Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-10-31


straight before he cut all connections
with them. H4f4#
"Once let me get matters settled"
he muttered to himself over and over
again, "and those two vultures shall
never darken my doors again"
And yet Hudsley was always scrupu-
lousy polite and civil, and Skettle al
ways respectful H4 se 80 a}a1
With his characteristic graveness,
Mr.. Hudsley went through the work
Systematically and machine-like.
But Stephen noticed when he came
to announce some fresh edition to the
great Davenant property, he never
even uttered formal congratulation,
or seemed pleased and gratifed.
One day Stephen, nettled beyond his
usual caution, said: "You must be
tired Of all this, Mr.. Hudsley. I
notice that it seems to annoy you"
And the old lawyer had looked up
with grim impassibility
"You are mistaken, Mr.. Stephen. l
am never tired, and l am never an
noyed."
"Atfleast you must be surprised
said Stephen; you had no idea that
my uncle had left SO much
mo. am not even surprised re-
torted Mr.. Hudsley, if his calm reply
could be called retort. II have lived
too long to be surprised by anything
And there was something in his keen,
icy look which silenced Stephen, and
made him bend over his papers sud-
denly.
Others noticed the change which had
come over the once sleek, smooth
spoken young man. 1t got to be re-
marked that he rarely left the Hurst
grounds, and that what exercise he
took was on the terrace in front of the
library, or on the lawn below it. 1t
was said that he paced UP and down
this lawn for hours.
1t was said, too, that he rarely ad-
dressed a servant in or out OF the
house,. All the orders came through
the valet Summers.
Mention has been made of Slum-
mers. It would have been difficult to
describe him. He was called in the
village "the Shadow" because he was
so thin and noiseless, SO silent and
death-like,
In addition to his noiselessness, he
had a trick Of going about with closed
eyes, or with his lids so lowered that
it looked as if his eyes were closed.
Bets had been made upon the sup
posed color of those yisional organs,
but had never been decided, for. never
by any chance did he look anyone III
the face when speaking: and when by
some accident those sphinx-like lids
were raised, they were dropped again
SO quickly that examination Of what
lay behind them was impossible.
Secretiveness was part and parcel
of this man. He never did anything
openly. When he gave an order 1T
was in roundabout way. The SIM
plest action of his. daily life was en-
yeloped in mystery. Even his meals
were taken in a room apart; only a
few of the servants knew the room he
occupied. Then she seemed Ubiquitous.
He wa severywhere at once and turned
UP when least expected. f#s.ttI
With noiseless step he came anu
went about the house; now in the SER
wants hail. now in the library closeted
with his master, now in the stables
looking under his lids at the horses,
counting, so said the grooms, every
oat that went into the managers. NOT
a thing was done in the house but he
was acquainted with it.
And he knew everything! Not
70 secret was kept from him. Had any
one in the village an episode in his
life which he hoped and deemed hid
den ard forgotten, Summers knew IT,
and managed by some dropped word
or look to let the miserable man know
that he knew it.
Before he had been at Hurst week
he had half the servants and villagers
in his power.
Power That was the secret main
spring of the mans existence. He
loved power
Give even the f1end his due. This
man had one good quality, he was de-
voted to his master. Saving this one
great event of his life-the theft and
loss of his will-Stephen trusted him
in everything.
And Summers admired him. In his
eyes stephen was the cleverest man on
earth, and being the cleverest man on
earth Summers was content to serve
him. Yes, Summers was devoted 10
his master, but he made up for 1t IN
his detestation of the rest OF man
kind in general, and of one man IN par
ticular-Jack Newcombe.
Between Jack-honest, frank, and
reckless Jack-and the serpent-l1ke
Summers had been sent with mes
sage to Jacks room. Jack happened
to be out, and Summers Whlled
away the tediousness OF waiting ny
opening drawer in Leonard's table
and reading some unimportant letters
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