Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-01-18
/ bowed politely and offered some
conventional reply, though this deem nj,

/ bowed politely and offered Some
conventional reply, though this deep mir
Of mystery puzzled me.
You are u strong man, Mr.. Greoto
rex" he continued, surveying me Sort
ously. Il must tell you that l have mo
IL sleeping in the house save NV
housekeeper and a maid. The man vo,
saw, who took your horse, sleeps in o
cottage at Llanellan." He paused 80
was unfortunate enough to lose INV
valet a month ago and SO far have heon
unable to fill his place."
l began to understand. He was in
some fear Of his lonely condition. Poe
sibly he dreaded an attack by his late
assailant. Suddenly, too, ran into nv
memory the Ger In the taproom on
the previous night, the miller and his
long pipe and his story. There was
that INT tale that should have bern
exciting about a burglary. And here
was In Ivor castle.
IF you are thinking of that scoun.
drel"!'- 1 began. Surely the police
He interrupted nj with q smile
1.-The police, MI. G%reatorex, are seven
miles from Ivor castle. But pray do
not misunderstood me. 1 shall be in.
finitely obliged by your company. IFS
long since l had an intelligent CONVEX.
sation. But l would not detain YOU if
you had any scruples about staying"
I laughed. Not Il" said 1. 81 win
stay and gladly" And in truth 1 meant
1t, for the adventure interested me not
a little. Was it burglars?
1t was in the dining room that We
spent the evening. This was q long
low rooted chamber occupying the
ground floor and opening with win
dows upon the cobble courtyard on the
n side and the meadows Of the park
on the other. 1t was a great chamber
to contain but two people, but some
how the black oak Of the walls and the
general air Of the upholstery prohibited
the thought Of discomfort. These walls
were not vacant, o this space, but
tenanted, if n considered duly, by q
c%oncourse Of illustrious faces and high
stepping ghosts. Upon this point, as it
happened. 1 was not long left in curl
osity, for MI. Kesteven was in the
mood to confide the history of the cas-
tie to me. He was a queer creature.
p~artaking, as it seemed to me, of the
most diverse and incongruous emo
tons. Constantly he would set me
wondering upon his statements, striv-
ing to pick some order in their appar-
ent confusion. One moment quite a
sounding pride rang in his pompous
an%nunciation Of the titles Of some great
noble, while the next I was driven to
suppose by very clear signs that he dis
played nothing but a pitiful contempt
toward the whole prejudice Of race and
family. The man struck me as wear
ing a mask, and that a mask of such
severity and primness as to offer very
few secrets to his company. And even
at his moments Of most spacious frank
ness l was never able to determine the
depth of it's genuineness.
He fetched me out some wines. Civ
ing me a generous choice, but himself
drinking but sparingly.
mo, thank you; I have never smok-
3D." said he in reply to my offer of a
cigar. "Will you not smoke yourself.
Mr.. Greatorex? And pray try that
port. understand it to be Of a partic-
ular year" He insisted gently upon
helping me from the decanter and then
dropped softly into his chair.
Suddenly he rose and going to a win
dow threw it open and leaned forth.
l heard somewhere from the deep re
cesses Of the old house a clock striking
the hour of l. Mr.. Kesteven closed the
easement and turned to me.
Il fear, Mr.. Greatorex," he said, with
q smile, that I have fetched you here
under false %pretenses, but at least you