Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-01-21
Copyright 1899, by Herbert s. Stone & Co.
CHAPTER VIII.-CoNTINUEr

$50 bad as that is it?" said the col
Iive?"
"a long way" replied. Il couldn't
get there if | travelled all night"
why? Where do you live, them"
Nowhere" l answered, thinking
vaguely that it was possible Number
Three might be lurking within ear
shot, and that | had best sustain the
role | had assumed.
Great heavens! And they call this
a Christian country! Never mind.
We can make up bed for you at my
place, and then I'll see what can be
done. Are you out of work."
Yes" | replied. 81 was one of Lord
Cranthorpe's mill hands and we're all
out on strike"
What" he cried, "are you one OF
that rascally, skulking crew?-a set
of ruffians who are driving the trade
out of the country into the hands of
Germans, and cutting their own throats
into the bargain, at the bidding of
lot of scheming agitators who wouldn't
be tolerated for a moment anywhere
but in England. If I'd have known
but there, l expect you're more fool
than knave. That's my house just
past the lamp-post. l am the blood
sucking tyrant Lord Cranthorpe, who,
according to your friends the agita-
tors, am battening and fattening on
the brow sweat of the starving poor.
Here, lend a hand-you with the cart
i oil oh n N
over. We'll make up a bed for him
somewhere in the basement, SO that
he won't have to strain his foot by
hObbling upstairs. You take his head
and I'll take his feet. It's the first
house past the lamp-pOst, and be care
full how you go down the area steps"
My foot was so painful that WINGED
nervously as he stopped to raise me,
but no woman could have been DETER
of hand or more tenderly considerate
than he, and my transit was accom-
plished painlessly. They carried me
through sort of passage opening upon
the street, to an inner room, where l
was prOpped up on a huge wicker
chair, my injured foot resting luXuri-
ously upon another chair. Then Lord
Cranthorpe explained the situation to
the servants, telling them that | was
to remain in the house until my foot
was healed, and giving strict injunc-
tions that they were to make me as
comfortable as possible during my So
journ under his roof.
Comfortable, however, l cannot say
I was, for, with one exception, the
whole staff of servants appeared to re-
sent my advent as an intrusion. They
were civil enough in attending to my
wants, and in their own phrase,
<passed the time of day with me" when
they had cause to enter the room
where | was located. But though |
did my best, for obvious reasons, to
get upon good terms with them, they
never seemed at ease in my company.
This was especially noticeable in the
matter of meals, for once or twice,
when | asked to be allowed to take my
food with them, their awkwardness
and silence were most oppressive
They watched me furtively as if to get
an opportunity of conveying fork,
spoon or knife to their mouths at the
precise moment when my attention
was engaged elsewhere, and on one
occasion | detected the cook in the act
of taking lunch on the stairs rather
than join a party of which | was
member. tried to solace my vanity
by telling myself that this might he
due to some instinct which warned
them that they and l were not upon
the same social plane; but as the only
member of the staff who was at all
Gnclined to accept my advances was
wisp of a scullery-maid named Amelia,
whom the others persistently snubbed,
and to whom | heard them allude as
of mo class" it seemed likely that
the diagnosis of the case should have
been the other way about, and that
I. as well as Amelia, was considered
as wanting in "class"-whateyer that
may be.
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