The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-03-23

country place, was it?
Fine thing, the country" solilo-
quized Mr.. Devine. 81 could spend
just about a week here-and then die
Of it,
He walked into the library. As he
did so he heard a muff1ed exclamation
and caught glimpse Of skirt whisk-
ing through a door. An easy chair
pulled up before an open bookcase
caught his eye.
Hello! l wonder who that was:"
He found push button on the jamb.
He put his thumb on it and waited.
Did you ring. sir?' asked a Sc
pulchral voice behind him.
Mr.. Devine jumped and turned to
see solemn faced butler.
demanded the Cherub.
mo one, sir"
Sure about that. are you?"
"Quite sure, sir
"Well, I'm not. Some one just skip
ped out of this room as / came in.
Who was it,
Likely one of the maids, SIR
do the maids have the run of the
bookcase, eh? She was sitting here"
Might have been the 'ousekeeper,
sir-Mrs. Timmins, SIR
shes a reader, is she? Well, tell
her not to be SO skittish next time.
1t gives me the fidgets."
The man had retreated as silently
and abruptly as he had come.
wonder il they're all that kind
commented the Cherub. Guess I'll
have to hang sleighbells on 'em if
want to dodge a case Of nerves."
Dropping into the easy chair, he be-
gan reading the titles on the backs Of
the volumes before him. So all these
books were his, were they: Well, that
was odd. Some day he might want to
do a little reading He had always
meant to, but
Something white on the floor be-
tween the chair and the wall caught
his eye. He stopped and picked up a
handkerchief. 1t was a dainty affair,
mostly lace, and there was an initial
in the corner, an embroidered V with
some sort of a little pointed crown
above it.
"H-m-m." said the Cherub. " can't
stand for Timmins.''
Having made this subtle deduction,
he pOcketed the handEerc hief and
started to look for the factotum who
was caretaker and superintendent and
whose wife was the housekeeper-
''Timmins,' said Mr.. Devine, what
sized force are we carrying:'
BEG pardon, sir, but Timmins
caught himself abruptly. "Oh, you
mean how many in help: Only five
now, sir, outside of me and Mrs. Tim
MINIS"
Give, eh-and two are seven? Let's
see the payroll, will your
Timmins produced an account book
in which were entered names, dates
and amounts. Mr.. Devine glanced
hastily through the list.
None Of 'em seem to have q V il
their Names" suggested the Cherub.
"a V, sir?' Timmins' blank look
was wholly convincing.
Maybe you never heard Of any one
whose name began with V, Tim
mins?'
"Oh, yes, sir. There was the Vena
bles, sir, as used to visit here, and
Volkenberg, who was one Of the gar
deners.''
THAT all?"
''There might be others, sir, if
could lay my tongue to-
Don't strain your memory. Tim.
Minis 1t doesn't matter
Yet when he had returned to the We
randa to resume his contemplation OF
| the wildly green lawn, over which
the tree shadows were now ieagthen
ing, he could not rid himself of the
| notion that somewhere about this big
| house, of which he was trying to con
! vince himself that he was the owner
J was a person who had not thus far
| been accounted for. Moreover, the
person was woman. Mr.. Devine
| moved uneasily in his chair
Mr.. Devine INDUCED in a chuckle
| at his own expense when he found
himself seated alone if the big din
! ing room, single plate laid al the big
| round table and the candlelight bare
~ suggesting the dim corners and the
| cavernOus fireplace. 1t was with q
sense of relief that he saw the butler
emerge from the gloom
Lets see, what's y0sr name:' be
asked Of this parsonage.
| e''Eppings, sir. Soup. sir:' Both re
| ply and question were dismal, Sc
pulchral in tone.
Yes, I'll have some soup. Grand
mother dead, is she|'
BEG pardon, SIR Eppings paused
| with his hand on the tureen cover.
Grandmother dead?" repeated Mr.
| Devine.
| she is, SIR
Thought SO. Mine Is too Blu,
| cheer up. You'll get over it,"
"Most hextraordinary man, the new
MASTER reported Eppings in the serv
ants quarters. Thinks I'm mourn
ing for my grandmother when, bless
me, the old lady's dead and gone these
twenty years."