Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1909-10-08
CHAPTER XVII.

uOQObylldDl6 OEe1. CUldll was |
Mrs. Upcroft likely to meet with at his |
hands; her insolence had already made |
Roses teeth CRATE.
unfortunate, Mrs. Upcroft," he OBJ
served, with an evil smile; but / am
afraid the butcher will have to wait for
some time before he next enjoys the pleas
urs of your society. You see, you have
unluckily admitted, before myself and
Miss Denison-two witnesses, bear in
mind-that you were privy to the remov-
al or abstraction Of a deed OF value,
even If you did not actually remove such
deed with your own hands. The law, of
which you are aware l am an expounder,
calls casualty of this kind by the name
of felony, and recompenses 1t with varied
terms of transportation. 1t Is unpleas-
ant, Mrs. Upcroft but fear, unless you
can recollect where those particular pa
pers are, there is nothing for 1t but to
walt here patiently until the police escort
! am about to summon has arrived for
you"
The sulky insolence was taken well out
Of the unhappy housekseper before Roses
speech was finished. Like most people of
that class, she had but very vague ideas
Of the power Of the law, and an almost
morbid horror of encounterlng It in any
shape. The barrister's accusation, too,
sounded very plausible to Impractical
ears.
"Oh Mr.. Granville, after knowing me
all this time, whoever'd have thought
you'd go against me in this way? Oh
dear oh, dear what shall l dor
do what you ought to have done, at
once. Tell Miss Maude this instant
where those papers are. None of your
nonsense about not remembering. You
know perfectly we'll what you've done
with them. I'll give you two minutes to
collect your ideas, and IL you can't do it
BY the end Of that time, III lock you In
here and send for the police"
"Oh, please don't don't know, right
~. think, Miss, they were all put up
In an old trunk in the garnet overhead"
Sobbed the now thoroughly cowed house
keeper.
SO and see, Maude," said Rose, quiet
b.,
Miss Denison tripped out of the room,
leaving Granville to the quiet contempla-
ton Of his victim.
'Oh, my !-oh, my !" sobbed the house
keeper, ITO think Of those old publishing
things being of any consequence And
what right have you, sir, to say took
themP To think of my being accused OF
taking things, after all these years But
suppose a poor servants character is not
to be taken away for nothing9 I'll have
the law Of you, will"
you're right, Mrs. Upcroft you will,
and very much to your detriment, too, il
the paper l want is not forthcoming
You're not talking to a woman now.
You'll neither brighten me, nor get the
slightest mercy at my hands. You're
in as fair a way of spending the next
six or seven years at Portland as any
body know; and, by heavens, I'll take
pretty good care you get there They
have stood your insolenee long enough
here. If you want to take a few things
with you, I'll ring, and one of the maids
can put up your box. I'll run through
your accounts after you are gone, and fan
cy / can substantiate a tolerable charge
Of population to boot"
The housekeeper had rallied a little,
but this last speech of Roses completely
crushed her. She knew that she had
carried on a systematic scale of robbery
for years. She Topped down on her
knees, and implored that mercy might be
shown her, backing her entreaties with
many sobs and tears.
Here they all are, Gren," said Maude,
entering the room. II tumbled them into
this towel; couldn't carry them in my
hands. Good gracious, Mrs. Upcroft, do
get up. What is the matterT
"Stay where you are, and apologize to
Miss Denison for your impertinence be-
fore you RISE" thundered Granville.
"Quick, woman and I'll be lenient about
the second charge have against you"
"Oh, please forgive me, Miss Maude
/ didn't mean it-indeed didn't p whim-
pered the crestfallen housekeeper.
There, that'll do" said Rose, con-
temptuously, while Maude stood in open
eyed wonderment at the complete subju-
CATION Of her ancient foe. Eureka !" he
shouted, as, after running his eye over
some half a dozen mouldy papers, a more
musty parchment than usual came beneath
his ken. This will do. You can 10,
Mrs. Upcroft, without a police escort for
the present. but you had better bear In
mind, In future that If you are insolent
to Miss Denison you will settle with me,
and that next time l promise you 1t shall
be a settlement in full"
With a low curtsy the discomforted
housekeeper left the room-anger raging
in her breast, but mixed with strong
proportion Of fear. Her malevolence
would know no bounds IL she should
ever see her opportunity; but for the pres
emit Granville Rose had established a
wholesome terrorism.
"Let her so, my darling" said Gren-
vile, as he stole his arm round Maudes
waist "This is the deed wanted. l
must leave for town directly after break
fast Armed with this, think l can
safely say Pearman shall trouble you no
more. What guerdon is your champion
to have when he has rescued you from
he dragonT"
Nothing, I'm afraid"
"You ingrateI What do you meant"
what l said. = / fear, Gren," replied
the girl, as she lifted her smiling face
to his, ''that have given my champion
all have to give already, and II that
don't satisfy him, can only"
Miss Denison's further views on the
subject were never promulgated, for rea-
sons that are palpably obvious; nor viii
=