Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-01

which was bare save for lof; red
 dish mustache, was puffy and swollen
 but he had pleasant gray green eye
 and a genial and engaging manner
 His thin red hair was carefully brush. ed over rather bald head.
 My landlord tells me there has been a death up yonder," said he nodding toward the castle. "A regular romance, if I'm right in supposing yoI are MT. Greatorexw
 told him that I was.
 "Ah, well, you're very lucky
 replied somewhat coldly that he seemed to know more than l did my self.
 Come, come," said he, with laugh. My dear sir, we are all gossips, and, after all was bound to talk of some thing besides the weather" and his way was so good humored and withal so frank that I could not but join in his laugh. In the issue, accepted his in- vitation to drink little whisky in his room, and being apparently a talkative fellow he was very soon in the full swing of soliloquy. I must confess that he was an entertaining talker. He had seen a vast deal of life and in many countries. He had apparently been a soldier of fortune since he left the English army, for he spoke Of serv- ice with the Peruvians, of brushes and escapades in sundry parts of South America and of multifarious adven- lures in several continents It might have seemed odd that the lord of 1yor castle should be seated there i'll the parlor of shabby inn, hobnobbing over whisky and cigars with an utter stranger about whom he knew nothing and cared less, but I myself was little better than fellow stranger, and at all events I required no excuses for myself. It has ever been my habit to give myself full license in my commune with my fellows. and in the result l have usually found the custom produc- tive of amusement and interest We parted on friendly terms, and l con- graduated myself as I walked home upon a very agreeable neighbor.
 When I reached the castle the night had fallen, unrelieved by stars I rang for a lamp and retired to my bedroom for a pocketbook which I had left in one of the drawers in an old bureau. I remembered to have placed it in the left hand drawer in the secretary. l took the key from my pocket and twisted it in the lock. but as il would not turn became impatient and shook 1, the handles. The lid fell open Of it. 1 self Clearly it had not been locked. | And yet I could have testified in a 1 court of law that had locked it n the ! afternoon Furthermore, my pocket | book was not where had left l. out i in lower drawer. The oddness roused | my curiosity. and went carefully ' through the drawers only to find hat | without a doubt they had been con l scientiously and scrupulously rum i maged by some one. The thought was not inviting I sat down in chair to I tDIs!uSE. l-aitE l NtAt uoNA to AAr dining hall and made out my notes for the day A letter by the second post. which arrived late in the evening. lay z 50 my hand on the table. The situa- tion demanded a patient temper and some thought IL threatened to discov- CT a grave climax. So far my refec- tions led me. Why had my bureau been -riaeaa >,H.bas--dd .this .robhar want? And yet again the problem fell upon me something iarklins, but nr- gent importunate-had any one visited Mir. Kesteven through that open win dow in the article of his death: The of these questions embar- rassed me. and opened my letter ab- sently.
 It was from Greenstreet and invited my consideration of the offer made by the London solicitors. They were press ing to know my price for the castle I seized sheet of paper and srribhlei q liDe. sealing and stamping the envel- ope ere l went to bed. It was merely 10 tell Greenstreet that the prons-v was not In the market