Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-06-05
CHAPTER XII.
"The Crimson Blind.0


Terrace, gay and debonaire as If he had
not a single trouble in the world. His
evening dress was of the smartest and
he had a rose in his buttonhole. From
his cab he took a small square brown
paper parcel. which he deposited in Da-
vid's study with particular care.
He made no allusion Whatever to the
sterner business Of the evening; he was
gay and light-hearted as IL child, so
that Mrs. Steel sat up quite an hour
later than her usual time absolutely
unconscious of the fact that she had
broken rigid rule of ten years stand
ing.
Nov. let us so into the study and
smoke a cigar" David suggested.
Bell dragged along a deck-chair into
the conservatory and lighted a Massa.
Steel's offer of whisky ard soda was
declined.
An ideal place for novelist who has
a keen eyes for the beautiful" he said.
There YOU have Your books and pic
lures. your stained glass and china. and
when you turn your eyes this way
they are gladdened by. green foliage and
lovevly flowers. It's hard to connect
such room with tragedy"
And yet the tragedy was worked
out close by WHARF, YOU are sitting. But
never mind that; come 10 your story,
and let ME see if we can fit it into
mine.''
Bell took a fresh pull at his cigar and
plunged into his subject.
About seven years ago professional
business took me to Amsterdam;
brilliant young medical genius who was
drinking himself prematurely into the
grave had made some wonderful dis
coveries relating to the brain and psy-
chology generally. so I decided to learn
what I could before it was too late. I
found the young doctor to be an exceed
ingly good fellow. only too ready to
speak of his discoveries, and there 1
stayed for year. My word, what do 1
not owe to that misguided mind! And
what revolution he would have made
in medicine and surgery had he only
lived!
well. in Amsterdam I got to know
everybody who was worth knowing
medical, artistic. social. And among
the rest was an Englishman called
Lord Littmer, his son, and an exceed
ingly clever nephew Of his, Henson by
|
mer was savant, scholar and a fine
connoisseur as regarded pictures. He
was popularity supposed to have the
finest collection of old prints in Eng
land. He would travel anywhere in
search of something fresh, and the ru-
NOR of some apocryphal treasure in
Amsterdam had brought him thither.
He and I We're friends from the first,
as, indeed, were the son and myself.
Hcnsen, the nephew, was more quiet
and reserved, but fond, as I discovered,
of a little secret dissipation.
I'm those days I was not averse to
little life myself. was passionately
fond Of all games Of cards. and am
afraid that I was in the habit Of gam
bling to a greater extent than I could
afford. I don't gamble now, and don't
play cards; in fact shall never touch
a card again as long as live. Why,
you shall hear all in good time.
'We were all getting on very well to-
gether at tLat time when Lord Lit
mer's sister paid us visit. She came
accompanied by daughter called Enid.
will not describe her, because no
words of mine could do her justice. In
a word, I fell head over heels in love
with Enid, and in that state I have re-
manned ever since. OF all the crosses
that have to bear, the knowledge that
love Enid andathat she loves-and de-
spises-me, is by far the heaviest. But
1 don't want to dwell upon that.
1--WE were very happy party then.
until Van Sneck and Won Gulden
turned up. Enid and had come to an
understanding, and though we kept our
secret, we were not to do so for long.
t14 6,ct C,,11o a.
mired her. He was a handsome, swag
gering soldier, a good-looking, wealthy
man, who had a great reputation for
gallantry, and something worse. Per-
haps the fellow guessed how things lay,
for he never troubled to conceal his dis
like and contempt for me. It is no fault
of mine that am extremely sensitive
as to my personal appearance, but Won
Gulder played upon it until he drove
me nearly mad. He challenged me.
sneeringly, to certain sports wherein he
knew I could not shine; he challenged
me to ecarte, where I fancied I was his
master.
"Was L? Well, we had been dining
that night, and perhaps too freely, for
I entirely lost my head before I began
the game in earnest. Those covert
sneers had driven me nearly mad. To
make long story short, when got up
from the table that night 1 owed my
opponent nearly $500 without the faint
est prospect Of paying tenth part Of it.
7 was only poor, ambitious young
man then. with my way to make In the
world. And il that money was not
forthcoming in the next few days I
was ute rly ruined.
'"Thc following morning the great dis
covery was made. The Van Sneck I
have alluded to was an artist. dealer,
man of the shadiest reputation, whom
my patron, Lord Littmer, had picked
up. 1t was Van Sneck who produced
the copy Of The Crimson Blind Not
only did he produce the copy, but he
produced the history from some recent
Undiscovered PAPERS relating to the
Keiserskroon Tavern of the year 1856,
which would have satisfied a more ex-
acting man than Littmer. In the end
the viscount purchased the engraving