The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-11-18
THE DASILISK-
A STORY OFTO-DAY.
CHAPTER TX.
ON THE WATCH.

Ina very shor: time we had settled
down into aquiet routine CT ;ife.where-
in we might have been living for years
instead of for a few days only, SO even
" and. to outward seeming, SO calmly
did our existence proceed at Hanover
Lodge.
One Of my first cares was to dispense
as far as possible with the attendance
Of Hardy. | found that he was only
meant to act as temporary guardian.
but would in any case have soon
learned my way about the house quite
well enough to dispense with any
special care. And under the new cir
cumstances his attentions were less de-
sirable than ever. Finding me very
apt at taking care of myself, he very
soon reduced his attendance on me to a
minimum. to our mutual satisfaction.
Mr.. Beaufoy was rarely seen. He
appeared at dinner and came into
the drawing-room for short time
afterwards. He did not contribute
much to the conversation, but
talked on general topics with me,
as much as politeness required. His
demeanor towards Miss Beaufoy was
rather deferential, aud TO Mary con-
strained and rather patronlsing. 1t
was q most curious exercise Of the
memory and of the imagination to
contrast the formal and altogether un-
interesting paterfamilias, presented in
general by my host and employer. with
the passion and fury of the white-faced
man who, for some mysterious reason.
was about to shoot me the morning l
had heedlessly strayed into his sanctnm.
That scene was photographed on my
mind, not less distinctly because il had
been so brief. The fact involved itself
in my Imagination with the fate Of
Mary Fortescue. | could not tell how.
! only felt that she was not really one
of them. any more than | was. There
was close alliance and understanding
between the father and the daughter,
and there was some extraordinary Sc
cret also shared between them. l
found it difficult to believe that Mary
would be kept in the mouse out of mere
philanthropy. and, on the face of it,
concluded that she might be in want Of
friend on the spot. ! was very will
ing to look upon myself as that friend
providentially sent to her aid.
noticed very soon that Hardy. as
we'll As Miss Beaafov. seemed to have
the entree TO The forbidden apartments.
Miss Beaufoy had not mentioned the
fact to me when explaining how her
father disliked any intrusion. But it
struck me as more than odd. that a
philosopher. whose zeal for research led
him TO point revolver at blind man
who had intruded upon his privacy,
should apparently give the run Of his
laboratory to rough specimen of
humanity like Hardy. To be sure the
Hardy family might have claims 10 be
considered on confidential footing. for
Mrs. Hardy was the cook Of the house,
hold, and the only other female servant
was q cousin of hers. So | learned
casually from Miss Fortescue.
While spent a few quiet and really
pleasant days in my new home, could
not get the idea of these condolences
out of my head, and they took at last
the form of very decided desire and
determination to investigate the mys-
terry little on my own account.
There was the more reason for this, as
had considerable amount of time
quite at my own disposal. some Of
which | devoted to survey of the
premises.
l found that Mr.. Beaufoy's rooms
did not look out into the largo garden,
but that q high wall, enclosing a
quadrangular space, environed that
part of the Louise in which they Were
situated. There was q small door in
this wall, by which, as l seldom saw
Mr.. Beaufoy coming in or out Of The
hall-door. | judged that he generally
let himself in or out.
Except for this. which in itself wa
little enough, and for the fact that thu
door at the end of the lobby, which had
on that one occasion given me admit
lance to the forbidden precincts, was
invariably shut and locked when any
one emerged from it in my hearing
there was nothing whatever abou
Hanover Lodge to lend itself to idea:
of mystery or crime.
The house was large. modern, anl
comfortable. The living was excel
lent but unpretentious. My own room
was very nice one, up in a tower a
one angle of the front, which tower
was well covered with ivy. and gave al
ready picturesque aspect to a hous'
which, but for its aid, would have beef
like a great deal of the earlier reviva
of picturesque red-brick building
very red. and far from picturesque.
As have said, made it my task Il
wean Hardy from too assiduous de-
votion to me. He seemed rather Il
take 10 me in consequence-in a grim
gruff way, certainly; still, he INDUCED
in hard jest or two now and then
and while willingly humoring m,
fancy, when he found | could &c
about with mucE safety. he yet took ,
kind Of pleasure in laying any Sigh
mishap to the score of my self-con
! fidence. I had no trust whatever il
the man. and no abatement of my frs
dislike, SO took care not to rouse an,
suspicious in his mind that l was other
wise than what seemed, for
there was any wickedness about,
felt pretty sure that Mr.. Hardy wa
well to the fore in its commission.
! One afternoon. about week afte
my arrival, Mr.. Beaufoy had announce,
his intention Of going to town, an,
had undertaken to execute some tritl
ing commissions for the ladies.
was sitting alone in the sunshine
on garden-chair by the window, whel
in the stiffness heard the lock of tn,
lobby-door turned, and the sound o
the door opening. My curiosity tool
3 sudden leap to life. went il
through the French-wlndow, crossed
the room, the door of which was opel
and proceeded quietly to the end of tn,
lobby. Yes, sure enough, once more thu
door stood open. l could not resis
the temptation to explore. reaches