Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-08-28
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CHAPTER, Y.

~.''.'''S
latial mansions" MS the fashionable
house agents in their ornate catalogues
love I" style them-which have the ad-
vantage of overlooking Hyde Park. that
of Sir Richard Mortmain was by no
means the least splendid or spacious.
Sir Richard was alone. A handsome
man enough. so far us form and features
went, with no reference to expression.
tall. slender and of goodly presence He
was neither old nor young-thirty-t three,
perhaps-with II pale, resolutc face. that
was almost waXen in its pallOr, hair as
black as the ravens wing, very dark
eyes. and very white teeth. But perhaps
tho most prominent feature, if it may he
40 called. of the haroncts face. was the
long black mustnchc. carefully trimmed
and trained. the arrangement of which
often caused the lord of MOrtmain to be
mistaken by strangers for II foreigner.
His w:lS, indeed, Il countenance rather
Italimn than English, eminently aristo-
cratic witial. hut one that would we'll
have suited with the character and the
deeds of some subtle contemporary of
R"rgia and Machiavclli-one of those
white handed patricians who plotted and
lied aud stabbed and poisoned smilngly.
Sir Richard Mortnlain could not afford
to live ut Mowmain Park, the majestic
old nMncr ut which Queen Bcss herself
had in her time been II guest. But he had
a hunting box hard by Market Harbor-
Ough, and a tiny villa near Newmarket.
and kept up the London mansion pretty
well. Wages may have been in arrcar
sometimes. and bills unpaid, but there
were livcricd scrvitors and carriages and
horses and bachelor dinner parties, for all
that. while ever and anon there would
sol in a halcyon period a sort of tinan-
cinl food tide. when ready money would
abound.
"A person. Sir Richard. wishes very
much, if YOU please. TO see You for Il
minute. From abroad, believe" said
the discreet butler. who had entered quiet
ly. "'Ile man is very pertinacious, and
won't 20 away"
TELL him to write, them" returned the
baronet, arching his eyebrows. 'or call
the police. One can't afford i'll London
to he open to all ccmcrs, as you ought to
know
Binns tho butler coughcd apologetically
under his employer S Eebuke.
II should not have thought of such n
thing. Sir Rchard,' he snd. mildly, ''only
that The party insisted that his name was
Wel kUuWll-llaIllc OIL SrOucll, Please, SSlr
Richard, and
81 do remember such Il name. Show
him in.' said the haronet, with II frown.
The visitor was promptly inducted into
the room. A broad. short man. roughly
dressed in spite of the heat of the wealth
er. in IL coarse pcncoat. such as North Sea
pilots wear. and with heavy boots be-
smieared by what was certainly not the
niiI .l .ottInn 1,.tt1,
shaggy rod heard that fell upon his breast.
with ~ head of unkcnlpt rcd hair, and
with little restless eyes. like those of
wild boar nj bay.
Sir Richard Mortmain. leaning against
the corner of the massive marble chin
ncy-prcr. might have posed for an ideal
portrait of aristocratic disdnin us he Ian
guidly turned his handsome white face
toward the importunatc visitor.
"You-w wished to speak to me-AIr.-'
he said slowly.
Crouch. Rufus Crouch" coolly re-
turned the newcomer. as. unlimited. he
selected an easy chair. mo new name to
you Sir r.. now is it: But we may as
well make ourselves comfortable before
we begin our chat. mayn't we?" And as
he spoke he threw himself back in the
softly padded chair. and set down his
hnttered hat among the gcwgaws on the
pretty little table within reach. I'VE were
pals once: thick rs thieves. as the saving
is. hey. Sir re-"
The face of Sir Richard Mortmain as
with lnugity surprise he looked down
upon this extraordinary visitor would
have made the fortune of the painter who
should have succeeded i'll transferring it
to the canvas. The sleepy eyes were
open now. and there WAS fire in their re-
gard while the pcncilel brows contracted
frowningly. and the wcll-cut lips tigh,en-
ed beneath The shade of the black mus
tnclle. So might Caesar Borgia have look
ed at ~ vulgar TOOL of his who presumed
to he insolcn'.
Well Crouch. back again. SEQ. Why.
l Thought You fairly settled. under am
other name perhaps. in Australia" said
the lar"nct assuming tone of genuine
good nature. and playing his part very
well.
"'Faint all of lis. Sir r." replied the
man. provokingly. "tlat have the luck TO
he haroncts. or to have the dirty acres en-
tailed upon lis. is it now. Sir R.? know,
and you know. how one chap may get
hanged for pceping over the hedge. and
another may steal the horse without a
question asked: hey. Sir R.!"
The words were offensive. and the man.
ncr in which they were uttered was more
: offensive still. Sir Richard Mortman was
proud man. apt to resent a liberty on the
part of his social interiors: but he merely
laughed now.
'Always the same sort of chap. Rufus.
eh?" he said. half playfnlly-"a crab
apple. as We said in the Wcst-country-
as whcn yon carried my second gun in the
buttues at Mortmain. How did Australia
use you?''
"Much as Australia-and England. too.
for that matter-uscs them that haven't
been born with silver spoon in their
mouths, Sir r. rejoincd the fellow. with
great asperity. III L got gold. l spent
gold: and dogs life. as digger, had
Of 1t. Not hut what learned thing or
two rs to the lie of the gold and pros
pecting."
And here the man looked thoughtful,
and there was dash Of vanity in his