The Mena weekly star., 1909-06-03

Vile, 1 am almost sure that Miss J. s..---- Is at the bottom of 1t. whatever the mystery Is. am almost sure that not content with blackmailing and plundering auntie. Miss s---- Is now making dead set at poor, blind, sim ple-hearted Bertiei I have reasons which haven't time to enumerate. Bertie will hardly hear a word of criticism of her patiently; in fact, ! have ceased to criticise her to him or to Aunt Rebecca-ah. 1t Is a lonely, lonely lot to be clear-sighted: but noblesse oblige. But often during the last few days have thought that Cas- sandra wasn't enough pitied
 Your aff wife, NJ
 THE SAME TO THE SAME.
 Casa Fuerte, San Francisco. Cal. Wednesday.-Dea Husband: This heading may surprise you. But we are making a visit to No. Anthony Arnold (the Arnold's sonl in his beautiful house in the suburbs of the city Ii was far more convenient for me at the Palace where I found Mrs. Wig ellsworth most attentive and congen ial and found some great bargains; but you know l can not be false to m, Trust. To watch Aunt Rebecca Win ter (without seeming to watch, of course, for the aged always resent the care which they need) is my chief object in this trip; therefore when Mir. Arnold (whose father she knows, but the old gentleman is travelling in Eu- rope with his married daughter and her family) when the young Arnold urged us all to come and spend a couple of weeks with him, l could not very we'll refuse. Though a stranger to me, he Is not to auntie or Bertie. The house is his OWL, left him by his mother, who died not very long ago At first, remained at the Palace with Bertie and Archie; Bertie seemed so disturbed at the idea of my going and Aunt Rebecca was very liberal, in sisting that I was just as much her guest as before, it was only she who was running away; and the end of it was (she has such a compelling per sonality, you know) that she went with Randall and J. S. to Casa Fuerte (Strong House-and you would call 1t well-nnmed could you see 1t; 1t is a massive structureD while we others remained until Sunday. On account of what have hinted in regard to the designs of a certain lady I was not sorry to have Bertie under another roof. He has a fortune of his OWE you know. and a reputation as well Wealth and position at one blow cer tainly would appeal to her, an obscure dependent probably of no family Git is not romantic name), and Bertie is very well-bred and rather handsome with his black eyebrows and gray hair and aquiline nose. I have bcci.s T5ry. very worried, but feel relieved as to that Melville, sine is flying at higher game. In this house Is a multimillion- aire, in fact the fourth richest man in the United States, Edwin s. Keatch- am. He is ill-probably with appendi- citis, which seems to be the common lot. I asked the doctor--of course, very delicately-and he said Well, not exactly, but" and smiled very confidentially, and begged me not to mention MT. Keatcham's illness or even that he was in the house. You know" he said, that when these great financiers sneeze, the stock-market shakes; so absolute secrecy, please. my dear madam" Don't mention 1t to a soul, will you? Of course l haven't seen the invalid; but I've seen his valet, who is very English; and have seen his nurse. Who do you suppose she is? Janet Smith! Yes; you know she has been trained nurse. Was there ever more artful creature! But Mir. K. is none of my affairs; he will have to save himself or be lost. Once she is his wife we are safe from that designing woman. I am quite willing to admit his danger and her fascina- tion. Now, Melville, for once admit that can be just to a woman whom I dislike.
 This house Is sumptuous; I've love ly bathroom and a beautiful huge closet with a window. It must have cost mint of money. I have been told that Arnold pere made present of.it to his wife; he let the architect and her draw all the plans of it, but he insisted on attending to the con struction himself; he said he was not going to have any contract work or "scamping," such as I am reliably in formed has been common in these tow ering new buildings in San Francisco; he picked out all the materials him self and inspected the inspector It has what they call reinforced con crete" and all the beams. etc, are steel and the lower story is enormous ly thick as to walls, in the genuine Mission style. He said he built for earthquakes. The house is all in the Spanish hidalgo fashion. I wish you could see the bas-reliefs and the carved furniture with cane seats of the seventeenth century, all genuine; and the stamped leather and the iron grille work-rejas they call it--all copied from famous Spanish models from To ledo; you know the ancient Spaniards were renowned for their rejas The pictures are fiue-all Spanish: l don't know half the names of the artists. but they are all old and imposing and some of them wonderfully preserved. The electric lights are all in the shape of lanterns. The patio, as they call the court around which the house is built. reminded me of the court in Mrs. Gardiner's palace in Boston, only 1t was r,nt rc. nr.,,rdnd .uifh 1,hiocfc and fha