The Mankato free press., 1910-03-11

just about a week here-and then die
of it."
He walked into the library. AS he
did so he heard muf11ed 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 iamb.
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.
.'Who else would ring If l didn't"
demanded the Cherub.
mo one, sir"
"Sure about that, are you"
"Quite sure, sir"
"Well, Pm 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 if they're all that kind"
commented the Cherub. Guess I'll
have to hang sleighbells on 'em if 1
want to dodge case of nerves"
Dropping into the easy chair, he be-
gan reading the titles on the backs or
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. 1t was dainty affair.
mostly lace, and there was an initial
in the corner. an embroidered V with
some sort of little pointed crown
above it.
"H-m-m," said the Cherub. "V can't
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 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 yOu!"
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 a 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
Volkenberg, who was one Of the gar
deners."
"That ala"
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 vividly green lawn, over which
the tree shadows were now lengthen-
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,
was person who had not thus far
been accounted for. Moreover the
person was d woman. Mr. Devine
moved uneasily In his chair.
Mr.. Devine INDUCED in Il chuckle
at his own expense when he found
himself seated alone in the big din
ing room, single plate laid at the big
round table and the candlelight bare
ly suggesting the dim corners and the
cavcrnous fireplace. 1t was with a
sense of relief that he saw the butler
emerge from the gloom.
Lets see. what's your name?" he
asked of this parsonage.
"Eppings, sir. Soup, sir?" Both re.
ply and question were dismal, Sc.
pulchral in tone.
Eyes. 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. But
cheer up. You'll get over it,"
Most hextrao ordinary 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"
CiAPTER II.