Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-06-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
Story of a Valet.


spent two hours at the manor and held
a private conversation with him.
took it that she had come to solicit n
subscription of some sort and had no
curiosity about it. Lady Kildare was
a widow of fifty who still went much
into society, and she was reputed to be
a great schemer.
When she had driven away, my mas.
ter called me in. He was walking up
and down the room with the gait of an
old man, and yet 1 saw at a glance
that he was seeking to get the stoop
out of his shoulders and the stiffness
out of his knees.
"Tench," he said, 'I'm going a-court-
ing. Yes, am. Lady Kildare is going
to put me alongside of handsome lit
tie girl who may fall in love with and
be willing to wed sad old dog like
me, and if things turn out right you'll
see a mistress at Brookhaven within
six months. Sad old dog! That's good
ell, Tench? What do you think of the
idea?'
Its not for me to presume to say,
SIR" 1 replied, realizing in n moment
that his mind was fully made up.
I'm to go to the Cedars next week
to meet the young lady, and of course
you will go with me. You must do q
little extra rubbing to get me. ready,
and you'll look after me when there.
If you are asked about my age by any
of the servants you'll stick to fifty-five.
and you'll say 1 am as spry as any
man of thirty"
never came to understand all the
ms and outs of the affair, but learned
enough to satisfy me that it was a
put up job on the part of Lady Kildare
to marry off n penniless niece of hers.
1t went through with a rush. The
girl was fair looking and played her
cards we'll She wanted the old mans
name and money even If she had to
take him with them. On his part he
fell in love with her at first sight, and
before fortnight had passed their en-
gagement was announced.
There were a dozen others i'll the
party at the Cedars, and almost from
the first l learned from the butler that
Captain Carew, who was one of the
party, had paid Miss Montague marked
attentions and that there would have
been n match except for his poverty.
On two or three occasions during our
stay without in any manner playing
the spy l caught on to several little
things to convince me that the love af-
fair was not dead and would not end
with the girls marriage.
Well, the wedding took place in two
months, and after a trip lasting two
weeks Sir Edward and his bride re-
turned. She didn't like me, and l
didn't like her, but 1 stayed on. OF
course the old regime was upset and
a new One instituted, and it seemed to
the old servants as if we were stand
ing on our heads half the time.
After six weeks. in spite of all my
efforts and the cordials of the doctor,
Sir Edward could hardly hobble about
and looked to be eighty. There were
days at n time when he could not leave
his room, and the young wife treated
him with i'll concealed contempt.
In six months Captain Carew called
only three times, and l had begun to
believe the old love affair dead when
the gardener informed me that Lady
Edward and the captain had met more
than once of an evening in q certain
summer house.
1 dared say nothing to master, at
least until 1 had seen with my own
eyes, and one evening 1 posted myself
where 1 could either corroborate or dis
prove the gardeners assertions. In
my own mind believed him mistaken.
The young wife might despise her old
wreck of a husband, but l did not be-
lieve she would trifie with his honor
and hers.
On this night Sir Edward had gone
to bed early after a feeble day, and he
appeared to be sleeping as 1 stole away.
1t was fairly bright night in mid
summer, and walked across the
grounds to find a man and a woman,
he with his arm around her, slowly
walking up and down one of the paths.
AS they approached me hid behind a
bush. and they passed within ten feet
of me. 1t was the captain and Lady
Edward, and they were talking of love.
They walked on for perhaps twenty
rods and then turned to come back,
and as they did so felt hand on my
arm, and a voice said in my ear:
mot word or a move, Tench. 1
here now to make sure"
1t was Sir Edward. l wouldn't have
thought it possible for him to dress
himself and walk the distance. 1 be-
gan to protest, but he cut me short
with:
Not a word. say, and don't move
an inch"
We stood there like two men of stone.
Sir Edward was rigidly upright and
firm on his legs. and l believe | heard
the beating of his heart as the lovers
slowly came forward. When they were
exactly opposite he stepped out and
fred at Captain Carew point blank,
and before l could raise a hand he
turned the pistol on himself and sent
q bullet into his head. The bullet in
tended for the captain missed him by
hairs breadth. though he staggered
and fell, and Lady Kildare went down
in q dead faint.
4