The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-02-04

land We found ourselves kneeiing beside
the demon. uttering solicitous 'poo-poos
or "pussys." and proffering milk and hard
roe. parcel OF that with which our last
herring had been delicately furnished
II believe he's dyed" said fvette; II m
certain Is, he comes on on my hand
kerchief now he, little damp. That
| woman must be very hattermad. Ana
what on earth has the pussy Persian
tied round it's neck?
|. A little cooked hat note. A soaked lear
from "A metallic notebook. We united the
| piece OF twine II was strung TO. fiattening
| IL carefully, and this is what We read,
! knocking our heads together In our new
| excitement:
III YOU get this bring the police and
lock her up. There Will be a reward III
you like, but look sharp. You'n hear me
shout II you make row enough.
{" Her must be the hOusekeeper de-
mon" said Yvette. devourlng the sodden
pencil legend. unless IL means her fa>
miliar the cat And who is IL she has
| locked up7 DO you think IL Is the perse-
| cutting ancestor appealing from durance
| under The Morning PostH'
| ITS too weak--this little handwriting.
"And hes modern enough to know
| about the police" said Nvette, and look
how he spells him. There's only one 4
| in police. isn't there2'
| 1--WE have no chance" l said. "of arriv-
ing at a consensus OF the opinion OF the
| force for there is only one OF him I'm
| Lymchtrch, and he's u. c. Kelly. who is
| staying on leave with his mother. the
widow. / admit that one n rs a starveiing
way OF spelling him"
1--WE can't so touight." said Yvette, de-
| cidedly: "your boots are SO wet"
"In tho morning, then" said /, "the
| cavalcade shall start. and this time We'll
| hire q wsgon-we won't walk there
again"
| Yvette was biting her thumb and gaz-
| ing AT the pink cat who was sleeping on
| his we'll warmed side. repete with milk.
1 purring mildly In his dreams he followed
| droves OF purple mice TO catty doom.
Said she MY theory Ia that the old
! family butler Is kept chained up by that
woman while she bloats on his board
| wages"
'It may be-" answered. but oh.
| Yvette. what an adventure for two shil-
| lings!"
| il was early morning-esrly that is, for
| us 20 have arrived at far distant Earring
water. Policeman Kelly, with whom
| had often shared tobacco when met him
in his holiday short sleeves on the sea-
| front had put on the official with his
! blue coat and silver buttons, and between
| the jolts OF the cart that brought us had
! i'm luminous but disconnected sentences
4
| the Instructed citizen should assume in
J his relations with the force.
| | listened TO his artless talk which min
| gled with the babble OF Yvette, who was
| explaining the advantages Of seafar-
| ing career over that of an author TO Kel-
lys cousin Jim. who remained an incon-
| vinced sea anlan. Battle and breeze were
absent from his own professional conver-
! sation. which ran with somewhat exces-
| sive detail to a description OF the provi-
sions consumed unwilingly by himself
| and others. on board the coaster John
and Charles Wesley OF Cardiff.
| was a little nervous. for II occurred to
! me that even the presence of p. @. Kel-
I ly would not justify a forcible entry into
! ringwater hall. but think betrayed lit
| tie diffidence as | led my posse from the
| lane. where we left the wagon in charge
| OF an open mouthed boy. up the az snue.
| and across the neglected garden to the
| green. moist portico. Halted there, u
| struggling limo OF four. | gained time cy
| again handing round the crumpled leaf
| from the metallic notebook, now almost
illegible.
Then as I reckoned all along. Yvette.
who had got the pink of the Persian In a
basket. took the reins OF power. handed
over my command very cheerfully.
Come" she said. we're going to deliv-
er this thing, whatever IL Is, that wrote
this. So, Mr.. Kelly, you come to the door
with me. and we'll talk to the cats mis-
tress about the pink cat until we get an
entrance then we'll make a plan. You
two others -pstfel- around the Reuse
and come II We whistle. Quick! out Of the
way she's coming"
We slipped around the corner OF the
portico just before the door opened. We
heard short parleying between Yvette's
voice and the deep bass of the fiend house,
keeper and then the door shut suddenly
Peeping round the corner. we saw no one
left I'm the portico, and l became for the
first time anxious about Yvette. and
wished ! had not let her venture without
me into the den
There's where the cat escaped" I said
to Jack, pointing upward toward the gut
ter
He screwed UP his eyes staring at the
place
"Ah." he murmured that's it, IL it?"
and he spst on his hands thoughtfully
and measured the wall with his eye
I'm not a man of action. 40 | followed
| him obediently TO the inner courtyard
which he suggested we should visit. There
he disappeared under "A straw loft and
| emerged with a long ladder. which W.
carried away between us without any
surface indication of disapproval from a
stone deaf and venerable hind who was
summing himself seated on the shaft OF a
long disused cart. / felt that he must be
| the husband or the woman We had seen In
the yard on our last visit. We carried IT
back. / say, and, acting under Jacks III
rection and with Jacks rather grudgingy
| yielded assistance. planted IL against the
| wall.
''Wait a bit" said Jack.
While 1 waited a Bit he ran up the
! ruugs, 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 walt and
! YVctte might want my help. and / WAS
not certain whether ! CoIld do that
! swinging up business. In live minutes bY
! my Waterbury, he came back. dropped
{ To the ground like squirrel.
Come on TO the house. he cried, ex-
citedly. 'Tve spoken with him--Lord.
/ Lord
We turned the corner again just as ths
door opened.
Come in quick," called Yvette, and
we followed her down the passage at the
double
In the ucture gallery the housekeener.
trembling with rage. stood before an
OPEN door I'm the wall like a black silk
honcss guarding the entrance to her
caVeruous private life.
n xxkt raI a.