The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-02-16
CHAPTER (contInucd.)

IT'S immoral" / protested. IT'S
Immoral TO steal your"
My own butler." she broke In i'm.
patiently. You're not usually so
s~crupulous, Kit. Hurry. | hear that
hateful Anne Brown
So we slid back along the hail, aud
I rang for Takahiro. But no one came.
IL think j ought to tell you. Bella"
! said as we waited. and Bella was
staring around the room think you
ought to know that Miss Caruthers is
here" Bella shrugged her shoulders.
We'll, thank goodness she said,
Il don't have to see her. The only
pleasant thing / remember about my
year of married life is that l did not
meet Aunt Selma"
Irang again, but still there was no
answer. And then it occurred to me
that the stiffness below stairs was al.
most oppressive. Bella was noticing
things, too. for she began to fasten
her veil again with a malicious little
smilel
One OF the things | 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.
l thought | heard a rattle of silver
from the pantry just then, and | hur-
ried to the door in q 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 | saw one of
the servants duck into the stairway to
the basement, but when | got there
the stairs were empty. and something
was burning in the kitchen below.
Bella had followed ire 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
10 be right, 1t was in disgraceful or
der. and II 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.
Aanlu K rnnanp,hnrNI thz o-.It-.A
that had been the cause of Bella's APP
pearance-for no one could believe
her silly story about Takahiro. 1
simply left her there, staring helpless
" 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
a 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, | mel Mr..
HARRISON coming out OF the studio.
Il wish you would let me do some
OF this running about for you. Mrs.
Wilson," he said gravely. you are
not well. and ! cant think Of anything
worse for a headache. Has the but
ier's illness clogged the household ma
chinery?"
WORSE I replied. trying not to
breathe in gasps. II wouldn't be run