Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-05-05

time had come for him 70 employ that
superior mind Of his In the skillful
management of daughter who was
at times prcsumptuous enough to form
opinions of her own. And what
shrewd old gentleman he was. to he
sure. How we'll he understood the
limitations Of feminine mentality!
For example," he went on. you
have never seen how this paragon OF
yours can deal with rival"
"Oh. competitor in business!
laughed the countess. Il shouldn't
expect him to be generous In busi-
ness"
I'm the instance / had In mind"
suavcly continued Mr. Hewington.
twirlng his glasses slowly, he was
not dealing with business competitor.
I believe said rival"
"You don't mean a-a"-
Exactly. A man who stood IN his
way in what | presume Mr.. Devine
chooses to regard as an affair Of the
heart"
"Why-why. don't understand. dad.
dy. What man can you possibly
mean?"
Now. now. my dear, There you 60.
wanting to be told things which you
probably could not understand and
which
But I can. | do. Tell me at once.
Was it Nicholas Walloway:"
Mr.. IIewington waved his glasses
most impatiently.
Most acsurcdly not. What a strange
| concertion that Nicholas and Mr.. De
vine should bc rivals In love! No.
quite different person. And what
does MIR. Devine do when he meets
| him and learns his identity? Seizes
him forcib!y. draes him into the near
est building and locks him up without
law or license"
| Father. I can't believe such story.
Whore did you hear such preposter.
Gus tale?"
"F'rom Mr.. Devinc himself"
Put now: Where did all this &C.
cur:"
only this afternoon
Since he was here? But you have
not been away. Thcn-then II was
here on our grounds. Do you mean to
say that Mr. Devine has some one
locked up in ono OF our buldngs!'
Mr.. Hpwington could only take ref.
uge behind his dignity
THAT Is quite sufficient. my dear
We will not discuss Mr. Devine and
his peculiar doinGs any further, II you
please. The subject is one upon which
do not care TO dwell just now.
must go to my desk. Good night"
1t is hardly fnir. though. to specu
late as to the innermost thoughts Of
the Countess Vecchi at that trying
moment We know that she was rath
er a nice young woman. very good to
look at and more or less entertaining
as a companion. Suppose she did mar
row her cyelids and bite to ripel
lip. We may even admit that she
crushed the meshes Of the silver girdle
until theS were red marks on her
white palm. She was no pallid com
pendulum Of all the feminine virtues
She was young person OF high spr
its and ready passions. And she could
not wholly forget those stories about
La Belle Savoie and the dinner tr
chorus girls. Throwing lace affair
over her head and shoulders. she slip
ped quietly out through the big en-
trance hall to the wide veranda and
down one Of the paths leading toward
the sound IT was after 8 O'Clock ant
quite dark. as the old moon was now
rising late. but she knew exactly where
she was going
She saw something which made he
lean forward and strain her eyes wit
intent interest. From one Of tn
smallest buildings. low stone struc
ture, which she judged must be tn
icehouse. issued CHEEKY beam o
light Some one was Sending in tn
half opened doorway. Only for an il
slant did this spectacle remain visible
Then the door was shut with a BAN
and the yellow ray disappeared
moment later the countess though
she could distinguish man maxim
his way across the lawn toward tn
servants wing OF the house.
) Now. al this seemed very singlla
70 the Countess Vecchi, So. keepn
the figure OF the man In sight. she bt
gan to walk parallel with him In ordt
10 see where he was going. When sh
saw be was making directly for III
side door of the south wing she grasl
ed her skirts firmly and started
run, and she overlook him