Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-12-19
CHAPTER /.
NO. 9a Albemarle SQUARE.


Mr.. Freeman, the butler, stood by
The table in the gloomy servants hall,
as if he had received a shock.
mo, sir; took 'em up the beer at
first, and they shook their heads and
asked for wine; and when | took 'em
the sherry they shook their heads
again, and the one who speaks English
said they want keyaunty.
well, all l have got to say" ex-
claimed the portly cook, lis, that if 1
mad known what was going to take
place, [ wouldn't have stopped an
hour after the old man died. It's
wicked! And something awful will
happen as sure as my names Thomp-
SON"
Don't say that, Mrs: Thompson, 4
said the miId-looking butler. ITS
very dreadful though"
Dreadful isn't the word. Are we
ancient Egyptians? I declare, ever
since them Hightalians have been in
the house, going about like three dark
conspirators in play, I've had the
creeps. say, it didn't ought to be
allowed"
What am 1 to say to them, sir.?"
said the footman, a strongly built man,
with shifty eyes and quickly twitching
lips.
"Well, look here, Charles" said the
butler, slowly wiping his mouth with
his hand, eve have no Chianti wine
You must take them a bottle of Cham
bertin."
ttNTxvfy oSo o,,1o+oJ ooo11
-'Chambertin, sir?"
tits Mr.. Critics orders. They've
come here straight from Paris on pur-
pose, and they are to have every
thing they want.
The butler left the gloomy room,
and Mrs. Thompson, a stout lady, who
moved only when she was obliged,
turned to the thin, elderly house
maid
Mark my words, Ann" she said.
ITS contr'y to nature, and it'll bring
a curse"
s'Well," said the woman, sit can't
make the house more dull than it has
BEEN"
Il don't know" said the cook
Il never see a house before where
there was no need to shut the shut
tiers and pull down the blinds because
some ones dead"
''Well, it is a gloomy place, Ann,
but we've done all these years most as
we liked. One meal a day and the
rest at his club, and never any COM
pany. There amt many places like
that"
"No," sighed Ann. 81 suppose we
shall all have to co.
"Oh, [ don't know, my dear. Mr..
Ramo says he thinks masters left all
his money to his great-nephew, Mr..
Capel, and may be he'll have the house
painted up, and the rooms cleaned, and
keep lots of company. An he may
marry this Miss Dungeon-ain't her
manner"
"D'E-n-g-h-i-e-n," said the house
maid, spelling it slowly. 81 don't
know what you call it. She's very
handsome, but so orty. | like Miss
Lawrence. Only to think, master
never seeing a soul, and living all
these years in this great shut-up house
and then, as soon as the breath's out
OF his body, all these relatives turn
ing up"
"'Where the carcass is, there the
eagles are gathered together" said
cook, solemnly.
"Oh, don't talk like that, cook"
you're not obliged to listen, my
dear" said cook, rubbing her knees
gently.
II declare, it's been grievous to me"
continued the house-maid, "aIl those
beautiful rooms. full of splendid fur
niture, and one not allowed to do
more than keep 'em just clean. Not
a blind drawn up or a window opened.
It's always been as if there was a
funeral in the house. Think master
was crossed in love?"
mo Not he Mr.. Ramo said that
master was twice over married to
great Indian princesses abroad. I
s'pose they left him all their money.
Oh, here is Mr.. Ramo!"
The door had opened, and tall,
thin old Hindoo, with piercing dark
eyes and wrinkled brown face, came
softly in. He was dressed in long
dark-red silken cassock, that seemed
as if woven in one piece, and fitted his
spare form rather closely from neck
to heel; white cloth girdle was
tied round his waist, and for sole or
nament there were couple of plain
gold rings in his ears
AS he entered he raised his thin,
largely yeined brown hands to his
closely cropped head, half making the
native saIaan, and then said in good
English,
"Mr. Freeman not here?'
He'll be back directly, Mr.. Ramo, !"
said the cook. There, there, do sit
down, you look worn out"
The Hindoo shook his head and
walked to the window, which looked
out into an inner area.
At that moment the butler entered,
and the HindOO turned to him quickly,