Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-25
DAILY SHORT STORY
MY MYSTERIOUS SERVANT.

ant-Wing he called the Celestial-but
| / had not been in charge week when
| Wing walked off, remarking that there
was too muchee woman" l wrote a
note to an intelligence office in the city
! and when the coach came along told
| Pete the driver, through whom i al
| ways sent my messages, to deliver 1t.
| While was adding some instructions
woman's face appeared at the coach
| door and asked in a broad Irish voice II
/ wanted servant. 1t ended in my en-
gaging her. She alighted. large trunk
| was removed from the boot, and before
| the coach was out of sight Bridget
| O'Toole, as she gave her name, was get
| ting our supper
When my husband came in and learn
| ed what had done he shook his head
ominOusly, for l had taken servant
| without a recommendation.
Bridget was dressed better than serv-
| ants usually dress. but 1 like my serv-
| ants to be tidy, and this did not trouble
| me. She was about twenty-five years
| old and very pretty woman. Had she
not been Irish she would surely have
| been Swedish. having the fairness of
the Swede mingled with the rosy color
| of the Irish
Bridget was n mystery from the mo-
| ment she came into the house. My hus-
band warned me to look out for my
valuableS, and / soon came to suspect
that my servant was deceiying Inc.
What myStified me was that occasion
ally when she forgot herself she would
drop into a refined English accent. But
was not surprised that she was able
to talk thus. for many English servants
have such an accent 1 was puzzled TO
know why she used both the English
and the Irish
One morning took advantage of her
being In the kitchen To go into her
room TO investigate. I'tried the closet
door where her trunk was. but it was
locked. and the key was gone What
induced me TO do so l can't explain.
but / turned down Il pillow on the bed.
There lay beautiful little watch stud
ded with jewels, ticking away just as
IL it We're in the boudoir of a lady.
took it up to look at IT. and on the
back was a crest. 1 put the watch
back where / had found ii and when
my husband came home told him that
he was right-we must have thief in
he said that he didn't know what we
could do in the matter unless we dis
charged Bridget. which we must do
merely on suspicion, besides depriving
ourselves of an excellent servant. The
result was that we did nothing, though
put everything valuable in the house
under lock and key. 1t was rather
singular that Bridget and her mistress
should be locking their belongings from
each other.
Bridget received letters occasionally.
and we considered the propriety of
opening them. But there is something
about opening other peoples communi-
cations that refined people shrink from.
Besides, the letters coming thus in our
care somewhat diminished our suspi-
cions. 1 examined the writing on sew
eral of them addressed in a coarse
hand and suspected that it was dis
guised. But of this I was by no means
sure.
One evening man alighted from
the coach. He said he had business in
the neighborhood. and since there was
no hotel within miles he begged that
we would keep him overnight The
latchString is always open among
ranchers, and we took him in. He was
dressed as became the country, but
his accent indicated that he was a well
bred Englishman. He arrived an hour
before supper, and my husband told
him that we suspected we had coun-
try woman Of his in the house who APP
peared to be sailing under false col
ors, and we would be obliged If he
would advise us what to do in the mat
ter. He replied that he would look
her over when she waited on us at ta-
BILE
Supper being announced, we took our
seats, and in few moments Bridget
came in with a tray of dishes. / had
my eye on her and saw her start as
soon as she saw the stranger. He
looked her over coolly. she keeping
her eyes on what she was doing and
going out as soon as she had finished.
The stranger explained her starting at
seeing him as arising from the fact
that. living in concealment, she would
start at seeing any stranger. He said
he believed she was above the condi-
ton of a servant or a thief and IL we
would permit him a few moments with
her, being a countryman of hers, he
would try to get her secret.
After Bridget had finished her even
ing work 1 sent her into the living
room, where the stranger was waiting
for her. They remained in the same
room for quite awhile conversing in
a low tone. Meanwhile, we waited in |
a room across the hall. Presently they |
came in together where we were
There is no longer any necessity |
for secrecy" said the stranger. Your /
maid Is the daughter of Sir Henry |
Tomkyns of England and till a few |
days ago was the wife of British |
rancher who had much better be called |
a brute. But she is now divorced.
When she came here she was fleeing
from his persecution | am ord En-