The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-05-23

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We passed through the gloomy
salon. A damp, musty odor struck my
sense OF smell. ! was positive that the
castle was uninhabited, save for this
night Three candles burned on the
mantel giving to the gloom mystic
rious, palpitating effect The room
beyond was the dining-room, richly
paneled in wne.colored mahogany.
This was better; it was cheerful A
log cracked in the fireplace There
were plenty of candles. There was 81
piano, too. This belonged to the cas-
tie; a heavy tarpaulin covering lay
heaped at one side There was a ma.
hogany sideboard that would have
sent collector of antiques into rap
lures and a table upon which lay the
remains of fine supper My mouth
watered. | counted over the good
things: roast pheasant, pink ham, a
sea-food salad, asparagus, white bread
and unsalted butter, an alcoholburner
over which hung a teapot, and besides
all this there was a pint of La Rose
which was but half-cmpticd Have
you ever been in the saddle half a
day? If you have, You will readily
appreciate the appetite that was war
ring with my curiosity.
Eat" bade she who was called
Gretchen, shortly
And my horse?"
where is it?"
Tied to a tree by the gate"
She struck a Chinese gong. From
the kitchen appeared an elderly servi-
tor who looked to me more fitted to
at least, the scar on his cheek inn
pressed me with this idea q found
out later that he was an old soldier,
who lived alone in the castle as care
taker J
Take this gentlemans horse to the
stables and feed him. said Gretchen.
You will find the animal by the gate
With a questioning glance at me the
old fellow bowed and made off.
sat down, and the two women
brought the various plates and placed
them within reach. Their beautiful
hands flashed before my eyes and now
and then sleeve brushed my shoul-
der.
Thank you" l murmured. 81 will
eat first, and then make my apologies.
This remark caught the fancy of
Gretchen She laughed 1t was the
same laughter had heard while stand
Ing in the great hall,
"Wll YOU drink tea, or would you
prefer to finish this BordeauX%' she
asked pleasantly.
"The wine if you please; otherwise
the effect of the meal and the long
hours in the wind will produce sleep
mess And it would be frightfully dis
courteous on my part to fail asleep in
my chair ! am very hard to awake"
The English girl poured out the
wine and passed the goblet to me. |
touched my lips to the glass, and bent
my head politely Then | resoiutely
proceeded to attack the pheasant and
ham. / must prove to these women
that at least l was honest in regard to
my hunger. ! succeeded in causing a
formidable portion Of the food to dis
appear
And then 1 noticed that neither of
the young women seated herself while
ate. ! understood. There was no
hostility in this action; nothing but
formality They declined to sit in the
presence of an unwelcome stranger
thus deaying his equality from a So
cial point of view. | readily accepted
this decision on their part. They
didn't know who | was, They stood
together by the fireplace and carried
Gn conversation in low tones.
How shall | describe them? The
elder Of the two, the one who seemed
to possess all the authority, could not
have been more than 20. Her figure
was rather matured, yet it was deli
cate Her hair was tawny. her skin
olive in shade and richly tinted at the
cheekboncs. Her eyes, half framed
by thick, black-archmg brows, remind
ed me of woodland pools in the dusk
OF the evening,-depths unknown. COOL
refreshing in repose The chin was
resolute, the mouth was large but
shapely and brilliant, the nose pos
sessed the delicate nostrils character
istic of all sensitive beings-that is to
say, thoroughbreds; altogether con
fusing, bewildering beauty. AT one
moment | believed her to be Latin, at
the next | was positive that she was
Teutonic | could not discover sin
gle weak point unless impulsiveness
shall be called weakness; this sign of
impulsiveness was visible in the lips.
The other-well. | couldn't help it,
II was Kismet, fate the turn in the
road, what you Will, | fell heels over
head in love with her at once. She
was charming exquisite. one of those
delicate creatures who always appear
in entertainments: a Bouguereau child
grown into womanhood, made to fit
the protecting frame of a mans arms.
Love steals into the heart when we
least expect him; and before we are
aware, the sly little god has unpaeked
his trunk and taken possession!
Eyes she had as blue as the Algean
sec on windy days, blue as the cloud
Wlnnowed sky of a winters twilight,
blue as sapphires--Irish eyes Her
hair was as dark and silken as plume
from the wings of night (Did not
say that | had some poetry in my sys-
tem?) The shape OF her mouth
Never mind; | can recall only the mad
desire to kiss II, A graceful figure, a
proud head, slender hand foot so
small that wondered II II really