Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1906-03-08
Ny Mysterious Servant


| had not been in charge Il week when
Wing walked OF, renarklng that there
was too nuchcc woman wrote q
note to an intelligence Office in the city
and when the coach came along told
Pete, the driver, through whom ! al
ways sent my messages, to deliver 1t.
While was adding some instructions II
woman's face appeared at the coach
door and asked in broad Irish voice IL
| wanted Il servant. 1t ended in my en-
gaging her. She alighted, a 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 | had taken servant
without Il recommendation.
Bridget was dressed better than sery-
ants usually dress, but | like my sery-
ants to be tidy, and this did not troubie
me. She was about twenty-five years
old and II very pretty woman. Had she
not been Irish she would surely have
been Swedish, having the fairness Of
the Swedc 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 deceiving me
What mystlfied 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 | 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 | 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 pillow on the bed.
There lay n beautiful little watch stud
ded with jewels, ticking away just as
II it were in the boudoir of 4 lady |
back was n crest | put the watch
back where ! had found it and when
my husband came home told him that
he was rlght--we must have Il thief in
the house When | mentioned ny find
he said that he didn't know what we
could do in the matter unless we dis
charged Bridget. which we raust 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 communl-
cations that refined people shrink from.
Besides, the letters coming thus in our
care somewhat diminished our suspi-
clons. | examined the writing on sew
eral OF them addressed in coarse
guised But of this 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 ill., He vas
dressed as became the country, but
his accent indicated that he was We'll
bred Engishman. He arrived an hour
before supper, and my husband told
him that we suspected we had a coun-
try woman of his In the house who APP
peared to be sailing under false col
ors, and we would he obliged II he
would advise liz what to do IN the mat
ter. He replied that he would look
her over when she waited on us at ia
BILE.
Supper being announced, we took our
seats. and IN few moments Bridget
came in with tray of dishes. | had
my eye on her and saw her start as
soon az she saw the stranger He
locked 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 servant Or n thief and If we
woul permit him Il rev moments with
her being Il countryman of hers, he
would try to get her secret.
After Bridget had finished her even.
ing work | sent her into the living
room, where the stranger was waiting
for her They remained in the same
room for quito awhile conversins in
a low tone. Meanwhile we waited in
q room across the hall. Presently they
came I'm together where we were.
There IS no longer any necessity
for secrecy" said the stranger "Nour
maid is the daughter of Sir Henry
romkyns Of England and till few
| days age was the wife of British
rancher who had much better be called
Il brute. But she Is now divorced.
| When she came here she was fleeing
from his persecution am Lord I'm