Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-07-17

| over the family. Lord Littimer did not
seem to have changed. He was JUST a
little more caustic than ever, his tongue
a little sharper. The couIu
have told a different story, a story Oh
dark moods and days when the bitter
ness of the shadow OF death lay on
their master. Few men could carry
their grief better, and because Littl-
mar carried his prief so well ne sur
| fered the more. We shall see what
that sorrow was In time.
There are few more beautiful places
IN England than Littimer Castle. Inc
house stood on a kind of natural pat
eau. with many woods behind, a trout
stream ran clean past the big flight Oh
stems leading to the hall, below were
terrace after terrace of hanging a 4
dens. and to the left a sloping. aggeo
dron Of two hundred feet into the sea.
To the left lay a Misunderstanding
bares park with a herd of real Wild
deer-perhaps the only herd of the kino
In the country. When the sun shone
on the gray walls they looked as IL
they had been painted by some Gun
ming hand. so softly were the grays'
reds and blues blended.
Inside the place was a veritaole ART
gallery. There were hundreds OF pic
lures and ~engravings there. All around
the grand staircase ran a long, ueep
corridor. filed with pictures. There
were alcoves here fitted up as sitting
rooms. and N most OF them some gem
or another was hung. When the tuii
food OF electric light was turned on MT
night the effect was almost dazzling
There were few pictures in the gallery
without a history.
Lord Littimer had NAM hobbies, but
not n that interested him like this.
There were hundreds OF rare birds shot
by him In different parts Of the world:
the corridors and floors were covered
by skins the spoil of his rifle: here and
there a stuffed bear pranced startling
ly; but the pictures and prints wer"
the great amusements of his lordships
lonely life.
He passed along the corridor now
towards the great oriel window at the
end. A brilliant sunlight filled the
place with shafts of golden and blue
and purple, as it filtered through the
stained glass. At a table in the VIM
dew n girl sat working a typewriter.
She might nave passed for beautiful,
only her hair was banded down in hid
eously- Puritan fashion on each side or
her delicate, oval face, n her eyes
were shielded by s~pectacles.. But they
were lovely, steady. courageous blue
eyes, as Littimer did not fail TO OBJ
serve. Also. he had not failed to note
that his new secretary could do very
we'll without the glasses.
The typewriter and secretary bust
ness was a new within Of Littimer's.
He wanted an assistant to catalogue
and classify his pictures and prints,
and he had told the vicar so. He want
ed a girl who wasn't a fool, a girl who
could amuse him and wouldn't be
afraid OF IAN. and he thought he would
have an American. To which the vi
car responded hat the whole thing
was nonsense, but he had heard of a
Boston girl In England who had a pas
sion for that kind OF thing. and who
was looking for a situation of the kind
in a genuine old house for a year or
so. The vicar added that he had not
seen the young lady, but ne could OBJ
tain her address. A reply came in due
course, a reply that so pleased the Inn
petuous earl that he engaged the APP
plicant on the spot. And now she had
been Just two hours in the house.
WELL Littimer cried. land how
have you been getting on?"
Miss Cristabel Lee looked up, smil-
ingly.
ST am getting on very well, indeed"
she said. "You see. I have made a
study of this kind of thing all my life
time, and most OF your pictures are
like old friends to me. Do you know, I
fancy that you and I are going to man
age very we'll together"
"Oh, do you? They say I am pretty
formidable at times"
II shan't mind that a bit. You see,
my father was a nan with a villainous
temper. But a woman can always get
the better of a bad-tempered man, un-
less he happens to be n OF the lower
class who uses his boots. II he is a
gentleman you have him entirely at
your mercy. Have o a sharp ~tongue?"
Il fiatter myself that I car be pretty
blisterIng on occasions" Littimer saio.
grimly.
How delightful, So can I. You and
I will have some famous battles later
on. Only I warn you that I never lose
my temper, which gives me a tremen-
dous advantage. I haven't been very
well lately, SO you must be nice to me
for a week or two"
Littimer smiled and nodded. The
grim lord OF the castle was not accus-
toned TO this kind OF thing, and he was
telling himself that he rather liked it.
And now show me the Rembrandt"
Miss Lee said, impatiently.
Littimer led the way tora distant al
cove, lighted from the side by a lat
ticed window. There was only one pic
ture in the excellent light there, and
that was the famous Rembrandt en-
craving. Littimer's eyes lighted up
lovingly as they rested upon 1t. The
Florentine frame was hung so low that
Miss Lee could bring her face on a lev
ell with II.
This Is the picture hat was stolen
from your" she asked.
Eyes. that's the thing hat there was
all the fuss about. 1t made a great
stir at the time. But I don't expect
that II will happen again"
why not?" Miss Lee asked. when
an attempt OF that sort is made Ii Is
usually followed by another. sometimes
after the lapse OF years. Anybody get
ting through that window could easily