Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-08-03


After an hour spent in unpacking I
went out into the grounds. I thought
Il well to wire Pickering OF my arrival.
and ! set out for Annandale to send
him a telegram.
| found the gate through wlfch we
had entered the grounds the night be-
fore without difficulty. and started of
in an amiable state OF mind. My per-
plexity over the mysterious shot was.
passing away under the benign in
fluences OF blue sky and warm sun.
shine. A few farm folk passed me in
the highway and saluted me in the
fashion of the country, inspecting my
knickerbockers at the same time with
frank disapproval. When l reached
the lake ] gazed out upon its quiet
waters with satisfaction. At the foot
OF Annandale's main street was a
dock where several small steam craft
and number OF catboats were being
dismantled for the winter. ASH passed
man approached the dock in a skin
landed and tied his boat. He passed
at quick pace. then turned and eyed
me with rustic directness.
Good morning." said. Any ducks
about?"
He paused. nodded and fell into step
with me.
~No.-nOt enough to pay for the
trouble
I'm sorry for that I'd hoped to.
pick up few"
Il guess you're stranger in these,
parts" he remarked. cycling me again.
my knickerbockers no doubt mark
ing me as an alien.
quite so. My name is Glenarm
and I've just come"
Il thought you might be him. We've
rather been expecting you here in the
village. I'm John Morgan. caretaker
OF the resorters' houses up the lake"
Il suppose YOU all knew my grand
father hereabouts."
We'll. yes; you might say rs vso
did. or you might say as we didn't. He
wasn't just the sort that you got next
to in hurry. He kept pretty muca
70 himself. He built a wall there to
keep us out. but he needn't have trou-
bled himself. We're not the kind
around here 70 NEEDLE. and YOU may
be sure the summer people never both
cred him"
There was tone OF resentment in
his voice. and FASTENED 10 say:
I'm sure you're mistaken about the
purposes OF that wall. My grandfather
was student OF architecture Il was
hobby OF his. The house and wall
were in the line Of his experiments.
and TO please his whims. I hope the
people Of the village won't hold any
hard feelings against his memory or
against me. Why. the labor there
must have been a good thing for the
people hereabouts"
1T ought TO have been" said the
man gruhly: but that's where the
trouble comes In. He brought a lot OF
queer fellows here under contract to
work for him. Italians. or Greeks. or
some sort OF foreigners. They built
the wall. and he had EN- at work In
side for half a year. He didn't even
let EN- out for air; and when they
finished his job he loaded 'em on to a
train ono day and hauled EN- away"
That was quite like him. I'm sure
1 said. remembering with amusement
my grandfather's secretive ways.
Il guess he was a crank all right"
said the man conclusively.
IL was evident that he did not care
20 establish friendly relations with the
resident OF Glenarm He was about 40.
light, with a yellow beard and pale
blue eyes. He was dressed roughly
and wore a shabby soft hat
We'll, ! suppose I'll have 70 assume
responsibility for him and his acts" I
remarked, pIqued by the fellows surli-
ness
We had reached the center OF the vii
lage, and he left me abruptly. cross
ing the street 20 one Of the shops. I
continued on 20 the railway station.
where / wrote and paid for my mes
sage The station master inspected
me carefully as / searched my pockets
for change.
You want your kilograms delivered
, at the house2" he asked
yes, please" I answered. and he
turned away 10 his desk OF clicking in
! struments without looking at me again.
1t seemed wise 20 establish relations
with the postofhce. so l made myself
known TO the girl who stood at the de-
livery window.
You already have box" she ad-
vised me. There's a boy carries the
mail to your house: Mr.. Bates hires
him"
Bates had himself given me this in
formation, but the girl seemed to find
pleasure in imparting it with a GER
tain severity. / then bought a cake OF
soap at the principal drug store and
purchased a package OF smoking to-
bacco, which l did not need, at a
grocery.
News Of my arrival had evidently
| reached the villagers; I was conceited
enough to imagine that my presence
was probably OF interest TO them; but
the station master, the girl at the post
! Office and the clerks in the shops
treated me with an unmistakabIe cold
| reserve. There was a certain even
ness OF the chill with which they Wis
fled me. as though particular degree
of frigidity had been agreed on in adj
vance
shrugged my shoulders and turned
| toward Glenarm. My grandfather had
| left me cheerful legacy OF distrust
| among my neighbors. the result, prob
ably. of importing foreign labor to