck AN
ruin"
said nothing: and taking my silenc
rs expressive OF a doubt, the old man
after wlping the sweat from his brov
with n hand that left broad smear q
blacklcad I'm it's place. hutton-holcd me Z
argue the point.
Look here: great lady wouidn'
come here and beg and pray OF us TO II
Peggy go and be- her servant FOR lfe.
Peggy wasn't good above Ordinar. woul
she7 Peggy isn't pretty-spect you
pretty folks isn't worth candy. good ~
nothing but oil their hair. and pull o
2 their gloves aud scent their hankies. an
look isnrulshing--but Peggys got wha
many haven't. a pair " hands. duic
and willin'. thatll work with sny woman
I1rff Lnctv your naFng pnr uuyftfr