The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-05-28
My Mysterious Servant


hue- wing ne Colieu me GciecuAl-Dlk
/ had not been in charge q week when
Wing walked on. rsmarking that there
was too muchee woman wrote =
note to an intelligence once In the city
and when the coach came along told
Pete. the driver, through whom al
ways sent my messages, 10 deliver It
While was adding some instructions .
woman's face appeared at the coach
door and asked in a broad Irish voice n
wanted a servant II ended in my en-
gaging her. She allghted. a large trunk
was removed from the boot, and before
the coach was out OF sight Bridget
oFToole, 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 a servant
without a recommendation.
Bridget was dressed better than sery
ants usually dress, but Ike my sery
ants to be tidy. and this did not trouble
one. 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 mystery firm the mo
ment she came into the house. Ny hus:
band warned me to look out for my
valuables, and soon came to suspect
that my servant was deceiying me
What mystifed me was that occasion
ally VIXEN she forgot herself she would
drop into refined English accent But
I 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 II was
locked, and the key was gone. What
induced me to do so I can't explain,
but turned down pillow on the bed.
There lay beautiful little watch studs
ded with Jewels, ticking away Just as
II It were in the boudoir of lady. /
took 1t up to look at II, and on the
back was crest. I put the watch
back where had found. 1t and when
my husi~nd came home told him that
he was right-we must have q thief in
the house. When l 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 depriylng
ourselves OF an excellent servant. The
result was that we did nothing, though
I put everything valuable in the house
under lock and key. It 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 e.
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 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 Engllshman. 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 ap-
peared 10 be sailing under false col
ors, and we would be obliged II he
would advise us what to do in the mat
ter. BE replied that he would look
her over when she waited on US at ia.
BILE.
Supper being announced, we took our
seats, and In a few moments Bridget
came In with a tray of dishes. had
my eye on her and saw her stnrt 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.
Tie 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
be believed she was above the condi.
don OF a servant or a thief and IL we
would permit him a few moments witt
ner, being a countryman or hers, he
would try to get her secret.
After Bridget had finished her even
ing work sent her into the living
room, wbsre the stranger was waiting
Tor 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 TIL a few
days ago was the wlte Of a British
rancher who had much better be called
a brute. But she is now divorced
| When she came here she was fleeing