The Washington times., 1920-05-02

hcf Veft rho /1Stsstoo NaShus - ~
was cats now--ah. a cat!
Celeste went on into q brief
panegyric on the engaging. grace
ful. caressins ways OF cats, while
Sergeant Crisp msntslly contrastsd
this view held In common by maid
and mistress OF our canine friends
with the assiduous pettins, on the
part of the maid more especially.
OF the keepers dog Ranger, as de-
soribed to him BY Livesay. To say
the least, u Was very curious.
When the French woman came
10 sn end OF her recital OF ths feline
virtues, Sergeant Crisp led her
hack TO the previous question Dy
asking her whether there was any
one OF the young men who oains
about the house 50 much for whom
her ladyship had shown any par
ticular preference. Was II the
same with all OF them or was there
one In especial?
All, we'll. there was one. Celeste
said. But did monsieur think that
she ought 10 sayf She, who was 80
in milady's conndence' Would 1t
be rightf
Monsieur. appealed TO. declared
warmly that Ceieste's high sense
of honor did her the greatest
credit; that II her ladyship we're
still alive he would not suggest for
q moment that she should betray
her confidence. but that. her lady
ship being unhappily beyond the
reach OF any harm that could be
done her by Celeste's telling him
all that shs knew. he was able 10
advise her, with . clear Conscience,
that Il was her obvious duty TO c0n-
ceal nothing that could possibly
advance the cause Of Justice. Did
not Celeste. on consideration. agree
with himy He was even able to
inform her that II would possibly
be to her matsriai advantage 10 be
open with him.
Cslssts having taken the matter
into her confederation. and being
further powerfully moved, as !
imagine, though this she did not
mention ~ the sergeant. by her In
nats lisposition TO loquaoity, forth
with beoan to tell him what he In
part knew already. that there was
indeed One--oh, yes, one most ssri.
ous attachment, something quite
difYerent from The others--a Cap
tain Wharf. known to her ladyship
long before her marriage with Sir
Ralph. A
Yes, and II Captain Wharf had
had the money OF Sir Ralph 1t was
not Sir Ralph at ali. but Captain
Wharf, that milady would have mar
ried. Oh, yes, milady had told
Celeste 80 herself--there was moth
ing that she did not tell to Celeste.
But Captain Wharf. he was poor.
and milady. too, was poor. SO that
they could not marry. Was 1t not
sad5
Sergeant Crisp agreed that It was
very sad to be poor.
And so Sir Ralph came. out to
India, and he was rich. very rich,
and so he married her under the
very nose of the poor Captain vi
bart. Again Celeste remarked how
very sad 1t was.
So then, when Captain Wharf
came home to England. of course
he came down to see milady. He
was such a nice gentleman, so
acknowledgement Crisp conject-
ured that he had been judiciously
liberal in the matter Of tirs---a sur
mise confirmed as Celeste added
$50 generous, although he was so
poor" and he and milsdy they had
90 much to tell each other of the
old times-oh, It was all very nat
ural; Celeste was sure that mon
sieur would understand.
Monsieur was very understand
ing, very attentive to what Celeste
said, continually desirous to hear
more.
She told him that sometimes her
ladysbip would 60 up to London
"to see her dressmaker. as che
would tell Sir Ralph, and II might
be that, too. little, but also 1t
might be q great deal to see the
charming Captain Wharf. And
when she came back she told Sir
Ralph all about her dressmaker.
which he, poor man. could not un.
derstand, but she told him nothing
about Captain Wharf, although she
told much to her, Celeste.
Just how much, Of all this that
she was narrstihg. was truth and
how much was exaggeration or in.
.vention Crisp had TO wonder per
petually. He had already .discerned
in the French girl fine natural
aptitude for lying, or, perhaps, l
should rather say fine natural
Indifference to truth: .
SO Celeste told the sergeant Of
meetings in London, meetings in
Captain Vibart's rooms, and how
much Of Il all to believe he hardly
knew. 1t is to be admitted that the
girl, in her own utter absence OF
moral sense, did not suppose her.