Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-05

By his side stood Hood.
 "No," he said; but, with Mir. Create reX's permission, the other gentleman shall entertain us."
 T fancy" he continued, smiling ''that Hood is not a stranger to the castle ways, and he makes good wait er."
 The idea tickled me. Let us have Hood by all means" I said. T had an excellent character for him from MT. Kesteven."
 q will bring Hood," said the captain gravely and, taking up his hat, made to go.
 The dinner was set for o'clock, and I fancy that all three looked forward to it with considerable expectation. Sercombe arrived punctual to the hour, and little later I entered the morning room to meet him. He sat in chair, lounging very cozily, light overcoat covering his evening dress, and by his side stood Hood, also in the orthodox costume and looking, as I could not help noticing, uncommonly spruce and servant-like. .. s...n.t...*. ! q am here, MT. GreatoreX, to the moment" said Sercombe in his leisure ly voice, "and I go bail that I have brought you an invaluable ally. With your permission, Hood will now retire to the kitchen"
 The innkseper insensibly straight ened himself, standing to attention like graven image, and I signed my as- sent
 "This is entirely your affair, Captain Sercombe," said I, ''and you may do what you like with your own proper t.ty." turned to Hood. You will find Mrs. Main in the servants hall," said
 With his gliding. serpentine tread, Hood made motion of respect and vanished Sercombe stared after him, meditating. and gnawed his mustache ! with frown, which seemed to me to indicate certain touch of perpleXity. But he frightened at once and talked very freely and in his old manner till dinner was served. The interior sig nificance of our dinner party would not have been visible to a stranger. For the main part, that preliminary skir- mish was occupied by conversation the most distant from the subject we all had at heart It was Sercombe himself who set the example of reserve, and we followed meekly enough When I say reserve am thinking only of one : particular point. for heaven knows that i his talk was sufficiently frank upon other topics. As had occasion to take note now and subsequently, the man was by nature framed for good talk ' CT, and. although he had every preju- dice against him, and started, so to speak. with a great handicap, he soon wore down the feelings with which we embarked upon the entertainment And 1t was not until we had broached sort of good fellowship and the even- ing was far spent that anything hap pened to mar our growing harmony. i It fell ont thus: Sercombe himself had just concluded an amusing narra- tive of his experiences among the brig ands of Calabria, and Sheppard re- sumed the conversation with an ad- venture of his own. The evening had fallen dark and cloudy. and amid the starlike candles that illumined the room the dark figure of Hood moved noisclessly and constantly. had heard this story of Sheppard's. which. indeed. was not very exciting. and my mind. swaying from it's polite duty. rested unconsciously upon the new inn keeper As watched him saw the two men exchange glances-an inter- rogating look upon sercombe's part, a baflIng and inscrutable look from Hood. There followed an instant's pause. and then the man approached the master with the pretext of a dish. Sercombe spoke low and across his shoulder. nervously exploring the con- tents of the dish with a spoon. Hood said nothing and. raising his eyes. soft ly fixed them upon me at the other end of tine table. For a moment we regard cd each other luminousIy, and then his glance fell politely away. SercOmbe still whispered and. thought. with q growing anxiety. It was time for me tO interfere
 Captain SercOmbe.- cried sharply. breaking upon the tail of Sheppari's yarn. these communications are not included in the compact
 The captain started. and his face red deBed deeper. but he was always 6 cool hand
 T must ask yOu to remember. Mir Greatorex-- said he suavely. that 1 am your guest
 That Es true.- said Sheppard. nod ding his head
 sercOmfse looked at me with some aSpeTity-
 T think sir said he- that I1 tho circumstances rog viI see fhaf you have oveEStepF-e1 the p-IvHeSss of sea- tIe-ea.-
 STbe vsr5 i< hardly in the case sET-k we ae se-sed thzt il is as th5eTes