The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-09-29

should 20 at once to my room and
have supper there.
Tomorrow we will discuss duties
and arrangements" she said. In fluent
English, tonight rest 1 will show
you TO your room, Miss Tremayne."
So saying. she swept across 20 a door
near the fireplace, and / followed her.
Just as 1 was passing the fireplace
the gentleman, who had all this time
been standing there IN silence, stopped
a little toward me, and said, In low,
intense whisper, and In English" For
Heavens sake get out OF this place"
I half paused. gazing az him IN
Amusement. but he was already back
In his original position, looking in
differently across the room, and APP
parently unaware OF my existence.
Could ] have been mistaken? Had he
not spoken7 I cast another hurried
glance In his direction. then Fastening
after the countess.
The chill OF doubt descended on me
again, with a sick remembrance that
I could not take advantage OF his
warning-if Il had been a warning
for had not the wherewithal 10 trav-
ei back across Europe again, even II
1 wished TO do so. My doubts were
dispelled, however, when / saw the
two beautiful little rooms prepared for
me. and when the countess said, Sra-
cIously:
Il hope you will be very happy
here, my dear: we shsll do our best to
make you So Then leaving me in
the care OF a iy-locking maid,
she departed.
Katinka, the maid. did her best for
my comfort; she br ought me my sup
per. helped me unpack. and chatted
20 ME gaIly In the queerest possible
mixture OF German and English.
once or twice, in the course Of con-
versation. she mentioned the count,
and remembering the impasstve gentie-
man downstairs and his strange whis-
pei, said at last:
mo doubt 1t was the count I saw
with the countess when 1 arrived"
Katinks stared at me, a look OF
frozen horror on her face "Himmel,
no." she exclaimed "It-the-I beg
the gracious fraulein's pardon, but
that gentleman Is the secretary-the
German secretary"
I0en the COUNT Il utAdAls LnN
broke Off. startled by the white terror
on the maids speaking countenance.
The count lives always In his own
wing of the CASTLE" she said CURLY,
and not another word did she utter
during the rest of the time she spent
in my room.
The count is evidently unpopular
mused When left to myself, 1 began
to prepare for bed, having first locked
the door into the corridor, and looked
very carefully in every Granny and
corner OF the room. 1 paused finally
at the window. and drawing back the
blind, looked out. The castle was evil
IDENTIFY built on the very edge Of a rock.
for standing inside my room, could
with greatest ease have flung a stone
into those black depths below.
shrank back from the window, trem-
bling all over. the words the secretary
had whispered echoing in my ears:
For heavens sake's get out Of this
place.
slept soundIy: the morning sunlight
dispelled my fears, and the normal as
pect of the breakfast. at which I met
the secretary and the countess. made
me laugh at my terrors of the night.
My duties. as explained by the count
ess, seemed light indeed. and my spIr-
its rose rapidly Once in the course Of
the meal my eyes met those of the
secretary, Herr Schmidt. and some
thing In their earnest scrutiny brought
back to me his strange words OF the
previous night But he looked away
again at once, and his apparent indif-
ference to my presence convinced me
1 had been mistaken. In one or two
glances I shot at him could not de-
termine whether liked or 6is1ked his
face.
That day passed uneventfully, and I
went to bed with all my doucts entire
ly at rest fell asleep quickly, and
do not know how long I had slept
wnen ] was suddenly reused into full
wakefulness by the sound Of voices
outside my door
Il think she viii certainly do. The