The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-22

ASli MlliCit 00nitN0 u SiiON ~ lAAh ~
was fully dressed. Suddenly, as l
looked, he rose from his chair, and,
walking over to a bureau at the side.
he unlocked it and drew out one Of
the drawers. From this he took a
paper, and returning to his seat he
fiattened it out beside the taper on the
| edge of the table. aud began to study
1t with minute attention. My indigna-
| ton at this calm examination of our
| family documents overcame me so tar
that / took u step forward, n Brun-
ton, looking up, saw me standing in
the doorway. He sprang to his feet,
his face turned livid with fear. and he
/ thrust into his breast the chart-like
paper which he had been originally
studying.
"'"Sorv said |. ;"rhis is how you
| repay the trust which we have re-
posed in you. You will leave my service
tomorrow
"sHe bowed with the look of a mar
who is utterly crushed, and skunk past
me without a word. The taper was
| still on the table, n by its light I
| glanced to see what the paper was
which Brunton' had taken from the bu-
reau. To my surprise it vas nothing
of any Importance AT all, but simply a
| copy of the Questions and in
| the singular old observance called the
| Musgrave Ritual. 1t is a sort of cere-
mony peculiar, to our family, which
each Musgrave for centuries past has
| gone through on his coming of age-a
| thing of private interest. and perhaps
| of some little Importance to the arche-
! ologist. like our own blazonlngs and
charges, but of no practical use what
lever
1--WE had better come back to the
paper afterwards said I.
"If you think it,really necessary he
answered. with some hesitation. ITO
continue my statement, however: I re-
locked the bureau, using the key which
Brunton had left. and ! had turned to
go when I was surprised to find that
the butler had returned and was stand
ing before me.
"'"Mr. Musgrave, sir" he cried, in a
voice which was hoarse with emotion,
III can't bear disgrace. sir, I've always
been proud above my station in life,
and disgrace would kill me. My blood
will be on your head, sir-it will, in
deed-if you drive me to despair. If
you cannot keep me after what has
passed, then for Gods sake let me
give you notice and leave in a month,
as If of my own free will. | could
stand that, Mr.. Musgrave, but not to
be cast out before all the folk that L
know so WE'LL"
"'"You don't deserve much consid-
GRAFTON, Brunton," l answered. Your
conduct has been most Infamous. How
ever, as you have been a long time in
the family. | 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, in q
despairing voice. "a fortnight-say at
least a fortnight"
"'"A week. | repeated, land you
may consider yourself to have been
very leniently dealt with"
"'He crept away, his face sunk upon
his breast, like a broken man, while
I put out the light and returned to
my room.
g For two days after this Brunton
was most assiduous in his attention to
his duties. I made no allusion to what
had passed, and waited. with some GU
riosity to sec how he would cover his
1AP oSCs "a " lAhi0 ~ VA INV
ever. he did not appear, as was his
custom, after breakfast to receive my
instructions for the day. As l left the
dining-room I happened to meet Rachel
Howelis. the maid, ] have told you
that she a only recently recovered
from an illness, and was looking so
wretchedly pale and wan that 1 re-
monstrated with her for being at work.
"'"You should be in bed" 1 said.
"Come back 20 your duties when you
are stronger"
"'She looked at me with so strange
an expression that / began to suspect
that her brain was affected.
"'"I am strong enough, Mr. Mus
grave" said she.
1--we will see what the doctor
says" I answered. you must stop
work now, and when you go down
stairs just say thai | wish to see Brun-
ton"
"'"The butler is gone" SAT- she.
"'"Gone! Gone where?"
"'"He is gone. No one has seen him.
He is not in his room. Oh, yes, he is
! gone, he is gone!" She fell back against
the wall with shrek after shrek OF
laughter. while I, Mortified at this sud-
zen DNSIeT1Cdl dltdeh, rushed 10 lHe
bell to summon help. The girl was
taken to her room, still screaming and
sobbing, while l made inquiries about
Brunton. There was nc doubt about it
that he had disappeared. His bed had
not been slept in. he had becn seen by
no one since he had retired to his room
the night before, and yet it was diff
cult to see how he could have left the
house, as both windows and doors We're
found to be fastened in the morning.
His clothes, his watch and even his
money were in his room, but the black
suit which he usually wore was miss
ing. His slippers, too, were gone but
his boots were left behind. Where,
then, could butler Brunton have gone
in the night, and what could lave be-
come of him now?
"'Of course we searched the house
from cellar to garnet. but there was no
trace of him. 1t is, as ! have said, a
labyrinth of an old house. especially
the original wing, which is now prac-
tically uninhabited, but we ransacked
fevery room and cellar without dlscov-
ering the least sign of the missing
man. It was incredible to me that he
could nave gone away leaving all his
property behind him, and yet where
could he be? | called in the local po-