The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1911-02-24
CHAPTER ". (Contlnued.)

IT'S immoral" l protested. ITS
dmmoral to steal your"
MY own butler!" she broke in i'm
patiently. You're not usually so
.lscrupuious. Kit. Hurry! / hear that
hateful Anne Brown"
So we slid back along the hall, and
q rang for Takahiro. But no one came.
81 think l ought to tell you. Bella"
i said as we waited, and Bella was
staring around the room-'T 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 l remember about my
year of married life is that | did not
meet Aunt Selma"
/ rang again, but still there was no
answer And then 1t 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
smile.
"One of the things I remember my
AdNC huoOdIu Sdglu BIC ODStl NNu,
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 II 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 | heard a rattle OF silver
from the pantry just then, and | hur-
ried 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.
j 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 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. IL 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 | remembered the ambulance
that bad been the cause of Bella's ap-
pearance-for no one could believe
her silly story about Takahro. |
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 J
verified. There was every evidence Of |
a haSty fight; in three bedrooms five |
trunks stood locked and ominous, and /
the closets yawned with open dor. |
empty. Bella had been right; there I
was not a servant in the house.
AS | emerged from the untidy empti- /
ness Of the servants wing, | met Mr.. 1
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 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
hreathe I'm Qaeps "I wouldn't no run |
ming around-like this-but there is
not a servant in the house, shey
havo gone, the entire lot"