Courier Democrat., 1902-07-17

seem to have changed. He was just a
little more caustic than ever, his tongue
a little. sharper. The servants could
have told different story, story OF
| 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 Ltttt-
| mer carried his Grief so we'll he suf-
| fered the more. We shall see what
| that sorrow was In time.
There are few more beautiful places
! in England than I.ittimer Castle. The
house stood on kind OF natural plat
eau. with many woods behind, n trout
stream ran clean past the big flight of
steps leading to the hall, below We're
terrace after terrace of hanging gar
| ,iens, and to the left sloping, ragged
! drop of two hundred feet into the sea-
To the left lay magnificently-tim-
| bered park with herd Of real wild
deer-perhaps the only herd of the kind
in the country. When the sun shone
on the gray walls they looked as II
they had been painted by some cum
ming hand, so softly were the grays
reds, and blues blended.
Inside the place was veritable art
tures and engravings there. All around
the grand staircase ran long, deep
corridor, filled with pictures. There
were alcoves here lifted up as sitting
rooms, and m most Of them some gem
or another was hung. When the full
flood of electric light was turned on at
night the effect was almost dazzling.
There were few pictures in the gallery
without history.
Lord Littimer had many hobbies. but
not one 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 were
the great amusements of his lordship's
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 table in the win
dew girl sat working typewriter.
She might have passed for beautiful,
only her hair was banded down in hid
her delicate, oval face, and her eyes
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
well without the glasses.
The typewriter and secretary busi-
ness was new whim of Littimer's.
He want=i an assistant to catalogue
and classify his pictures and prints,
and he had told the vicar so. He want
ed girl who wasn't a fool, a girl who
could amuse him and wouldn't be
afraid of him, and he thought he would
have an American. To which the VI
car responded that the whole thing
was nonsense, but he had heard of
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 genuine old house for year or
so. The vicar added that he had not
seen the young lady, but he could OBJ
tain her address. A reply came in due
petuous earl that he engaged the ap-
plicant on the spot. And now she had
been just two hours in the house.
wen, AlLIlIneT CIleO, anu IOW
have you been getting on?"
Miss Cristabel Lee looked up, smil-
iagly.
"I am getting on very we'll, indeed"
she said. "You see, I have made
study of this kind of thing all my life
time, and most Of your pictures are
like old friends to me. Do you know,
farcy that you and I are going to man
age very we'll together?"
"Oh, do you? They say am pretty
formidable at times"
IT shan't mind that bit. You see,
my father was man with villainous
temper. But woman can always get
the better of a bad-tempered man. un-
less he happens to be one of the lower
class who uses his boots. If he is a
gentleman you have him entirely at
your mercy. Have you a sharp tongue?"
II flatter myself that can be pretty
blistering on occasions" Littimer saio,
grimly.
"How delightful! So canI. You and
will have some famous battles later
| on. Only warn you that never lose
my temper. which gives me tremen-
dous advantage. I haven't been very
we'll lately, so you must be nice to me
for q 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 1t.
| "And now show me the Rembrandt"
Miss Lee said, impatiently.
Littimer led the way to a distant al
cove, lighted from the side by 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 lev
| ell with it.
"This is the picture that was stolen
from you?" she asked.
eyes, that's the thing that there was
all the fuss about. It made great
stir at the time. But I don't expect
that it will happen again."
"Why not?" Miss Lee asked. when
an attempt of that sort is made 1t is
| uo,,o11v f0llowe6 nv another sometimes