Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-03-30
XIV
The New Parlor Maid.

HC aiiOl "G'0"
Aimee, sitting in the morning san
light neal the mouth of her burrow,
heard a rustling among the bushes
and at once Owed back into shelter.
Presently there was a soft whistle,
which she answered. Mr.. William
Spencer parted the brambles very quiz
city and entered the cave.
"Billy!'
He clicked his heels together and
touched his cap.
Anything / can do for you, miss?"
he said grinning. "Got a new job.
Chauffeur to her ladyshlp. -Four a
week and all found"
"What!"
Billy sat down beside her and made
with the air of Desdemona listening
to Othello. Then she rolled OF the
sand in helpless spasms of laughter.
How absolutely gorgeous" she
painted, sitting up and wiping her
eyes. you've lone splendidly. l
wish I'd been there to hear you bluff
the fat policeman. But-what's the
kOOu VI luC ClldullCuI > Jul Oily !
That will hamper you"
mot a bit! It's great. l Just
jumped at it. You see, I've got a sure
berth now, right close here, where l
want to be. I'm your aunt's man.
And she's some old girl, too-she
isn't taking anything from anyone.
You should have heard her handing it
to the policeman. I'm solid-so far.
Aud" added Billy, gleefully, "T've two
automobiles in my charge. Not bad
ones either. We can't use the Sphinx.
But, if we want to shift you quick an
lively. you've the call IN those two
cars"
IT never thought of that! You're
right, Billy"
''Of course there's danger still. II
wasn't any good my giving a false
rame. That would have been fatal in
the end. But there's the trouble that
they knew me as Spencer, in Stanhoe.
I'm going off right now to try an put
that straight" said Billy. Il can see
a light. Yes, 1 believe l can get away
with it. That inspector will be a null
sance, I'm afraid. But he's a fool,
anyway"
Aimee looked at him admiringly.
''What a lot of whoppers you must
have told, Billy. Did you mind?"
Billy put a twig between his white
teeth and bit it in half thoughtfully.
"Where l come from, we hate a
liar" he said. But there's just one
time when a man can lie, an it's up
to him to do it. Mind? II enjoyed it,
"But l don't see how you can do 1t
so well, if you've had no practice"
Its wonderful how you fall into
it, when there's something worth dom
1t for" said Billy simply. "Well, must
get busy. I've got till the evening,
when 1 fetch a hired girl from the
station. She's from down your way.
Name" he added, grinning, "of Shocks.
What d'you think of that, partnerT'
"What?" cried Aimee. 1T must be
Amy Snooks-daughter of Dads sec
ond keeper, who was killed in the wal.
I know her as well as 1 know-myself.
I gave you her name when you asked
me mlne"lL was the uTSI L SouAu
think OF. You say Aunt has engaged
heri"
Eyes. On your fathers recommen-
dation.''
"How beastly Awkward Directly
she sees George the eNme's up!"
THAT'S rotten" said Billy seriously 4;
"we've got enough on u hands as
it is. If she wasn't a woman, I'd spill
the car and put her out of action for
quite awhile, so she couldn't give you
away. AS it is, seems to me the only
thing is for me to get hold of your
cousin Georgina an show her how to
keep the Shocks girl quiet. l think
it can be done, if Georgina has any
sense"
Eyes, that might do. / don't think
we need worry much about Amy
Shocks, after all. I wish l could get
a word with Amy myself. She'd do
any blessed thing ] told her-even if
it was to throw herself into a furnace.
1 can manage Amy. You'll just have
to do your best, though. But look