The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-03-18

just owa the patc G.at mind
me Go ahead w.'h g. Avy u. s.
mg."
"You-you dmt, onlcc to".-
Great scotL no! Ce' ew aH &c you
like"
Only after she was ort of sight dla
MIR Drviue rcniizc thHt here was an
other person whose prgseucc at Hpw-
inston Acres was not fully accounted
for. she could not up one of thu
servants He was sure of that. But
when you find Il person about Che
grounds of private house. apparent
Is quite ut home. and they reply when
asked if they live there, Not exact.
ly," wnat is one to infer? She couldn't
be a guest. Who was there for her
TO visit? Nor a boarder
STRIKES me | ought to take a cen
sus,' commented the Cherub.
Going back to the house. he rang a
bell rntil Eppings appeared, heavy
eyed and lugubrious.
breakfast ready yetY'
breakfast, sirI It's rather early,
sir. but
Early! It's the middle of the fore
noon. Go stir things up in the kitvh-
en-"
As Eppings departed the hall clock
chimed {. The Cherub glinncd. He
had not breakfasted at I for years. In
less than an hour. though, breakfast
was an accomplished fact. and MI
Devine, now soothed by one of his
black cigars, set out FOR Il more eN-
tended tour of the grounds. He dis
covered the path leading to the sound
and had spent some time on the porch
of the boathouse watching the steam
ers and cousting vessels crawl past
when Timmins came down. evidently
in search of him.
Maybe l didn't mention last night.
sir began Timmins suavely, any
thing about the HewingtonsT"
81 guess you didn't. Timmins"
"rhe fact is. sir, they haven't gone.
Haven't gone! Why. where are
they?'
Back at the house, sir. It's all on
account of the old lady, sir. Mr.. Hcw-
ington's sister. who has took SO bad
she couldn't he moved Perhaps r.
"Its all right. There's Mr.. Hewiug-
ton ana his sick sister, is there: That
aur'
And the Countess Vecchi. sir"
THE which, Mr.. Devne grabbed
the cigar from between his teeth ana
turned quickly on Timmins.
The Countess Necchi sir, as stayed
to look after the aunt. The countess is
the married daughter, sir. The counts
been dead two years, sir, and''-heIo
Timmins coughed apologetically be
hind his hand-"the HewingtOns wa'nt
precisely sorry to lose him."
Not bowling success, eh?'
Hardly, sir. The countess left lin
two hours after the wedding"
'She must be hummer" observed
the Cherub, and then rehectively
"Countesses are hardly in my line
Guess you can hook up pretty soon
| and drive me back to the station.
don't want to disturb the old lady"
Lord, sir, you won't see any Ct
them! No sooner did they hear you
| were coming than they moved into the
/ top floor of the east wing, and there
/ they've shut themselves mp like The
/ house was quarantined. Besides, sir
/ there isn't another express you coulL
/ get to the city until the 1913 tonight
oh well, there's plenty of time
/ then. Perhaps you'll be able to dig VI
some more reports before night"
Mr.. Devine was thinking of the
young person he had seen in the gar
den. 1t didn't matter who she was. OF
course, but it might be interesting tC
/ know.
The day passed, however, without
| further discoveries, although at amy
moment the Cherub was prepared Il
find himself confronted either by Mr.
HewingtOn or the countess or the
young woman of the roses or SONY
wholly unknown person.
He had seated himself for another
solitary and stately meal when Il bel
rang somewhere, and Eppings excused
| himself to answer it. Then ensued out
in the reception hall a whispered CON
versation, part of which Mr.. Devint
could hardly avoid hearing, although
he was certain it was not intended fol
his ears.
us that-that dreadful man il
! thereT asked voice.
Eppings reappeared to announce i'm
preSsively, The Countess Vecchi, sir.
"Oh, the DEVIL" Mr.. Devine grab
bed his napkin end from between The
second and third buttons of his waist
coat and dropped it across his ef
knee. He had vague notion that al
countesses were large, stout women
who wore crowns of some sort, ermint
trimmed robes and "A multitude O
rings.
Through the doorway stepped tn,
big eyed, slender young person whom
lac had seen before breakfast in tn,
garden. She wore neither crown mol
ermine robes. The braid of dark hail
had been transformed into simpl,
! Int o.Fn,tftrn gatffpu for tho LAM ,,r.