The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-16
customed to see playing cards in unlikely

customed to see playing cards in unlikely
places.
"My lord must have left it, she said, as
she led the way from the room, followed by
Bellairs; 81 will take you upstairs first, sir.
The house was much larger than the exte-
rior gave one reason to expect. The hall was
a great square space with the principal stair
case at the end opposite to the door, leading
to a gallery that ran round the four Sides
giving access on three sides to the bedrooms
and guest chambers, and the fourth side be-
ing pierced by a great haf-moon window,
with shields of stained glass in it's upper
round and small diamond paned lattices Of
plain glass beneath. Alured looked through
the rooms, for he wished to describe them to
Mrs. Bellairs, as he knew she would be in
terested, and before turning to descend the
staircase again, he looked through the win
dow at the view, and Mrs Hodgson stopped
at his side to look with him. >it
This, sir, is the finest view IN Lathdale.'
have never Travelled, sir, but have been as
sured it is equal to the Swiss or the High
land valleys"
TT is wonderfully fine" said Alured. adj
1T is, sir. 1t would break my heart to
leave it," t~e :, e-T
He checked his question, for he thought it
an intrusion, and BellaQDs was as considerate
Of his social interiors as Of his eQuals-the
only true courtesy.
81 am staying with Mr.. and. Mrs. sTomlin-
keeper, naming the new tenants "She is a
nice kind lady, and I think I, shall like her.
1 shall try. 1t would go hard with me to
leave here don't know how shall like to
have new mistress she continued, half to
herself; "the last Lady Wildhay was never
here and my lords mother has been dead
twenty-five years, and was upper housemaid
them a..
II feel sure you will manage well with Mrs.
Tomlinson,' said Alured kindly.
do you know her, sir?" eagerly.
mo, but you wish to, and that's half the
battle, you know.
my lord says shall be all right. have
seen the lady; they are coming as soon as
the house is done up. 1t will be time! and
my lord gone!" She wiped her eyes Not
that my lord came often, but then, he is my
lord, and was his housekeeper. 1t quite up
sets me, SIR, plaintively.
81 am sure it WILL We none Of us like
change. But things often turn out better
than we expect" said Alured, reassuringly.
They often do, sir, more cheerfully. will
you come downstairs now, sir? I will show
you the drawing room-we can come in it
again, sir from the small dining room. The
service you inquired about is there, sir, and
the rooms are en- suite. ~
She opened the library door. A man sat at
an old Fashioned oak secretaire, writing. He
rose, and bowed at their entrance, and Alured
half withdrew. - RI
'I beg of you not to let me disturb you,
SIR he said.
Thank you. With your permission will
IL.
leaves here at early hour, and my letters
are important" and the stranger recon-
menced writing almost before Alured had left
the room.
It was the man whom he had met at the
hall door. Alured was struck by his voice.
clear and exquistely musical, with tone in
it Of calm melancholy, like the deep waters
held in bondage by the ice of winter
Mrs. Hodgson opened the door opposite the
library, and entered, followed by Bellairs
1t dining room. with the tables and
sideboards loaded with rare old china She
passed through it rather quickly. ~
THE service is III the smaller room sire
she said. going to the door.
A strangled cry, half moan of terror, came
from her. She fell back family, Knocking
against Alured, then, recovering herself
rushed forward, Bellairs following her
The sight that met his eyes he was never
able to forget entirely. Lying on the hearth
rug in front of the empty crate, from which
a silk embroidered fire-screen, representing
the Three Graces, had been roughly torn bv
his fall, was the body of a man of about
fifty dressed in a light tweed suit He wore
no wastcoat and right over the heart. strucir
through the fine blue linen Of his shirt was q
short hilted dagger, driven into his breast -
the very handle A slight stain of hIaos
surrounded the wound, but it was av;de,s.
that the bleeding was chiefly interna1 f.il
little trickle of blood fell slowly. dro,, oi u.