The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-26
CHAPTER XVI.
Thru a Woman's Heart.


The blind man felt his way down
short flight Of stairs. and, standing be-
fore the prisoners, he said in voice in
describably harsh and grating:
Gentlemen, welcome to Setchevo,'
and 80 he told them the name of the
place to which their journey had car
ried them.
A man Of middle stature, slightly
bent, his face pitted and scared revolt
ingly, his fine white hair combed down
with scrupulous vanity upon his should
ers, the eyes, nevertheless, remained SUI
preme in their power to repel and to
dominate. Sightless. they. seemed to
braved them. Look where they might,
/ the Englishmen's gaze came back at
last to those unforgettable eyes. The
horror of them was indescribable.
welcome to Setchevo, gentlemen. /
am the Chevalier Georges Odin. Yes, l.
have heard of you and am glad to see
Gavin Ord. -
Gavin stepped forward and answered
in loud, courageous voice, II am he. -
The blind man, passing trembling claws
over the hands and face of the two.
smiled when he heard the voice and
drew still nearer. to them.
me- he said; ssyou bring me news
from my little son and his English
wife,
This was thing to startle them. Did
he, then, believe that Count Odin, his
son. had already married the Lady Eve
to invite them to an indiscretion. Ga
vim, shrewd and watchful. decided in
/, an instant upon the course he would
take.
ttI bring no message from your son;
nor has he, to my knowledge, an Eng
ish wife. Permit me an interview
where we can be alone and will state
bringing us here, cheyaier, may be
characteristic of the Balkans; but do
not think it will be understood by my
: English friends in Bucharest. You will
be wise to remember that at the out
Here was threat and wise threat;
but the old man heard it with disdain,
his tongue licking his lips and smile,
vicious and cruel, upon his Scared face.
s'My friend,'' he said, cat the dom
Jon Of Setchevo we think nothing of
English opinion at Bucharest, as you
will learn in good time. thank you,
however, for reminding me that you
are my guests and fasting Be good
enough to follow me. The English, l
), remember. are eaters of flesh at dawn,
being thus but one step removed from
the cannibals. This house shall crafty
you-please to follow me, I say
Laboriously as he had descended the
stairs, he climbed them again, the baf-.
/ fling smile still upon his face and the
Pa Ro wsrd upon the eob 6ee
the house as it appeared from without.
Arched corridors. cracked groins,
moulded freseoes, great bare apart
ments with dismal furniture of brown
oak. the whole building breathed
breath both chilling and residential.
If there were redeeming feature. Cav
in found it in the so-called banqueting
hall. fine room gracefully paneied
with a barrel vault and some antique
mouldings original enough to awaken
an artists curiosity. The great buff
fet of this boosted plate was of CON.
siderable value and no little merit of
chevalier 8 servants had prepared was
served upon mighty oak table which
had been table when the second Mo-
manned ravaged Bosnia
The men were hungry enough and
they ate and drank with good appetite.
Perhaps it was with some relief that
they discovered greater lenieney with
in the house than they had found with
out. Discomfort is often the ally of
fear; and whatever were the. dement's
of the house at Setchevo, the discom-
forts were relatively trifing. AS for
the old blind chevaller. he sat at the
head of the table just as tho he had
eyes to watch their every movement
and to Judge them thereby. Not un-
til they had made q good meal of deli
cious coffee and fine white bread, with
eggs and dish of Kolesha in stiff
square lump from tho pan-not until
then did he intrude with word, or APP
pear in any way ANXIOUS to question
them.
Fffy
air, y hes exclaimed at last, speaking q
little to their astonishment in their own
tongue; that is your English virtue,
you can eat at any timo.'
And some of MS are equally useful
in the mattersof drinking ;. rejoined Ar
thur Kenyon. who had begun TO enjoy
himself again and was delghted to
The chevafier. however. believed this