The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-05-25
My Mysterious Servant



I had not been IA charge week when
Wing walked on, -emarking that there
was too muchee woman / wrote )
note TO an intelligence ofiice In the city
and when the coach came along told
Pete. the driver. through whom / AZ
ways sent my messages, to deliver II.
While was adding some instructions
woman's face appeared at the coach
door and asked in a broad Irish voice II
I wanted a servant. II 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 hsso
ominously, for l had taken a servan,
without a recommendation.
Bridget was dressed better than ser,
ants usually dress. but / ike my serr
ants TO be tidy, and this did not troubt
me. She was about twenty-five Year,
old and very pretty woman. Had sh,
not been Irish she would surely have
been Swedish; having the fairness o,
the Swede mingled with the rosy colo,
of the Irish.
Bridget was mystery firm the mo
ment she came into the house. Ny hus
band warned me to look out for my
valuabIes, and soon came to suspec,
that my servant was deceiying me
What mystiied me was that occasion
ally VIXEN she forgot herself she would
drop into a refined English accent. But
| was not surprised that she was abl
to talk thus, for many English servants
have such an accent. was puzzled 70
know why she used both the English
and the Irish.
One morning took advantage Of her
being in the kitchen to go into her
toom to investigate. / tried the closet
door where her trunk was, but 1t was
locked, and the key was gone. What
induced me to do so / can't explain.
but turned down a pillow on the bed.
There lay beautiful little watch stud.
ded with jewels, ticking away Just as
II It were in the boudoir of a lady.
took 1t up to look at 1t and ON tbs
back was crest put the watch
back where had found 1t and when
my hustSld came home told him thai
he was riGht-we must have thief in
the house When mentioned my find
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 deprivine
ourselves of an excellent servant. The
result was that we did nothing, though
I 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 proprlety c.
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. examined the writing on sew.
eral of them addressed in coarse
band and suspected that It was dis,
guised. But OF this l was by no means
sure.
One evening man alighted from
the coach. He said he had business IL
the neighborhood, and since there was
no hotel within miles he begged thai
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 how
before supper, and my husband told
him that we suspected we had coun.
try woman of his in the house who ap
pea-ed 10 BE- sailing under false col
ors. and we would be obliged II 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 ia.
bic.
Supper being announced, we took oul
seats, and in n few moments Bridge
came in with tray of dishes. l hat
my eye on her and saw her start a.
soon rs she saw the stranger. n,
looked her over coolly, she keepine
her eyes on what she was doing and
going out rs soon as she had finished
The stranger explained her starting al
seeing him rs arising from the fact.
lint, living in concealment, she would
start at seeing any stranger. He said
ae believed she was above the condi.
don OF servant or a thief and If w
would permit him a few moments wilt
DER. being n countryman of hers, b,
would try to get her secret.
After Bridget had finished her even
ing work sent her into the living
-oom, where the stranger was waiting
Tor her. They remained in the same
room for quite awhile converslng ip
4 low tone. Meanwhile we waitet IN
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
TomlSyns OF England and all a few
days ago was the wife OF a British
rancher who had much better be called
brute. But she Is now divorced