, 1910-11-10

anxious about It; thank Heaven. Il
wouldn't chip-and then she stared NJ
me.
Il appreciate your desire to have
everything nice for him." / vent OF.
but the next time, you might take
the Limoges china. It's more easily
duplicated and less expensive"
i v a young man-not here"
She had got her breath now, as 1 had
guessed she would. II have been
chased by a thief, Miss Innes."
Did he chase you out of the house
and back AGAIN." I asked.
hen Rosie began to cry-not ST.
lently. but noisily, Historically. 1
stopped her by giving her q good
shake.
What in the world is the matter
with your" l snapped. Has the day
of good comomn ems gone by! Sit
up and tell me the whole thing"
Rosie sat up then, and SMILED.
Il was coming up the drive" she
began.
you must start with when you
went down the drive, with my dishes
and my silver" l interrupted, but,
seeing more signs of hysteria. I gave
in. Very well. You we're coming up
the drive"
Il had a basket of-of silver and
dishes on my arm, and l was carrying
the plate, because-because l was
afraid I'd break 1t. PARKWAY up the
road a man stepped out of the bushes,
and held his arm like this, spread out,
SO / couldn't get past. He said-he
said-'Not SO fast, young lady; 1
want you to let me see what's in that
basket"
She got up in her excitement and
/ took hold of my arm.
1T was like this, Miss Innes," she
said, land say you was the man.
When he said that, / screamed and
ducked under his arm like this. He
caught at the basket and l dropped II.
l ran as fast as / could, and he came
after al far as the trees. Then he
stopped. oh, Miss Innes, 1t must have
been the man hat killed that MI.
Armstrong;"
Don't be foolish" l said. Who
ever killed Mr.. Armstrong would put
as much space between himself and
this house as he could. Go up to bed
now; and mind, If 1 hear of this story
being repeated to the other maids, l
shall deduct from your wages for
every broken dish l find in the drive"
1 could fancy Liddy's face when she
missed the extra pieces Of china-she
had opposed Rosie from the start. If
Liddy once finds a prophecy fulfilled.
especially an unpleasant one, she
never allows me to forget it. 1t
seemed to me that 1t was absurd to
leave that china dotted along the road
for her to spy the mex morning; SO
with a sudden resolution, l opened the
door again and stepped out into the
darkness. AS the door closed behind
me l half regretted my impulse; hen
l shut my teeth and went on.
I have never been a nervous wom-
an, as l said before. Moreover, a min
ute or two in the darkness enabled
me to see things fairly well. Beulah
gave me rather a start by rubbing un-
expectedly against my feet; then we
two, side by side. went down the
drive.
There were no fragments OF china,
but where the grove began l picked
up a silver spoon. So far Rosie's
story was borne out; l began to won
der If 1t were not indiscreet, to say
the least, this midnight prowling in
a neighborhood with such a deserved
ly bad reputation. Then / saw some
thing cleaning, which proved to be
the handle of q cup, and a step or
two farther on I found a V-shaped bit
of plate. But the most surprising
thing of all was to find the basket sit
ting comfortably beside the road. with
the rest of the broken crockery piled
neatly within, and a handful Of small
| silver, spoons, forks and the like. on
top! I could only stand and stare.
Then Rosie's story was true. But
where had Rosie carried her basket?
And why had the thief, II he were a
thief. picked up the broken china out
of the road and left it, with his
bootyf
1t was with my nearest approach to
! a w collapse that ! heard the IA
miliar t~hrobbing of an automobile en-
| CINE. AS 1t came closer l recognized
the outline of the Dragon Fly. and
knew that Halsey had come back.
Strange enough 1t must have
seemed to Halsey, too, to come across
me in the middle of the night. with
the skirt of my gray silk gown Q
my shoulders to keep of the dew.
holding a red and green basket under
one arm and a black cat under the
J other. What with relief and joy, be-
gar to cry, right there. and very near
ly wiped my eyes on Beulah In the
excitement.