Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-06-05
By Fred M. Uhite
CHAPTER NJ.
After Rembrandt.

search the house from top to bottom.
I've got a pretty sound theory in my
head. but I don't like to leave anything
to chance We shall be pretty certain
to find something
IL am entirely in you hands" David
said. YEARLY. 80 Ear as / am capable
of thinking out anything. IL seems to
me that we have to find the woman"
'Cherchez la femme is a fairly sound
promise in a case like this; but when
we have found the woman we shall
have TO find the man who is at the bot
tom Of the plot. 1 mean the man who
A. not only thwarting the woman. but
giving you a pretty severe lesson as to
h adsisabilIty of minding YOU own
business for the future"
Then you think / am being made the
victim of a vile conspiracy"
mot by a woman, certainly. You are
the victim of scme f1endish counter
plot by the mar who has not quite mas
tered what the woman is driving at.
Ivy placing you in dire peril he compels
the woman to speak to save you, n
thus 10 expose her fsnd."
Then. In that case, L propose to sit
tight" David said. grimly. II am bound
20 be prosecuted for robbery and at
tempted murder in cue course. If my
man dies I am In a tight place"
And IL he RECEIVERS. got antagonist
may be in a tighter" Bell chuckled.
And IL the man gets well and the brain
Injury proves perman ent--I mean If the
man is rendered imbccile-whv. We are
only at the very threshold Of the mys-
terry. 1t seems a cailors thing to say,
but this is the prettiest problem / hav
had under my hands,
MAKE the most of it," David said,
sardonically. 81 daresay I should see
the matter in a more rational light If /
were not so directly concerned. But, IL
we aIs going to make a search OF the
premises, the sooner re start the bet
ter"
Up stairs there was nothing beyond
certain lumber. There were dust and
dirt everywhere, save in the hall and
front dining room, which, as Bell sa-
plenty pointed out had obviously been
cleared to make room for Steel'h
strange reception. Down In the house
Keepers room was a large collection of
dusty furniture and a number of pic
lures and e~ngravings piled up with their
faces to the wall. Bell began Idly to
turn the latter over.
"I am a maniac on the subject OF old
prints he explained. II never see a
rile without a will longing to examine
them. And, by Jove. there are some
good things here. Unless I am greatly
mistaken-here. Steel, pull UP the
blinds! Good Heavens. Is IL possible?"
found a Sistine Madonna or a'stray
A~ngelo?' David asked. "Or a ghost?
What is the matter? Is IT another
phase OF the mystery?"
"The Rembrandt" Bell gasped.
"Look at 1t. mani"
Steel bent eagerly over the engraving.
IAN old print. an old piece of china, an
antique Jewel, always exercised a
charm over the novelist. He had an
unerring eye for that kind of thing.
"Exquisite!' he cried. "A Rembrandt.
of course, but I don't recollect the
picture"
'"The picture was destroyed by acct
dent. after Rembrandt had engraved 1T
with his own hand Bell proceeded to
explain. He was quite coherent now.
hut he breathed fast and loud. "I shall
proceed to give you the history of the
picture presently, and more especially
q history Of the engraving"
Has 1t any particular name?" David
asked.
Eyes; we found that out. 1t was
called The Crimson Blind"
INC getting away from the crimson
blind" David murmured. Still, I can
quite imagine that to ave been the
name OF the picture. That shutter or
blind might have HAD a setting sun be-
hind 1t, which would account for the
lender warmth of the kitchen fore
ground and the deep gloom where the
lovers are seated. BY Jove. Bell. 1t Is
n magnificent piece of work. I've a
special fancy for Rembrandt engrav-
ings but / never say one equal TO
that"
"And you never WILL" Bell replied,
''save in one instance. The picture it
self was painted In Rembrandt's mod
est lodging In the Keizerskroon Tavern,
after the forced sale Of his paintings at
that hotel in the year 1858. At that time
Rembrandt was painfully poor. as his
recorded tavern bills show. The same
bills also disclose the fact that The
Crimson Blind was painted for a pri-
vate customer. with q condition that
the subject should be engraved, as well.
After one impression had been taken off
the plate the picture was destroyed by
o careless servant In a sudden fit of
rage. Rembrandt destroyed the plate,
having. they say. only taken n i'm
preston from It."
Then there Is only one OF these en-
cravings in the world7 What a find:'
''There is one other. as ! know to my
cost" Bell said. significantly. Until d
few days g I never entertained the
Idea that there were two. Steel, you
are the victim of a vile conspiracy. but
Il Is nothing to the victory which has
darkened my life."
Sooner OF later. / always felt that ]
should get to the bottom of the mys-
terry. and now I am certain of II And.
strange as II may seem. / verify believe
that you and l are hunting the same
man down-that the one man Is al the
bottom OF the two evils. But you shall
hear my story presently. What we
have to find out now IL who was the
last tenant and who Ia the present own