The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-08-09

at last. Heavens! How horrible it
had been! The stirling heat-the dust
and smoke! Zelstadt lay there as
peaceful as 1t had lain twenty years
ago-prosperous and rich, owing to the
wisdom of its councsllors.
Just in time, Matthias, his old coach
man drew the horses up.
Pardon. sir. but the train is pune
tual today"
Matthias had evidently not allowed
for such an accident.
well hoy is everything getting ony'
George was about to ask. but stopped
suddenly. What was the good of such
q question when he knew? He just
nodded to Matthias 1T does not mat
ter! The train Is only just In
Matthias left the box and got up be-
hind in the servants place. The loung
master would drive himself. In the
old times Mat had always been allowed
to sit beside his master, who had re-
sented him with cigars from the town
and had listened to all the news. To
day he must sit behind-neglected.
alone condemned to silence, and Ma
thas' heart was very sad.
They reached the first village.
Geese. hens, and children. all playing
together in the dust, fled away into
safety. Dogs barked at the wheels,
accompanied the carriage q little way,
then stopped behind with pleasant
consciousness of duty fulfilled. The
peasants lifted their hats-it was not
George they greeted. They took off
their hats to the yellow carriage-to
Matthias blue livery, as their fathers
had done before them-to another vel
low carriage and another blue livery.
expecting no notice of thanks in re-
turn. In those times another Baron
Mouson held the reins. To them 1t
was all the same, their greeting was
for the whole race.
George turned sharply to the right
In the middle of the fourth village,
turned into q park, and drew up be-
fore his own door.
Without noticing Matthias, he STROBE
up the ten steps leading to the house.
Matthias wife, formerly cook to his pa.
rents. came to meet him. He returned
her greeting with short nod.
The business must be got through
as quickly as possible, and with as lit
tie pain to himself. There was long,
dull document to be read, that two
suspicious lawyers had prepared, both
eager to get the better Of the other.
Tomorrow, he would sign, his name to
It. and that would finish the mat.
h@ h,rr al
fathers house-the memories of his
childhood-yes, and with them his wor
ries and debts-all buried, as II they
had never existed.
Here was the study, and on the right
OF the hall was his nursery. Just time
enough before dinner for a walk in
the park. .-.
George stepped out from the draw
ing room onto a little terrace above
the garden where in the old days they
used to drink coffee. On either side
great fir trees stretched out their
branches towards each other like low
ers. eternally parted, who had escaped
from the woods surrounding the park
George wandered aimlessly about
x1C SIAO 14Cu dAOu6 IAO SAOoChut olh ~
the rose garden. where the gaudy as
tiers faded into insignificance. He
heard the gong sound for his dinner
Matthias wife had prepared it for him
and it ought to have pleased him.
1.-THE meal before the execution" hi
thought grimly. and he could hardly
swallow a mouthful. He sat quite
alone at the head of the table. round
which so many OF them had sat gail,
in the days Of his youth.
What had become of all those WHIT
had once sat there? What would the,
think il they knew he was going t.
sell the home of his ancestors? Hi!
eyes rested on the shelf that ran round
the walls of the dining-room. TIL,
Meizner plates-the pride Of his grand
father-hung there. Must they go, too
well, whatever could he do will
them?
The clock? And that picture OF /,
woman smiling sadly down on him
Who was she? What had become o
her?
George got up suddenly from his din
ner and went into the library.
"You had better go to bed. Matthias
You have to fetch two gentlemen from
the station early tomorrow-your new
masters"
"Oh, sir-Mr. George
George dismissed him with shor
nod. and the coachman went SILENT,
away.
Then he sat down alone In the quie
night-in the same place where hi
father, his grandfather, and great
grandfather had sat and worried an
reckoned and weighed and decided
After all. 1t had only been his grand
father who had weighed and consider
ed and reckoned up: his father ant
himself, had not troubled to count tn
cost-they had flung their money away
Away over there, in the town, in
dusty court room. smelling of ink an,
sealingwax, and lit with gas-there
had seemed so easy to part with
all. There he had only thought Of rid
ding himself Of what was only q car
to him. He had sent the case Q
champagne-now waiting outside 4