The Tupelo journal., 1909-06-04
CHAPTER XlV.-Continued.

Casa Fuerte, San Francisco, Cal,
Wednesday.-Dear Husband: This
heading may surprise you. But we are
making a visit to Mr.. Anthony Arnold
(the Arnold's SOM in his beautiful
house in the suburbs of the city. 1t
was far more convenient for me at
the Palace where / found Mrs. Wig
ellsworth most attentive and congen-
ial and found some great bargains; but
you know l can not be false to my
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 Mr..
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 n spend a
couple of weeks with him, | could not
very we'll refuse. Though a stranger
to me, he is not to auntie or BERTHE.
The house is his own, left him by his
mother, who died not very long ago.
AT first, | remained at the Palace with
BERTHE and Archie; BERTHE seemed so
disturbed at the idea of my going and
Aunt Rebecca was very liberal, in
sisting that | 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 ]. S.. to Casa Fuerte
(Strong House-and you would call
it well-named could 0 see it; it is a
massive structurei) while we others
remained until Sunday. On account
of what | have limited in regard to the
designs of a certain lady | was not
sorry to have BERTHE under another
roof. He has a fortune of his OWE
you know, and a reputation as well.
Wealth and position at one blow GER
tainly would appeal to her, In obscure
dependent probably of no family Git is
not a romantic name), and BERTHE is
very well-bred and rather handsome
with his black eyebrows and gray hair
and aQuiline nose. | have been very,
very worried, but | feel relieved as to
that. Melville, she 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. / asked the doctor-of course,
very delicately-and he said: We'll,
not exactly, but" and smiled very
c~onfidentially, and begged me not to
mention Mr.. 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 it to
a soul, will you? OF course | haven't
seen the invalid; but I've seen his
valet, who is very English; and l have
seen his nurse. Who do you suppose
she is? Janet Smith! Yes; you know
she has been a trained nurse. Wal
there ever a more artful creature! But
Mr.. X. is one of my affairs; he will
have to save himself or be lost. Once
she is his wife we are safe from that
designing woman. / am quite willing
to admit his danger and her fascina-
ton. Now, Melville, for once admit
that cal be just to a woman whom l
dislike.
This house is sumptuous; I've a love
ly bathroom and a beautiful huge
closet with a window. 1t must have
cost a mint of money. l have been
told that Arnold pere made a 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 ! 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. / wish you
could see the bas-reliefs and the