The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-01-23

7 concern him. ! had 40 idea Of he
lengths 10 which this would carry him
until the merost accident opened ml
eyes 10 il.
u have said that the house is a
rambling one. one day last week
ou Thursday night. 10 b. more exact
! found that ] could not sleep. having
foolish4E taken a cup IF strong cafe
uoir after my dinner. After strIg-
CLING against il untii two in the morn
ng. ] felt that lit was quite hopeless.
SO / rose and lit the candle with the
intention Of continuing a novel which
] was reading. The book. however.
had been left in the billiard-room. 50
l pulled on my dressing gown and
started off TO get it.
IN order to reach the billiard
room | had to descend a fight OF stairs
and thcn to cross the head Of a pas
sage which led TO the library and
the gun-room. You can imagine my
surprise when. as | looked down this
corridor, l saw q glimmcr Of light
coming from the open door of the IL
brary, | had myself e~xtingufshcd the
lamp and closed the door before COM
ing to bed. Naturally my first
thought was Of burglars. The COrri-
doris at Hurlstone have their walls
largely decorated with trophies Of
old Weapons. From one of these |
picked a battle-aXe. and then. Ieav-
inc my candle behind me, l crcpt on
tip-toe down the passage and peeped
in at the open door.
"'Bruton, the butler. was i'm the
library. He was sitting, fully dress
cd, in an easy-chair. with a slip of
paper which looked like q map uUOn
his knee. and his forehead sunk for
ward upon his hand in deep thought.
/ stood dumb with establishment. y
smalle taper on the endgc Of the Ia
BILE shed a feeble light which su ced
to show me that he was fully dress
ed. Suddenly. as | looked, he rose
from his chair, and walking Oye to q
bureau at the side, he unlocked it
and drew out one Of the drawers.
From this he took q paper ana re-
turning TO his scat he flattcned it out
beside the tapen on the edge of the
table, and began to study it with min
ute attention. My Indignation at this
calm examination Of our family docu-
mCntS OVercame me 50 fal that | took
a step forward, ana EruntOn, look
ing UP, saw. me standing in the door
way. He sprang to his feet. his face
urned Iivid With fear, and he thrust
into his breast the chart-likc paper
which he had been originally study
ing.
so" said /. This is how you
repay the trust which We have re-
posed in YOU. You will leave my
service tOmorroW."
He bowed with the look Of a man
who is utterly crushed, and SUNK past
me without a word. The taper was
still on tho table, and by it's light |
glanced to see what the paper was
which Brunton had taken from the
bureau. To my surprise it was moth
ing Of any Importance at all, but sim
ply a COpy of the questions and an
CVral.c in tho Gin oIIIaJ. nhCG,x-1, no., COLL !
cd the M~usgravc Ritual. 1t is a
sort of ceremony peculiar to our fam
lily, which MuSgraVe for centuries past |
has gone through on his coming Of
9se-a thing of private interest, and F!
perhaps of some little importance to
the archacologist, like our own bla-
z~Oningsand c~hardgcs, but of no prac-
teal use Whatever"
1--WE had better come back to the !
paper afterwards said /.
elf you think it really necessary !
he answered, with some hesitation.
&c continue my statement, however. |
| rclocked the bureau. using ne key
which Brunton had left. and | had
turned to go when l was surprised to /
find that the butler had returned, and
was standing before me.
Mr. MusgraVc, sir" he cried. in
a voice which was hOarse with emo
ton, 81 can't bear disgrace. sir.
l. u - - 'oCi' ~ tlF'C iiN std /
ton in life, and disgrace would Kill
me. My blood will be on your head, |
sir-it will. indecd-if you drive me 10 !
despair. If you cannot keep me after !
what has happened, then for Gods
sake let me give you notice and leave
in a month, as if of my own free /
will. I could stand that, Mr.. Mus
grave. but not to be cast out before all
the folk that / know so Well"
"<"You don't deserve much con-
~sideration, Brunton," I answered.
Your conduct has been most infa-
nous. However. as you have been a
long time in the family. l have no
wish to bring public disgrace upon
you. a month, however. is too long.
Take yourself away in a week, and
give what reason you like for going"
""Only a week, sir?" he cried. i'm
a despairlng voice. "a fortnight
say at least a fortnight.'
"'"A week" I repeated. land you
may consider yourself to have been
very leniently dealt with"
"He crcpt away. his face sunk
upon his breast. like a broken man.
while I put out the light and returned
to my room.
For two days after this Brunton
most a%ssiduOus in his attention
to his duties. | mad no aIlusion to
what had passed. and waited with
'AiL u lpSiNN ~ 81 HOW ut NfllII !
cover his disgrace. On the third
morning, however, he did not ap-
pear. as was his custom. after break
fact to receive my Instructions for
the day. AS | left the dining-room
l happened to meet Rachel HoweIIs,
the main. l have told YOU that she
had only recently recovered from an
and was looking so Wretchedlv
pale and wan that l demonstrated
with her for being at work.
""You should be in bed" I said.
Come back to your duties when you
are stronger"
She Iookcd at me with 50 strange
an expression that [ began to sus-
pect that her brain was affected.
am strong enough, Mr.. Mus
said she.
I've will Sc what the doctor
says, answered. You must stop
work now. and when you go down
stairs just say that I wish to see
Brunton."
1.-THE butler is one" said she.
- 'l,Dnnf Coo 80