Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-12-28

CAdC the stiffness below stairs was al
most oppressive. Bella was noticing
thlnga too, for she began to fasten
her veil again with a malicious little
smile.
"One of the things I remember my
late husband saying" she observed,
was that he could manage this house,
and had done it for years, with flaw
less service. Stand on the bell Kit"
did We stood there, with the
table, just as it had been left, be-
tween US and waited for a response.
Bella was growing impatient. She
raised her eyebrows (she is very
handsome, Bella isl and flung out her
chin as if she had begun to enjoy the
horrible situation.
[ thought l heard a rattle of silver
from the pantry just then, and [ hur-
r1ed to the door in a rage. But the
pantry was empty of servants and
full of dishes, and all the lights were
out but one, which was burning dimly
| could have sworn that I saw one of
the servants duck into the stairway to
the basement, but when I got there
the stairs were empty, and something
was burning in the kitchen below.
Bella had followed me and was peer
ing over my shoulder curiously
There isn't a servant in the house."
she said triumphantly. And when we
went down to the kitchen, she seemed
to be right 1t was in disgraceful or
der, and one of the bottles of wine
that had been banished from the din
ing room sat half empty on the floor.
Drunk" Bella said with conviction.
But didn't think So There had not
been time enough, for one thing. Sud-
denly I remembered the ambulance
that had been the cause of Bella's ap-
pearance-fOr no one could believe
her silly story about Takahiro. I
simply left her there, staring helpless
ly at the confusion, and ran upstairs
again; through the dining room, past
Jimmy and Aunt Selma, past Leila
Mercer and Max, who were flirting on
the stairs, up, up to the servants bed
rooms, and there my suspicious were
verified. There was every evidence of
hasty flight; in three bedrooms five
trunks stood locked and ominous, and
the closets yawned with open door,
empty. Bella had been right; there
was not a servant in the house.
AS / emerged from the untidy empti-
ness of the servants wing, | met Mr..
HARRISON coming out Of the studio.
II wish you would let me do some
Of thiC r11nT mo oil Mrc,
Wilson," he said gravely. "You are
not well, and I can't think of anything
worse for a headache Has the but
ler's illness clogged the household ma
chinery?"
Worse" I replied, trying not to
breathe in gasps. Il wouldn't be run
ming around-like this-but there is
not a servant in the house! They
have gone, the entire lot"
That's odd he said slowly. "Gone!
are you Sure?'
In reply I pointed to the servants
wing. Trunks packed" | said trag-
ically, rooms empty, kitchen and pan
tries full of dishes. Did you ever
hear of an--thing like it?''
Never" he asserted. "It makes me
suspect" What he suspected he did
not say; instead he turned on his
heel, without a word of explanation,
and ran down the stairs | stood star
ing after him, wondering if every one
in the place had gone crazy. Then
I heard Betty Mercer scream and the
rest talking loud and laughing, and
Mr. HARRISON came up the stairs again
two at time.
'How long has that Jap been ailing,
Mrs. Wilson," he asked.
'IAI don't know" replied helpless
ly what is the trouble, anyhow"
81 think he probably has something
contagious" he said, "and it has
scared the servants away. AS Mr..
Brown said, he looked spotty. I sug-
gested to your husband that it might
be as well to get the house emptied-
in case we are correct"
ooh, yes, by all means" l said
eagerly l couldn't get away too soon.
"I'll go and get my" Then I stopped.
Why, the man wouldn't expect me to
leave; | would have to play out the
wretched farce to the end!
"I'll go down and see them off," I
f1nlsSed 1amely, and we went together
down the stairs
Just for the moment I forgot Bells.
altogether. I found Aunt Selma
bonneted and cloaked, taking a stirrup
cup of Pomona for her nerves, and the
rest throwing on their wraps in hur-
ry. Downstairs Max was telephoning
for his car, which wasn't due for an
hour, and Jim was walking up and
down, swearing under his breath.
With the prospect of getting rid OF
them all, and of going home comfort
abW to try to forget the whole wretch
ed affair, l cheered up quite a lot.
even played up my part of hostess, and
Dallas told me, aside, that I was a
brick.
Just then Jim threw open the front
door.
There was man on the top step,
with his mouth fI1I1 of lacks and ne