Daisy Ashford: Her Book Part 7

Johnson take the first train to London and search everywhere for traces of Mr. and Mrs. Woodc.o.c.k" and handing the butler 2/6 he sent him off by the 8.8 to London.

Meanwhile there was also great confusion at Astmer House. On the summons to dinner Leslie was found missing.

"Dear me" exclaimed Mrs. Woodc.o.c.k jumping up and knocking over a soup tureen "Albert go and look for your cousin."

"Oh _he_ is alright" answered Albert "there is no need to fuss."

"Yes there is you heartless boy, go and look for my son at once."

"Oh bother" said Albert flinging down his book.

"Dont snap" said Mrs. Woodc.o.c.k as Albert dashed furiously out of the room.

He returned within 1/4 of an hour to say he could find no traces of Leslie except his tooth-brush in the back garden and a pocket handkerchief on the stairs.

"Oh I hope he is not lost" cried Mrs. Woodc.o.c.k "my dear son, where can he be?"

"Oh but you have me" said Albert with a faint smile.

"What do I care for you?" said Mrs. Woodc.o.c.k bitterly.

Albert immediately began shuffling about and took a drink of water to hide his blushes.

"As you are so _very_ stupid" continued Mrs. Woodc.o.c.k "perhaps you can _manage_ to walk ** far as Yellowflower Hall and see if you find any traces of Leslie."

Albert pushed on his hat and stamped out and returned in 1/2 hour in a rather more excited mood than he went out.

"I say Aunt" he cried running into the dining room "would you believe it just by that railing near Yellowflower Hall I found Miss Monton's shoe and Leslie's watch key, I brought both back to show it is true."

Mrs. Woodc.o.c.k uttered a terrified "Oh" and sank nearly unconscious on the sofa.

CHAPTER 11

JOHNSON'S SEARCH

Johnson arrived in London at 25 minutes to ten. It was a dark foggy night and the air was cold. Johnson gave a s.h.i.+ver as he wrapped his ulster round him.

He wandered hopelessly about for an hour or two and oddly enough he took the very same lodgings as Sylvia and Leslie had spent their first night in London; being in that part of the city and too tired to look for better apartments.

Towards noon on the following day Johnson encountered a friend, Thomas Bench by name, and forgetting all about his errand he turned into a public house close by to enjoy a quiet drink with his friend.

"What are you up here for Jim?" said Thomas Bench.

"Well" said Johnson stirring up his hot whisky and water "its rather a serious matter, my master's niece has gone and run away with her young man and I am on the look out for her."

"Aye aye" answered Bench scratching his oily head "what sort of a young miss is she eh?"

"Well she's a pretty sort of girl with plenty of fair hair and blue eyes there is no mistaking she belongs to the upper ten my man"

"Oh indeed" replied Bench taking a piece of blue paper from his pocket "what is the young lady's name?"

"Miss Morton by your leave" roared the butler.

"Well" replied Bench "look here." Johnson s.n.a.t.c.hed the bit of crumpled paper and read it through. On the paper was written

MISS SYLVIA MONTON.

Homer Villa, Margate.

"Mercy" screamed Johnson "wherever did you find it?"

"Well" replied Thomas Bench "I was walking in Orange Alley where old Nan lives and outside the door I found this sc.r.a.p of paper, what do you think it means old pal?"

"I should say" said Johnson biting his lips "it looks as though it meant that our young lady had taken up her abode there."

"So should I" said Bench with a broad grin and so saying the two men walked out arm in arm. Outside they parted and Johnson took the first train for Margate and whilst waiting at the station a telegram was brought to him by dirty old Nan.

Tearing it open he found it was from Mayfield saying Mr. Earlsdown was dying and he was wanted at once.

"Oh lor!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the butler making a rush for the ticket office.

Johnson did not arrive at Mayfield till 4.0 o'clock, then he instantly made his way to Mr. Earlsdown's bedroom.

All the servants in the household were standing round the bed and on it lay the unconscious figure of Mr. Earlsdown.

"What is it?" cried Johnson pus.h.i.+ng his way through the crowd.

"Appoplexy" answered Susan the housemaid holding her ap.r.o.n to her streaming eyes "the poor dear master was so excited thinking about Miss Monton and then all of a sudden he received a note telling of the engagement of Mr. Albert Morris with Miss Saunders and then that sent him off because he always wanted Mr. Albert to marry Miss Monton, and when Mary went into the drawing room, there he was in a fit."

Just then the door opened and in walked Doctor Mason. The result of his visit will be seen later on.

CHAPTER 12

SYLVIA'S RETURN

It was a beautiful morning about 3 or 4 days after our hero and heroine's arrival at Margate. Leslie was just finis.h.i.+ng his coffee and toast and Sylvia was sitting near the window glancing over the morning paper.

Suddenly her rosy face turned deadly pale and the paper nearly dropped from her trembling fingers.

"What is is dearest?" asked Leslie placing his arm around her waist and kissing her pallid forehead "has anything in the paper shaken your nerves?"

"Oh Leslie Leslie" shrieked Sylvia falling into his arms "read this and be satisfied that my nerves _are_ shaken."