Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-26


slightest curiosity about him. She had
not asked him where he was going OF
how he CHANGED to be alighting from q
train at Uranium Station. He was
piqued, now that he thought of It.
After what he. had done for her, she
might at least have asked a question
or two.
However. Van Tasel gave the coach
man a coin and dismissed him. Then
he went into the lonely little depot,
where the night operator was clicking
away in his mysterious language.
"Will you direct me to a hotel?" he
said, taking his suitcase from the floor
where he had left it.
Hotel" said the operator, in aston
ishment. You don't expect TO find a
hotel here, do your"
IF l hadn't" said Van Tasel, In
some heat, do you suppose l would
have paid your confounded rail- oa j
to haul me out here? What do you
think l came here for-to sleep in the
road?"
I'm sure l don't know what brought
you here, sir. | can't imagine what
would bring a sane man to a place
like this. AS to sleeping in the road,
you'll find your bed so.t tonight"
Van Tasel now recalled, suddenly,
dining car had been crowded on his
way out from New York, and when he
had had a chance to get a seat at a
table the time was too short. He felt
a rising resentment toward Miss Bolt
wood for letting him go away hungry.
No doubt she was sitting down at that
very moment to a savory repast, while
he
He turned to the operator in anger
again.
"See here" he demanded, lis there
a restaurant in the internal town."
mo-" responded the man, there
isn't even a town."
'"Then why the devil do you stop
your trairg here? Why do you dump
people = in such spot?"
&c there are few people who live
p ind on the hills. but only cranks
and folks like old Darius DeWitte.
who built Uranium CASTLE"
"DeWitte? l thought the name was
Boltwood!"
"Old lady Boltwood and her daugh-
ter live there now, but DeWitte built
it, He's dead long since. He made
ten millions on Wall street. He thought
he was czar of America and he laid
out a castle"
"Crazy?" asked Van Tasel. I'D es
Wall street affect them that way?"
YES, sooner or later. Ola DeW1tte
kept getting crazier and crazier. For
a while folks thought 1t was funny,
seeing him spend his whole fortune on
a castle, but when he killed three men
and wounded six others before they got
him out, it wasn't quite so com cal.
He had 200 servants and one day he
ordered ten of them beheaded because
he said they were spies. When the 9TH
ers refused to cut off their heads the
old man commenced to shoot. They
all ran away--at least those that could
and 1t took pretty nearly a regiment
to dislodge the old fellow. He locked
himself up in one of the towers. AT err
ward folks called the place Cracked
Uranium Castle but that was too long,
so it got to be Uranium
'And the Boltwoods?' asked Van
Tasel.
"Oh, l guess they're crazy, too, or
they wouldn't live in a haunted old
castle that is crazy itse'f. They came
here last winter from Paris, or London,
or Naples, I forget which. Anyway.
they came from Europe. They've got
barrels of money, but they're mum,
both of 'em.
"At first the rest of the folks that
live around here thought there'd be
great doings up at the castle after the
Boltwoods bought it, but they haven't