The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1906-02-17

Mr.. Greenstreet receiUed me pith cere-
mOny.
curious coincidence"-and here he
rummaged among his papers-''if you
are anxious to get rid of the castle,
dare say it can be managed. Oddly
enough, only this morning had let
| ter from firm of solicitors In London,
assuming it was for sale and inquiring
| the terms. Let me see. All, here 1t
isl He handed me the letter, which
was directed from the offices of firm
IN Pardoe street Lincoln's Inn Fields.
Quick work." l commented.
| The little solicitor assented. 1T is a
beautiful neighborhOod,' ne replied.
rather proudly, land the castle is \
fine building. Very antique, remark
ably antique"
The adjectives were hardly chosen
| to my taste, but / could find no fault
with the sentiment. Yet ii seemed
strange that a purchaser should have
been SO instant; Lad understood that
the experience was uncommon in the
property market AS sat contemplate
ing the letter Mr.. Greenstreet inter-
| posed.
well, SIR" said he, smiling, "am
to entertain the offer?'
No" l answered, though / could
hardly have said why.
You Will live OH the property" in
| CURED the lawyer.
Yes" l replied, adding, ''for the
present"
| But, in truth, was in no state of
mind to determine upon any particular
course with definition, SO involved We're
my emotions in the face of the eXtraor-
binary news | had heard. 1t was an
amazing stroke of good luck which by
signature of a dozen letters convert
ed Il comparatively impecuniouS and
| briefeSs barrister into the proprietor of
an ancient estate These thoughts and
feelings moved me as | rode back to
the castle quite oblivious of my earlier
| resolution to be gone from Raymond
and the scene of that disaster. 1t
seemed now that | was definitely bound
up with the fortunes of the place I'M
| less | accepted GreenStreet's offer to
negotiate sale of the property for me.
l had fallen into a reverie-nOr am l
| ashamed to confess that it was a very
| pleasant reverie-when | reached the
| top OF the hill upon which the castle
stood That hurried drive which Mr..
KeSteven and | had undertaken three
! days previously had obviously been for
| the purpose of executing the will. /
now asked myself the motive which
had induced him so to favor a casual
acquaintance. but l could find no an
swer save in the general eccentricity
of his conduct He had died without
relative, even without friend, as it
| appeared, and to that fact the mere ad-
dition of passing within, generated
possibly under stress of unknown
emotion, must suffice to explain his be-
havior. At that phrase of my own,
unknown emotion" l was pulled up
sharply once more. What was there at
the back Of all these homogeneous and
incomprehensible incidents? In the
current of these reflections l almost
rode over the innkeeper Hood by the
entrance of the park. He saluted me
deferentially, stepping aside to let me
pass and gliding noiselessly to open the
iron gates. At the sight of him the
lawyers statement as to the contents
of the will required to me, and refined
in, giving him good day.
This has been a sad business, SIR"
he ventured in his even tones
1 nodded, replying with some COM
monplace. ---