Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-09-10

on it which he turned over, and he pulled
at the drawers to see if they would open,
but they were all locked fast.
This room is no good to me-" he said
to himself. II must try Others"
Gradually, as the day wore on, the
Senior went from apartment to apartment
in the house, inspecting each one care
fully. In the drawing room he spent a
great deal of time, for here he had found
what. both at Occleve House and at Mr..
Sandals house in Grosvenor place, had
interested him more than anything else
some photograph albums.
These he turned over very carefully,
as he had done with the others in London,
and then he closed them and went to an
other room.
Did he ever know" he muttered once.
that the day would come when I should
he looking eagerly for his portrait-did
he know that, and did some instinct
prompt him never to have a record made
of his craven face? And yet. he shall
not escape me-. Yet. / will find him.
Later in the evening, when he had eaten
sparingly of the dinner that had been pre-
pared for him. and had drunk still more
sparingly Of the choice wine set before
him, confning himself almost entirely
~ ~tN "N S>ht AoI lAS AOoSSANNISA II
said:
II think l have seen everything Of inn
portance here in the way of art, and
Lord Peniyn is to be congratulated on
his treasures. Some of the pictures are
very valuable"
They are thought to be so, sir" the
woman answered. In her W mind, and
after a conversation with another of the
heSd servants, she had put Senior Cuff
fanta down as some foreign picture deal
er, or c%onnoissenr who had received per
mission from her master to inspect the
collection at the Chase and. conse-
quently. she considered him entitled to
give an opinion, especially as that opinion
was 4 favorable one. "They are thought
to be SO, sir"
Eyes; no doubt. But I have seen them
al. now, and l will leave tomorrow"
Every well, sir"
80, if you please, l will have that
young man to drive me to the station. !
will go by the train that he tod me Mr..
Smerdon travelled by"
That night, as Senior Guffanta paced up
and down the avenue leading to the house
and smoked cigarettes, or as he tossed
upon his bed, he confessed that he was
no nearer TO his task. ~
Everything fails me- be said. "and
yet a week ago l would have sworn by
San Pedro that l should lave caught
him now. There is only one chance-one
hope left. II that fails me too. then I
must lose al courage. Will it fail me?
will it fail me-"
"It is strange, too," he said once to
himself in the night, when, having been
unable to sleep. he had risen and thrown
his window open and was gazing from
, it. that l cannot meet this man Smerdon,
this man who believes that l shall fail
as, por Dios! I almost now myself be-
lieve! Strange, also, that he should have
left on the very day I came here. I
should like to see him. 1t may be that I
shall do so in London Tomorrow
{ He left Occleve Chase at the time fixed,
/, and by his liberality to the housekeeper
1 and the other servants who had waited
: on him he entirely dispelled from their
minds the idea that he was a picture
dealer.
Il suppose he is one Of those foreign
swel!s. after all" the footman who had
served him said to the ~housekeeper, as he
pocketed the douceur the Senior had given
him; there is plenty Of 'em in London
] society now"
AN - L. A|SAAOAk II IL x
! in the afternoon, and babe the cabman
j he hired drive him to the Hotel Lepanto;
but, before half the journey to that house
was accomplished, the driver found him
self suddenly called on by his fare to stop,
and to turn round and follow another cab
going in the opposite direction.
A hanson cab which had passed swift
~ the one Senior Guffanta was in. a cal
in which was seated a young man with
q brown mustache, and on the root OF
which was a portmanteau and a bundle
of rugs.
4 Quick" the Senior said, speaking for
the first time almost incoherent English;
follow that cab with the valise on the
$ top. Quick, I say! l will pay you any
thing!"
How can I be quick" the man said,
when l can hardly turn my cab around ::
Which is the one you mean?"
1.-The one with the ~valise, 1 say. that
passed just now. I will give you every.
thing l have in my pocket il you catch it,
t But it was no use. Before the cab
e could be turned and put in pursuit, the
e other one had disappeared round a corner
into a short street, from which, ere Seno,
d Guffanta's cab had reached it, it had
. again disappeared.
}: Am l never TO seize MIN = said the
I Senior to himself. Then he once more al.
tered his directions to the cabman, and
e made him drive to Occleve House.
He walked into the room in which he
Z heard that Lord Penlyn and Mr.. Stuar,
were seated, and the excitement visible
upon his face told them that something
had happened.
II lave seen him." he said, going
through no formality Of greeting; he was
q far too disturbed for that. II nave seer
him once again, and once again l have los,
2 him."
where have you seen him?' Stuar,
asked.
t "Not at Occleve House, surely!!' Penly1
I exclaimed.
"No-here, in. London! Not half al
hour ago, in a cab. And I have missed
e him! He went too swiftly, and los
. sight of him"
What will you dol" they both ex
claimed.
AT present I do not know. l feel a.
though l shall go madv' Then a momen
o after he said: GIVE me the keys of TN.