Lady B's Butler

Miss M. is a pretty hcircss, whoso name for obvious recisons we must suppress; Mr. R. is a young diplo matistwhofancieshe has every chanco if becoming an Ambassador before the last of his short-cropped lockshas deserted him. Mr. R.hasheardof Misa M. as being the owner of a wonderfully beautiful diamond necklace, and also as possessing more personal attractions than are supposed tobelong to any but interestin!: paupers. Miss M., on the other hand, has been nformed that Mr. R. was a vasy decent Bort of fellow, with the smallest amount possible of Foreign Office swagger. They met for the first time under Lady B. 's roof, and surveyed iaeh other with mutual interest froni opposite sides of an elaborately-decorated dinner table. The necklace eame np to Mr. R.'s exp -ctations, but their owner surpassed them. Not only was she pretty, but also vivacious and evidently atnusing - not a painted, dressed-up doll like the women beside hun, got up for admiration, and incapable of conversation. Not being aceustomed to admire without some sort of return, he left the doll to the tender mercies of her lefthand neighbor, anti devoted hisattention to Miss M. They had grown quite friendly over five o'clocktea, and now exohanged telegraphic signs across the Lable about any sniall episodes that arose during dinner. Mr. R. thought lie was gett iag on, and became so entirossed that he nealectod his favorito entree, and had scarcely time to do justice to the saddle of mutton. But when the regulation ice-eream had mide its round he noticed a sudden change in the girl opposite to him. She turned as white as her own handkerchief, and leaned back in lier chair, silent and abstracted with wideopen eyes and parted lips. For the rest of the time she scarcely talked at all, and seemed incapable of rallying; but she shook her head when he made a sign tlxit he was remJy to assist her out of the room, and kept her seattill the Lidies roseand filedslowly through the door. He would have given much to follow them at once, because his curiosity was vividly roused. He was sure thero was some mystery behind the scènes, for she looked as if she had received asliock - seenaghost, or discovered an unwished for friend. As soon as lie could get away he lookud acound tlie drawingroom, and seoing Miss M. sitting apart i er ladies and turn ing over the leavrs of a photosiaph-book m evident preoccupation, lie niad his way to her, and standing beiore her, Roastoshield her from observation. asked in a low voice if he could do anything for her. She looked up in surprise. "Thanks, Í don't want anything." "But you are annoyed or ill, one or the other. I ehall never forget your look at dinner." "])id any onenoticeit?" easerly. "Not a soul, except myself. Of course, I don't wish to forceyour confidence, but if I can be of any service to you " "No one can do me any good," hurriedly. "Only I wish to heaven I had never come!" He looked at her with genuine compassion, forhesaw thatshe wasshiverine trom head to foot. "Shall I ïetch Lady I? ?" "Not for the world. I would teil you, only you would think me so foolish," looking round to besuro that "O one could overhear. "I promise you I won't," eajuesLy, as lie took n, chair aiuT sat lown just in front of her, so that she should not have to raise her voice. "Pray teil me." "It was only a dream," with the ghost of a smile. "Last night I thought I was being murdered for the sake of this necklace," playing nervously with the diamonds round her white throat, "and 1 woke up struguhng with a man- a man with a long thin and reddish hair. I feit I should knov him anywhere, and I Bftw him today at dinner," with a shudder, ■'handing the liquors." "Why that was Bird, the butler. You couldn't be atraid of him." "I ani," looking at him with terror in her pretty oyes. "I ani sure he will try and tnurder me to-night. I can't zo to bed. I should never close my eyes," and she Bhivered again. "Yon can go to bed and sleep in perfect confidence. I teil you what I'll ilo for you,'' and Mr. R. Bmiled, feeling that he was making a noble effort. j "Our rooms lie on the sanie corridor. 1 have heaps of letters to write - worse luck - so that I must sit up. I'll keep my door ajar, whieh won't be noticed, as tliere is a light in the passage, and my ears are so sharp that I would defy any to pass it without my knowing it. Will that content you?" "You are very kind; but he might wait till your letters are finished." "That will make no diflirence. I promise to sit up till my hot water's Drought. Wül that satisfy you? 'Oh, dut th.it's too much." "Not at all. If you teil me in the morning that you've had a good night," with a pleasant smile, "I shall feel amply rewarded; btsides I can do with le.