The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-18
THE VILLA OF s1MPKINs.


SO some houses come to wear face of
gloom. of gayety, Of tragedy or terror.
This circumstance, to me SO manifest,
81 escapes the notice of NEST persons.
Sauntering one day down road in
a suburban town, whittier 1 had gone
in search Of adventure, l came upon a
houses building. 1t was villa resi-
dence much after the style of other
villa residences in the neighborhood,
a sixteen or -eighteen-roomed house di-
vided from its fellows by an acre of
geometrically laid-out garden wherein
it stood, with pretentious and phar-
isaical air OF being some Englishman's
castle.
At the further entrance to the drive
man was standing, overlooking the
hingingof "a gate l took him to be own
er or builder. The mans face struck
me. l stopped short. He glanced up,
scowling with an air as though he
would have dispatched me about my
business. Now l was interested had
seldom seen face of so much ma
lightly. 1t struck me that / would not
care to occupy house planned by a
fellow so evil A shock of rough red
hair and beard. evergreen his face. His
nose, slightly awry, was long and fiat
tened at the nostrilS with both cruelty
and SenSuality. His lips were thick
and protrusive The hand and wrist
extended directing the men, were
shaggy with a coarse red thatch. One
eye had a sinister droop. No, L should
not care to tenant house of his build
ing.
DO you want anything" he de-
manded roughly, after a minute. He
was we'll dressed and apparently a per-
son of some standing.
1 returned his savage glance with a
cool stare
Il want nothing 1 said, CURLY.
He had more than a mind to inquire
why then with qualifications l filled
up the path. But he thought better Of
it. There is no law to prohibit a man
from staring, and my manner pro-
Z claimed by determination TO stare just
as long as it pleased me.
Damn you, you'll scrape the paint"
he shouted, as one of the worlmen
stumbled and damned against the post
the gate he was lifting.
The man grumbIed something to the
effect that the job was too much for
two
''Then go and be ID to you!" the
builder rasped. "Get your wage in the
office and march,
The man mumbled sullenly again:
I'm sick O. bein' swore at from morn
In to night
You have a limited glossary, my
friend" 1 interposed, addressing the
red-haired bully. Take the advice of
an older man and curb your tongue
That damn of yours is not calculated
to bring the best work out of men,
He swung his evil eye upon me like
a lamp. Only the self-control of habit
prevented him from striking me. All
at once his manner changed. He
scanned me closely, then he raised his
, hat. 90 Ia az
Pardon. my lerd,'' he said, -obsequi-
ly. 81 did not recognize you. Your lord
ship does not know me, perhaps. have
the honor to be your new agent at
Rossmore."
The. deuce you havew I answered.
From your credentials 1 should have
supposed you a different man."
A month later [ strolled down the
same road. I stopped short at the
gates of Simpkinss fleuse-the gates
which had had so sulphurous hap
tism. On one was painted the name
'Edenhome. It struck my sense of
humor. Was it of Simpkins's giving?
Lurked there beneath that red thatch
of his a corner for sentiment? I de-
cided otherwise. Simplins and senti-
ment We're not compatible. The name
was merely lure for letting purposes
1 started for of a sudden at an
upper window, from among a dainti-
Of xs,alrT 1ali, 70 sir Fn<a1
showed out. s 1t was gone as soon as
seen. But I knew the evil eye 1
knew the Iscariot hair and beard I
knew the malign glance Irritation
succeeded. What business had Simp-
kins here? His duty was with my
affairs a hundred miles away I
strobe up the steps The door stood
ajar-I entered.
/ went straight on, making for the
room in which I had seen him. My
temper was UP. I determined to give
Mr. Simpkins a piece of my mind At
the top of@the stairs I halted Not a
sound stirred. The landing was
broad and wen lighted. Into it four
doors opened. The construction was
different from that I had expected
There was a broad blank passage wall
where I had supposed the door, of the
front rOom-the principal bedroom
would be. 1t was a construction as
singular as it was unsightly It had
been so obvious TO place the door of
that center room in the center of this
wall.
Suddenly I felt faint The passage
was pervaded by a curious heavy
odor. arising, l imagined, from the
paint My head throbbed
me. The air here was fresh I threw
up window and leaned out. When
room. I was astonished to find it
small. Holding my handkerchief to
my nostrils I went down the passage
and opened the other door, the only
other door in the front wall Another
little room! And no Simpkins
/ threw up another window. Doine,
so ] looked out was in the second
small front room. To the left of me
was the big bay-window at which I
had seen Simpkins. 1 went to the end
of the corridor. From the window OF
the other room the bay showed to nv
right / felt maddened Where was
the entrance to that room-where.
doubtless, Simpkins still remained +?
Pacing the passage 1 heard sound
as though something dropped L
knocked angri1y upon the WALL
"Simpkinsr' shouted what IS
the meaning of this fools play. Where
and why are you hiding?"
\ The words came back to me like
gibes out Of the hollows of the house.
&-r1