The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1904-06-30

sryIes' OF different mas.s.- ~ ~
require guide. IL you will tell me
where the pictures are In this house,
l shall be obliged to YOU"
They are everywhere, SIR" she ans
wered. I'm the picture gallery, the
dining room, hall and library"
Il will go through the library first.
II you please Which Is that?r
The servant led the way to large,
lofty room. with windows looking out
upon well-kept lawn, ana told him
that this was the room.
THESE pictures will not take you
long. sir" she said. Its mostly books
tha; are here. AMI Nr Smer,ipn gen
orally spends most or his time here at
his accounts: sometimes he passes
whole days at that desk"
She seemed inclined to be garrulous.
and Senor Guffanta who wished to be
alone. took, at random, a book from
one of the helves, and throwing him
self into u chair, began to read it.
him-perhsps taking what he intended
as hint-she withdrew.
When he was left alone he took NO
notice OF the pictures on the walls
(they were all paintings of long-past
days.. but. rising, went over to the
desk where she had said that NJ.
Smerdon spent hours. There were a
few papers lying about on IL which he
turned over, and he pulled at the
drawers TO see II they would open.
but they were all locked fast.
This room is no good to me-" he
said to himself, II must try others"
Gradually, as the day wore on. the
Senor went from apartment to apart
ment in the house, inspecting each
one carefully. In the drawing room
ne spent great deal of time. for here
he had found what. both at Occleve
House and at Mr.. Cundalrs house in
GrosvenOr Place, had interested him
more than anything else-some photo
graph albums. These he turned over
very carefully, as he had done with
the others in London, and then he
closed them and went to another
room.
Did he ever know" he muttered
once. that the day would come when
l should be looking eagerly for his
portrait-did he know that, and did
some instinct prompt him never to
have a record made OF his craven
face? And yet, he shall not escape
me. Yet. I will find him.
Later in the evening. when he had
eaten sparingly of the dinner that had
been prepared for him. and had drunk
still more spsringly OF the choice wine
set before him, confining himself al
most entirely TO water he sent for
the housekeeper and said:
i think | have seen everything OF
Importance here In the way OF art,
and Lord Penlyn is to be congratulate
ell OF his treasures. Some OF the pic
tures are very valuable.
They are thought to be so. sir"
the woman answered. In her own
mind. and after n conversation with
another or the head servants, she had
put Senior Guffanta down as some
foreign picture dealer, or connois-
seur, who had received permission
from her master to inspect the col
lection at the "Chase," and, conse-
guently. she considered him entitled
to give an opinion, especially as that
opinion vas favorable one. They
are thought to be so, SIR
Yes; no doubt But / have seen
them all now, and I will leave to-mor-
row."
Very well. sir.'
$50, il you please, l will have that
young man to drive me to the station.
| will go by the train that he told me
Mr.. Smerdon travelled by"
That night, as Senior Guffanta paced
up and down the avenue leading to
the house and smoked his cigarettes.
or as he tossed upon his bed, he con
fessed that he was no nearer 10 his
task.
Everything fails me-" he said, land
yet, q week ago, l would have sworn
by San Pedro that / should have
caught him by now. There is only one
chance-ore hope left If that fails
me too, then 1 must lose all courage
Will 1t fail me?-will 1t fail:"
1T is strange. too," he said once to
himself in the night, when, having
been unable to sleep. he had risen and
thrown his window open and was gag
Ing from it, that | cannot meet this
man Smerdon, this man who believes
that | shall fail-as, por Dios. al
most now myself believe, Strange,
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