The independent-reporter., 1909-10-07
CHAPTER VIII.
THE MAN FROM BRoDNEY's.

ioIe inc i'cppluBuuhls SurfeH
dered to the Brownies. They
- We're obliged to humbly admit
In the seclusion of their own councils
that 1t was to the obnoxious but en-
ergetic Britt that they owed their pres
ent and ever growing comfort.
Late In the afternoon of the day fol
lowing the advent Of the Brownies
Lord and Lady Deppingham were la
boriously tanning themselves In the
midst of their sitting Marie Antoinette
elegance.
"By Jove, Aggy, it's too beastly ho
here for words" growled he for the
hundredth time. II think we'd better
move into your grandfathers rooms
Nov, Deppy. don't let the Brownies
talk you into everything they suggest,
she complained, determined to be stub
born to the end. "They know entirely
too much"
That's all very good, my dear, but
you know quite as well as that We
made a frightful mistake In choosing
these rooms 1t Is cooler on that side
Of the house. Pm not too proud to be
comfortable. don't you know"
The next day they moved into the
west wing. and that evening they had
the Brownies to dine with them In the
banquet hall. Deppingham awoke In
the middle of the night with violent
cramps In his stomach.
Don't say a word to Lady Depping
ham," he grunted. sitting up In bed
and gazing wildly at his valet "but
I've been poisoned. The serv
ants-ouchi-don't you know! Nigh,
have known. Silly ass! See what
meanP Get something for me-quickr
For two hours Antoine applied ho1
water bags and soothing sirups, and
his master, far from dying as he con
tinually prophesied, dropped Off into Q
peaceful sleep.
The next morning Deppingham, fully
convinced that the native servants haG
tried to poison him, Internationally dis
charged the entire force.
OF course there was a great upheav
al. Lady Agnes came tearing down t.
the servants hall, followed directly by
the Brownies and Mr.. Britt
"Stopp' she cried. "Deppy, wha,
are you doing? Discharging then
after we've had such a time getting
them? Are you crazyr
They're a pack Of snakes-I NEAR
sneaks. They're assassins. They tried
to poison every one Of us last
Britt smoothed the troubled waters
with astonishing ease. The servants
returned to their duties. but not with
out grumbling and no end Of savage
glances. all Of which were leveled al
the luckless Deppingham.
why poison?" demanded Britt
They've got knives and guns, haven'i
theyP
my dear man. that would put them
to no end Of trouble cleaning up after
u.s." said Deppingham loftily.
Meanwhile 1t may be well to depict
the situation from the enemy's point
Of view-the enemy being the islanders
as unit. They were prepared tt
abide by the terms Of the will 80 long
as 1t remained clear to them that fail
treatment came from the opposing In
terests. Rasula, the Arafat lawyer, ir
mass meeting had discussed the docu
ment. They understood its require
ments and its restrictions: they knew
by this time that there was small
pho n% hn Inn aot 4
coming into the property under the
provisions. Later came the news thai
marriage between the heirs was out OF
the question. Then the islanders
laughed as they toiled. But they were
not to be caught mapping. Jacob yor
Blitz, the superintendent, stolid Ger
man that he was. saw far into the fu
ture. 1t was he who set the native
lawyer unceremoniOusly aside and urg
ed competent representation in Lon
don. The great law firm headed by
Sir John Brodney was chosen. A wide
awake representative Of the distln
guished solicitors was now on his way
to the island with the swarthy com
mittee which had created 30 much In
terest in the metropolis during its
brief stay.
Jacob Won Blitz came to the island
when he was twenty years old. Thai
was twenty years before the death OF
Taswell Skaggs. He had worked ir
the South African diamond fields and
had no difficulty in securing employ
ment with Skaggs and Wyckholme.
Won Blitz was shrewd enough to see
that the grandchildren were not com
ing to the island for the mere pleasure
Of sojourning there; their motive wal
plain. 1t was he who advised-ever
commanded-the horde of servants tt
desert the chateau.
He lived, with his three wives. ir