ng nice for him," I went on,
"but the next time, you might take the Limoges china It's more easily
duplicated and less expensive."

"I haven't a young man--not here." She had got her breath now, as I
had guessed she would. "I--I have been chased by a thief, Miss Innes."

"Did he chase you out of the house and back again?" I asked.

Then Rosie began to cry--not silently, but noisily, hysterically.

I stopped her by giving her a good shake.

"What in the world is the matter with you?" I snapped. "Has the day of
good common sense gone by! Sit up and tell me the whole thing." Rosie
sat up then, and sniffled.

"I was coming up the drive--" she began.

"You must start with when you went DOWN the drive, with my dishes and
my silver," I interrupted, but, seeing more signs of hysteria, I gave
in. "Very well. You were coming up the drive--"

"I had a basket of--of silver and dishes on my arm and I was carrying
the plate, because--because I was afraid I'd break it. Part-way up the
road a man stepped out of the bushes, and held his arm like this,
spread out, so I couldn't get past. He said--he said--'Not so fast,
young lady; I want you to let me see what's in that basket.'"

She got up in her excitement and took hold of my arm.

"It was like this, Miss Innes," she said, "and say you was the man.
When he said that, I screamed and ducked under his arm like this. He
caught at the basket and I dropped it. I ran as fast as I could, and
he came after as far as the trees. Then he stopped. Oh, Miss Innes,
it must have been the man that killed that Mr. Armstrong!"

"Don't be foolish," I said. "Whoever killed Mr. Armstrong would put as
much space between himself and this house as he could. Go up to bed
now; and mind, if I hear of this story being repeated to the other
maids, I shall deduct from your wages for every broken dish I find in
the drive."

I listened to Rosie as she went up-stairs, running past the shadowy
places and slamming her door. Then I sat down and looked at the
Coalport plate and the silver spoon. I had brought my own china and
silver, and, from all appearances, I would have little enough to take
back. But though I might jeer at Rosie as much as I wished, the fact
remained that some one had been on the drive that night who had no
business there. Although neither had Rosie, for that matter.

I could fancy Liddy's face when she missed the extra pieces of
china--she had opposed Rosie from the s