-s sleep than most people, and ['m sure to take it out before luncheon." Miss M. expostulated, but he would not listen, being quite excited at the idea of rendering a service to such a pretty girl; and when the gnests 8Eparatfd for the night, and he whi.spered, "I haven 't forgotten," She gave him so ch.arming a look of ■atitude tliat his heart Quttered like a schoolboy's. ♦ Two o'clock a. m., with a decaying fire and without the solace of a pipe. Ho bad written two or three letters just to save his conscience, but the effort had been so great that he wouldn't have beun another to save bis life. In order to roassure Miss M., who might be on the lookout, he left ;he 8mookingroom on pretext of a leadache, and established himself in nis room about midnight. Smoking and sleeping were both out of t tion, and two loncor honra ho liad oevev epent in his whole existence. Ha beard doors opening and shutting down-stairs, a suppressed lanf.h at the last good story told amidst tobaceo smoke, tlie tread of Beveral pairs of feet in different direetions, and then silenee. Miss M. being no longer there with her white tace and her small Bgure nü of a tremble to work up his fei-lins, he began to feel his positioneniinontly ridiculoU8. His excitement hadcooled down, his coinpassion had waned )ike the n;oon; but infinitely bored and intensely sleepy, he was bound by his pfonii.se to a prl. And all on account of a dream! Hu a-sked hiniselt with his tïngurs running through his usually neat hair and bis mouth distended in ati unconscious yawn, if anybody had ever heard of a man benig victimized by somebody else's dream. It was arrant nonsense, and he was a fooi to givein to it. No, not quite tliat, with a throb of compunction, or the eirl would have worried herself into fite; but ho ought to have reasoned with her, or suggested tliat he might have a dos in her room. LadyB.'s Fidget would have been sure to bark if a mouse sqiu'.ikud, and would have ho"'lcil the house down at the sight óf aburglar. Apityhehadn'tthought of it; but suppoaing be had, Miss M.'s pratitude would hav been given to Fidgec and not to himself, and he ratner wished to win it. Another yawn, till he thought he had cracked nis jaws. The tire was dying out; lie was afra i d to stir it, but he thought he might tickle it with the poker. He got up cautiously, and was stretching out his hand for the poker, when ho heard a sound in the passage. He began to think his nervous system was deranged, for he had oever beheved there was the smallest reason for his watching. Bu t the soiind was repeated, and sent an unmistakable thrill through his veins. He got tothedoor noiselessly, thanka to his slippers, and without opening it any further, peered through the crack. He could scarcely believe his eyes when ho saw Bird, the butler, carring a pair of tiny high-heelfd boots in his hand. Was there really soraething, in the dreain after all? Ho waited until the manactually stopped at Miss M.'s door, and then placed his hand on the handle. Then with one stride he was by his side. 'What aro yon doing here?" hesaid in a stern whi.sper, staring the butler straight in the face. The man started, turned perfectly livid, anl let the boots fall from his shaking finers, but he made agreat efïort after comjjosure, and tried to steady his voice as he said: "I had forgotten to send up these boots bsfore, 8r, and I was afraid the young lady might want them the first thing in the morning. "If she did it wouldn't be your business to bring them. You niustbemad or drunk, and I shnll report you to your master to-morrow." The nian's under-lip sliook, and his eyes shifted uneasily. "I meant no harm," he said, sullenly, as he stopped to piek up the boois. But Mr. R. stopped him onasudden impulse. "Leave them here and go off at once." Bird seemedinolined toremonstrate, and even stretched out his hand again as if to take the boots, but Mr. R. signed to him to go, with a significant frown. The butler slnnk down thp passage, giving a backward look before ho turned the corner. Mr. I{. watched him out of sicht, then picked up the boots and carried them to tlifl u'aslighfc. Nothing in the first, a dainty, innocent covering for a protty Eoot: but Bomething hard rattled in chp of them as they dropped on the Moor, and he was not Biirprised to find in the second a long, pointed knife. As he drew it out andscratched his finger with the sharp edge, liis blood turned coldas he thought of the girl's white throat and a crimson gasb. If it had not. been for a dream, ihat girl would have been brutally murdered in her bed. #■ Mr. R. thought it right to teil the cii'cumstance8 of the case to Lord and Lady B. Miss M. asrecd with him, but said she would go homo before he spoke, to avoid a fuss. Aa eoon aft she liad left the house the story into told, and Lady B. nearly vent was hysterie?. Lord B. said there was not sufficient evidence to support a charge of murder, but he dedined to bave his enterprising butler any longer in the house. He therefore dismissed him at once on another pretext, and Mr. George Bird is now on the lookout for another place, where he may cut a throat when he feels inclined, with no troublesome third party to interfere. A nice thoughtfor tho5e about to engago a butler. Th is story is true, only a fewtrifling details having been altered, and the proper ñames suppressed. Mr. Bird is the only person concernéd in ii who would be able to bring action for libel against me, but for his own sake he is likely to keep quiet.