Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-15
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SHREWSBURY"
by STANLEY J. wEYMAN
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

On that the man with the wand stood aside
--stln little doubtfully-and let us pase
and my patron preceding me, we went up
a vide staircase and along a silent corridor
Ana through one or two swing doors. the
duke seeming to be conceisant with the
house. Il was Impossible not to admire inc
som.Jer richness OF the carved furniture
which stood here and there in the corridor
or the erotesque dcslgn3 and eastern color
ing OF the chnaware and Mogul idols that
peered from the corners or rose boldly on
brackets. Such a mode OF furnishing was
new to me, but neither It's novelty nor the
evidences OF wealth and taste which abun-
dantly met the eye impressed me so deeply
as the stiffness which everywhere prevailed,
and which seemed so much part Of the
palace that when his grace opened the second
swing door and the shrll, piping voice OF
child growing and laughing in an ecstasy
OF infantie pleasure. came forth and me-
us. | started as IL gun had exploded.
/ know now that the sound, by giving my
patron assurance that he whom he sought
was not there, but in his closet, led to my
admission, and that without that assurance
my lord would have left me to wait at the
door AS it was he said nothing to me, but
went on and |, following him in my nno-
cence through the doorway. came at the
same moment he did On a scene as rare as 1t
Is by me well remembered.
We stood on the threshold of a wide and
splendid gallery, oct here and there with
great China vases and hung with pictures
which even then | discerned to be of great
beauty, and aftcrward learned were of no
less rarity. Letting my eyes travel down
this VISTA they paused naturally at spot
under one of the windows where, with his
back to us and ribbons in his hands, elight
mid ed
In black. ambled and paced in front of a
child A or years old. The wintry
sunlight, which fell in cold bars on the
floor, proved his progress to be more showy
than real; nevertheless the child shrieked
In it's Joy, and dancing, jeried the ribbons
and waved little whip, in response to
which the gentleman, whose long, curled
periwig bobbed oddly on his shouders-he
had his back to us-pranced more stoutly,
though on legs little thin and bent
A long moment | stared at this picture,
little thinking on what 1 gazed; nor 1t
until a gentleman seated at a side table
not far from the pair rose hurriedly from
hts chair and with a cultural exclamation
came toward us, that l remarked this third
occupant of the gallery. When i did SO it
wao to discern that he was angry and that
my lord was taken aback and disturbed.
1t even seemed to me that my patron made a
hasty movement to withdraw. Before he
could do so, however, or |, who behind him
barred the way could take the hint, the
gentleman in black, warned Of our presence
by the others exclamation, turned to us
and still standing and holding the ribbons
in his hands, looked at us.
- He had a long, sAllow face, which seemed
thu sallower for the dark, heavy wig that
fell around it; a large hooked nose and full
peeviSh lips with eyes both bright and mo-
rpsc. | am told that he seldom smiled, and
never laughed and that while the best tales
of King Charles court passed round him