Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-06-05
KIT.
"The Crimson Blind,

evening dress was Of the smartest and
he had a rose I'm 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 n child, so
that Mrs. Steel sat up quite an hour
later than her usual time, absolutely
unconscious of the fact that she had
broker a rigid rule of ten years stand
ing.
Now, let us go into the study and
smoke a cigar" David suggested.
Bell dragged along a deck-chair into
the conservatory and lighted a Massa.
Steeps offer OF whisky ard soda was
declined.
IAN ideal place for a novelist who has
a keen eyes for the beautiful" he said.
There you nave 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 a room with a tragedy"
And yet, the tragedy was worked
out close by where you are sitting. But
never mind that; come to 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; a
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 / decided to learn
what / could before 1t was too late. 1
found the young doctor to be an exceed
ingly good fellow. only too ready to
speak of his discoveries, and there I
stayed for a year. My word, what do I
not wv to that misguided mind! And
what a revolution he would have made
in medicine and surgery had he only
lived!
well, in Amsterdam I got to know
everybody who vas 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
name, who was the sons tutor. Litt-
mer was a s~avant, a scholar Inc 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 a~pocryphal treasure in
Amsterdam had brought him thither.
He and / were 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 a
little life myself. / was ~passionately
fcnd of all games OF cards. I'M I 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 I live. Why,
| you shall hear all in good time.
w were all getting on very well to-
gether at tkat time when Lord Lit
mer's sister paid us a visit. She came
accompanied by a daughter called Enid.
I win 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 stated have re-
| manned ever since. OF all the crosses
that I have to bear, the knowledge that
I love Enid and that she loves-and de-
spises-me, Is by far the heaviest. But
1 don't want to dwell upon that.
1--WE were a very happy party then,
until Van Sneck and yon Gulden
turned up. Enid and / had come to an
understanding, and though we kept u
secret, we were not to do so for long.
From the very first. Won Gulden ad-
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. 1T is no fault
OF mine that I am extremely sensitive
as to my personal appearance. but Won
Gulder played upon 1t 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 IT Wen, we had been dining
that night, and perhaps too freely, for
I entirely lost my head before I began
the game In earnest. Those covsct
sneers had driven me nearly mad. To
make a long story short, when I got up
from the table that night I owed my
opponent nearly $500 without the faint
est prospect nf paying a tenth part OF 1t.
I was only a poor, ambitious young
man then. with my way to make in the
world. And II that money was not
forthcoming In the next few days I
was utterly ruined.
1.-THE following morning the great dis
covery was made. The Van Sneck I
have alluded TO was an artist, q dealer,
a man OF the shadiest reputation, whom
my patron. Lord Littmer. had picked
up. IT was Van Sneck who produced
the copy OF The Crimson Blind Not
only did he produce the copy, but ne
produced the history from some recent
undiscovered paoers relating to the
Keiserskroon Tavern OF the year 1866,
which would have satisfied a more ex-
acting man than Littmer. In the end
the viscount purchased the engraving
for $500 English.
you can imagine how delighted he
was with his prize-he had secured an
| engraving by Rembrandt that was ABB