The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-07-30

Cuff said, "Quite right" and fell silent
again.
At the end of the half hour my mis-
tress' bell rang.
On my way to answer it l met Mr..
Franklin coming out of his aunt's sit
ting room. He mentioned that her Ia
dyship was ready to see Sergeant Cuff
in my presence as beforehand he
added that he himself wanted to say
two words to the sergeant first. On
our way back to my room he stopped
and looked at the railway time table
i'll the hall.
Are you really going to leave us,
sir::' asked. Miss Rachel will sure
~ come right again if you only give
her time
"Shc will come right again." answer
ed Mr.. Franklin, when she hears that
l have gone away and that she will see
me no more.'
In the meantime Sergeant Cuff and l
proceeded to my lady's room.
The first words, when we had taken
our seats, were spoken by my lady.
Sergeant Cuff she said. "there was
perhaps some excuse for the inconsid-
crate manne in which I spoke to YOU
half an hour since. l have no wish,
however, to claim that excuse. l say,
with perfect sincerity, that I regret it
if l wronged you"
The grace of voice and manner with
which she made him that atonement
had it's due effect on the sergeant. He
requested permission to Justify him
self. putting his justification as an act
Of respect to my mistress. 1t was i'm
possible, he said. that he could be in
any way responsible for the calamity
which had shocked us all for this suf-
fcient reason that his success in bring
ing his inquiry to its proper end de-
pended on his neither saying nor doing
anything that could alarm Rosanna
Spearman. He appealed to me to tes-
tify whether he had or had not carried
that object out. l could and did bear
witness that he had. And there, as l
thought, the matter might have been
judiciously left to come to an end.
Sergeant Cuff. however. took it a
step farther. evidently. as you shall
now judge, with the purpose Of fore
ing the most painful Of all possible en-
plantations to take place between her
ladyship and himself.
II have heard a motive assigned for
the young woman's suicide." said the
sergeant, (which may possibly be the
rirhf n,,o II ic q r,nfivn C,7ito ,1,,o0,,-
nected with the case which | am con-
Quoting here. l am bound to add.
however. that my own opinion points
the other way. Some unbearable anx-
iety in connection with the missing
diamond has. as l believe. driven the
poor creature to her OWN destruction.
l don't pretend to know what that un-
bearable anxiety may have been. But
l think, with your ladyship's permits
sion, l can lay my hand on a person
who is capable of deciding whether I
am right Oh wrong"
SIS the person now in the house,
my mistress asked after waiting a lit.
tie.
The person has left the house. my
lady"
That answer pointed as straight tC
Miss Rachel as straight could be. \
silence dropped on us which | thought
would never come to a end. Lord
how the wind howlcd and how tho
rain drove at the window AS l sat there
waiting for one or more of them tt
speak again.
sIIO, "a, ~D.] o. 70 nvnrnSc y-nl1Icn1t
plainly" said my lady. DO you re
fer to my daughter?'
; IL do" said Sergeant Cuff in Sc
,, many words.
! My mistress had her check book or
,, the table when we entered the room
no doubt to pay the sergeant his fee
= She now put it back in the drawer. !
: went to my heart to see how her poo
; hand tremblcd-tho hand that had load
, cd hcr old servant With benefits. th'
1 hand that, l pray God. may take mine
when my time comes. and | leave m,
place forever.
Il had hoped" said my lady. yer.
slowly and quietly. ito have recon-
renset your services and to have part
) ell with YOU without Miss Nerinder'!
name having been openly mentioned
between us rs it has been mentioned
, OW.
IF there had been time, ny lady,
. he answered. Il should have preferre,
writing my report. instead of COMMIT
nicating it by word of mouth. I an
. ready to go into the matter at once
1t is Il very painful matter for me t.