Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-08

Landlord OF the Boy who standing idly by the
below
NO." faltered the Boy. 81 forgot-but it's so
late now, I'll let them stay in till tomorrow"
You'll do no such thing" answered the Land
lord 60 take them out at once-at once. Do
you near? and I'm coming, too, to see if you have
done it,
The Little Girl, who stood by shuddered She
always shuddered when she heard this order. 1t
had such cruel ring to it. 1t sounded to her
as if something alive was to be mutiated, whereas
1t only meant the removal of the two lamps that
were nightly placed behind the glass lenses that
served as eyes to the big painted figure of an
1bex that stood on the stone balcony above the
entrance.
These lamps were brilliant red; so the glare
OF the Ibex Inn was many mile off-a
pleasing sight to belated tourists eager for the
hosts welcome, cracking fire, hot supper and
good bed, but chilling, weird spectacle to those
and they were not few,-who recalled what
they had heard of its room with strange noises
The Inn stood halfway up the mountain side a.
convenient hostery for the curious travellers Jour-
neying to the grandeur of the far up, snowcapped
heights, and for those well who, sated with it's
sol1tudes, were returning to the world below of
valleys, cities and men.
The permanent guests at the Inn were few The
man from the North; the Invalid Lady: the Lit
tie Girl Cher eight year daughter) and the Count
de Vrausedok. The Boy, too, was always there
but he was not guest he was the Landlords
messenger, and spent much of his time by the Of
lice window, looking down into the valley below
and much-when sent an errand-playing with
the big mastiff pups that sprawled about on the
terrace.
The fact that the permanent boarders were
few, would have been a matter of small conse-
quence to the Landlord-had his house been al
ways filled with dodgers; but it was not. One
room in 1T was always empty, save when occupied
by the Count.
The Count said he did not mind the strange
noises he heard in it of nights,-but others did,
and so it came about that the Landlord never put
anyone else in it.
The Count was away good deal sometimes as
much as month or six weeks at time, but made
no secret of his whereabouts during these abb
sences.
He was frequenter of the tables at Monte
Carlo he said, and the handsome diamonds he wore
in his shirt front, and general prodgality with
money, impressed one with the belief that he was
a steady winner at the games
He talked a great deal-along certain lines,-
of fine appearance, and barring a re-
dundency of jewels, always well dressed. He set
much store in the comeliness of his face and said
he had frequently been told that he looked like
Emperor William, though no one to whom he re-
peated this remark could see any resemblance
save in the color, and his style of wearing a
heavy mustache.
The look of his eye was not pleasant-a glance
of effrontery, succeeded by indirectness and final
lowering of the lids. His general bearing was
that of count who held himself in high esteem
and withal had an air of pronounced superiority
With this superiority he impressed the Land
lord-the Boy, and nearly everyone about him.
the moment he entered the house.
The Boy amusingly alert, watching with un
tiring eyes, for his ORDERS and the Landlord was
was more nervous than ever, and the man from
ha NORTH Sil ali