HOW THE PLOT FAILED.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LX, Issue LX, 31 December 1910, Page 9

HOW THE PLOT FAILED.

By Mrs E. Burke Collins

Six o'clock pealed from thie brazen j tongues of the bells in the tall church j steeples ; six o'clock cried the steam whistles with stentorian echo, and the ( loud, roaring factory voices grew sud- ( denly quiet; six o'clock rang out the great bell in Alleyne' s mill, and the girls looked cheerfully tip from their looms and prepared to quit work for | the day. _, | Howard Alleyne, the handsome young proprietor of the mill, came slowly over to the retired corner where Amy Day was sitting— a pale pretty girl, with soft brown eyes and brown hair. One could see at a glance 'that she was of a higher grade than the commonplace young women who were her companions in the workroom. "Miss Amy," said Mr Alleyne, bendinf* his handsome head and gazing into'" her face with respectful admiration, "may I accompany you homfa this evening? It is raining; and, besides I have something to say to you. The sweet face flushed rosily ? as she bowed her- head in the affirmative. But neither tone nor manner of the young man had passed unobserved by the other girls, and curious glances of mingled amuaament and derision were exchanwod. And when they met m' the cloak-room a few minutes later, they were ready for any means of wreaking their jealous dislike upon the unconscious Amy Day. Jennie Williams, a red-cheeked, black-eyed damsel^ who fancied herself a beauty, and was secrotly half wild with jealousy over the attentions which Amy received from the handsome employer, began at once*. "Girls!" she cried savagely, "he is actually going home with her/ I heard him ask her: and— she did not refuse —oh, no!" And Jennie burst into a coarse laugh in which she was immediately joined by the others. "I ti?ll you what, girls!" she went on angrily, "you leave it all to me, and "I'll bring down her pride, and turn the tables on Miss Amy Day, sure's you are born! I'll disgrace her, so that Mr Alleyne will discharge hier, I .and then — we shall see!" A murmur of approval greeted this declaration-, and then, having equipped themselves, the flock of girls started homeward. All but one. Poor little, lame Martha Ward, a lonely orphan girl to whom Amy had been extremely kind and affectionate. She had been standing near the door, which was half ) open, and had consequently overheard every word. "She shall not do it!" exclaimed Martha to herself. "Jennie Williams and those bold, bad girls, shall not in- j jure Amy Day if I can prevent it. She is a lady, and that is why they hate her. I rernomber the time when her father was a wealthy merchant here ; Mr Alleyne remembers it too; he recogniaas her to be a lady, and he treats her as she deserves to be | treated. I'll go and find Mr Alleyne, and tell him everything that I have just overheard!" The faithful girl started off, in the hope of finding her employer before hp should have left the mill. But she was disappointed. He had already done with Amy, who lived in a neat, brown cottage in the outskirts of the town. Her father had becdme ah invalid when he had lost his wealth ; her mother was a delicate, refined lady, and poor Amy was their sole support. Mr Alleyne's respectful attention to Amy Day was the cause of all the hatred and jaalous strife among the other girls ; but had Amy never existed, Howard Alleyne would centainly never have bestowed a tender thought upon any other employees in his mill. The next mornina after work had begun, Jennie Williams cairns to Mr Alleyne and reported the loss of her purse. She said that it contained her List wopk's salary, and that she had placed it in what she believed to be a safe place, but that it was gone. Mr Alleyne was greatly shocked at tho allegation, for it plainly pointed at one of his employees as the guilty party. "Do you suspect anyone, Miss Williams?" he asked. She flashed her bold, black eyes into his handsome face. "Yes, sir, I do!" she snapped, and she could not keep the spite out of her voice, no matter now hard she tried. "I left it beside Amy Day's work; no one else has been there, and it Is gone." • Howard Alleyne started and turned pale. i "You must be mistaken," hie said sternly. :: I am not mistaken. I left it there, and she has it; I am sure of it." "I will attend to this matter Miss Williams," said Alleyne quietly. "Lot the work for !the day go on as usual, and I promise to settle the whole mattfT satisfactorily. In case you do not recover it, I will refund the money." "He'll do anything to shield her," sneered Jennie to 'her friends that nieht when work was over and the cirls mot in the cloakroom as usual. "But if there aren't some revelations to-morrow, I'm a kitten, that's all!" And indeed there were revelations, but not what Jennie anticipated exactly. Hardly had the group disapj>eared when Martha Ward came out of the dark corner where she had hidden herself on purpose to listen to the result of their plot. Martha went straight to the office, where Mr Alleyne was sitting, turning over tho leaves of a ledger, very stern and pale. The lame girl came timidly up to the desk, and poured forth the whole story. When she had finished, Allevne grasped her hand. "Heaven bless you!" he cried. "Rest assured that I will not forget you for this! Not that I. ever believed Amy Day to b1?b 1 ? guilty, not for a moment, but I want to be able to prove her innocent to all, and punish these wicked plotters, -as they deserve." With a kind good night, Mr Alleynp hurried away* and went straight to the cottage of the Days. What passed there it is no j>art of mv business to record, but had Jennie Williams chanced to p?ep in at the windows, she would have been astonished indeed. The next day Amy was absent from her post. It was the first time this had evi?r occurred, for she was wont to work, sick or well, and glances of triumph went around the room. All at oijce Mr Alloyne entered the workroom and. rang a little bell, which was t.l*-> signal for work to be suspended. The girls obeyed with alacrity, their faces full of exultant anticipation. Amy Day, the proud, high-spirited girl whom they all hated, simply because she was abov>& them, and a real lady, was going to be hurled from her high pedestal, and exposed, and ignominiously discharged. Mr Alleyne glanced around with comprehensive eyes. "Miss Williams states that she has lost a purse containing a considerable sum of money," he began, "and she also alleges that.it was taken from hpr by Miss Day, and demands the discharge of the guilty party from my employ. I shall certainly discharge the

guilty person. Miss Williams, here is your" property ; but, let me advise you, the next time you secrete a purse on a lady's person be sure that you are not observed! I know all your wicked plot against a woman's pur© name. I have been watching you for some time. I have said that I should discharge the guilty party from my employ, therefore, Miss Williams, you may leave! And, let m© add, that last evening Miss Amy Day became my wife! We have been betrothed for some time, but Amy preferned to keep her place ih the mill until her father' s health should improve. But, after discovering your vile plot, 1 feel that she needed my protection, and so a quiet wedding took place last evening at her father' shouse. Let me advise you, also, in future refrain from cherishing 'envy, hatred, and all uncharitableness/ and remember who commands "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor!' " Martha Ward lives with Amy as companion. Amy's life is passed in deeds of kindness, charity and benevolenoe; and throughout all the land many "rise and call her blessed."