Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-03-27

D. stone gateposts and Timmins remark ed cheerfully, Here we are, sir" At the last curve of the driveway the trees seemed suddenly to open, ana there sprang into view the low roofed, many widowed, much awninged "cot- tage," with it's porte-cochere, servants annex, glass roofed conservatories and deep verandas.
 "ShOw you through the house first, sir" suggested Timmins.
 Might as well"
 Mr. Devine was lighting a black ci- gar. This accomplished, he followed Timmins into the darkeped vista of hall and through the large rooms. As Bulkins had assured him, the place was fully furnished, There were chairs, tables, rugs, books, pictures, even freshly cut flowers in the vases "Upstairs now, sir?"
 ooh, l guess the upstairs II keep. Let's have look at the stable."
 Inside of half an hour the Cherub was smoking lonesomely on the front veranda, trying to summon a sense of ownership which it seemed to him i'm possible that he could ever achieve.
 Usually man much given to si- lence, even among his intimates MT. Devine now felt that he wanted to to1 Tbn ctiIlpocc yyoS nnnraSSiua Co this was what it was like to own country place, was it?
 "Fine thing, the country" solilo- quiZed Mir Devine. q could spend just about a week here-and then die of it."
 He walked into the library As he did so he heard muffled exclamation and caught q glimpse of a skirt whisk- ing through a door. An easy chair pulled up before an open bookcase caught his eye.
 Hello! l wonder who that wasp
 He found push button on the jamb. He put his thumb on it and waited.
 Did you ring, sirT" asked se- pulchral voice behind him.
 MT. Devine jumped and turned to see solemn faced butler.
 "Who else would ring if l didn't?" demanded the Cherub.
 "No one, sir"
 "Sure about that, are you"
 "Quite sure, sir"
 "Well, Pm not. Some one just skip pf 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"
 "She's reader, is she? Well, tell her not to be so skittish next time. It gives me the fidgets."
 The man had retreated as silently and abruptly as he had come.
 "Wonder if they're all that kind" commented the Cherub. Guess I'll have to hang sleighbells on 'em if want to dodge 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 handkerchief It was 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.
 stand for Timmins."
 Having made this subtle deduction, he pocketed the handkerchief and started to look for the factotum who was caretaker and superintendent and whose wife was the housekeeper.
 "Timmins," said Mir. 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 mins."
 "Five, eh-and two are seven? Let's see the payroll, will you?"
 Timmins produced an account book in which were entered names, dates and amounts. MT. Devine glanced hastily through the list.
 "None of 'em seem to have V in 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 Vollenberg, who was one of the gar deners."
 That all?"
 "rhere might be others, sir, if l could lay my tongue to-
 Don't strain your memory, Tim mins. It doesn't natter"
 Yet when he had returned to the ve- randa to resume his contemplation of the ViyillV green lawn over which