The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-08
CHAPTER NIX.

TIE first Of winters fierce storms
smote down upon Touraiue- coming
westward from the Atlantic. and across
the BAY. OF BiSCay- The rain ragged upon
the Black Head Iun- and the wind rat
tied the stout shutters The descending
deluEe and the roaring wind but acce1-
tIated the IolIItE within 4 great ure
bIaZed on the broad hearth Of the
taveru'S long dining room. which held
g single main table and several smaller
ones
the radiant DE JdTCllzC- WITH MS
5Oviai friends. the sIlk-SDIuDe-S. Up and
down each side. CaEllllae was host for
the evening. and the EOuvTay he had
commended flowed freely. Down the
long center OF the table lay many
strands Of finely spun silk Of various
ColoTs, and the while the landlord stout
OF body and rosy IF face saw thar
every flaEOu was kept fun
De Cardiac held forth e-UIueutlE
on the merits OF the various silks or
the world and the superiority of the
MentTir1aT1 sILh-5QTnUer< ana w16aTeTS
10 all mankind essevEera-a sentiment
that was received with great applause
and the pounding of fagons un the
table
As you all know. mv friends, I
offered q prize divided into three por-
tons for the three best SilmUe-t- and
strongest cords or silk. and tonight ve
celebrate the accomplishment o. the
task / now sit in the seat of Judgment
End ] trust INV award VIII be received
as impartial Tor i have SerIpI-ouSiE
tested every strand submitted TO me
"Hurrah for the judge cried one
IF the spinner, and u UrTa l- they
al shouted i'm unison drinking heartily
t. CardIIlac- Who bowed In response
And / would say continued the spin
FER who had spoken FIRST THAT the yer
DICT VIII he just one and THIS ] an
uoUnce before pr0uoCncenent IS made
ANY man who disputes it viii meet my
The crowd cIauored and drank again
Cardiac sat silent his eyes glowing
Tpon the coI0red strands Of silk
silence for the judge demanded
one Of the Com0auT- and the noise sub
sided Cardiac rose 10 his feet
landlord MI the faEous- he sad,
and then SIT down ] cannot have this
speech interrupted even hy the pouring
ont or wine
The landlord obeyed-
Nov. craftsmen IN the most delicate
and beautiful OF all industries. T have,
with great care tested these various
cords and the result Is where all are
so excellent. 7 cannot say that any one
strand eNCels the other Therefore. with
your permission. 7 SHAH not divide the
amount I have promised between so
great a number OF persons, but I shall
fAEe that amount and deliver q similar
ton being that 7 am 10 have and 10 hold
these cords seeming fragile as a Spid-
grs spinning yet strong as the steel Of
At this there vas tremendous cheer
2nE- the silk sulnEe-S rising 20 their
feet and making the hIarEeued rafters
fore been known ID NoEtTirhaUd- Tor
each spinner was 20 receive I'm a lump
more than he could earn by a long
winters work In the midst Of the ID-
roar caused hT the storm without and
the cheers within IarGi.l"- saw that the
lnnkeeper was EesCcIla--n= and trying
10 make himself heard
What is wrong with vou2" he de
..Nonsieur. there is some on. knock
ing at the door Lord pity any one out
night like this shall we admit
Certainly replied Cardiac. -- It's
7ot a night for a dog 20 be abroad let
clone q man Comrades TO --su- seats
Eld so rIaC no stranger may in-rude
s]3on our mysteries excuse me while I
gather these cords and conceal them in
my room / pay the awards tOmOrr0w
morning when my head is clear To
uouTS without Let The eyhfIararEo0 OF
The one uulllfy the Inconvenience Of the
other When I return I shan relate to
YOU more or my adventures. which vou
or night
Quickly he gathered the silk from the
lapie- ana alSappeaTer Up the stairs
" neu ne returned and took his seat
again, the landlord was uSherinc i'm
three men heavily ClCaEed and dripping
Holsters were hurTEiuE along the PISS
age 10 attend 10 the StOrm-beaten horses
OUTSIDE 1aruillac gave but glance
at The three men. rs the landlord took
their S0dden cICakS and spread them so
that they might dry before the fire
The younEest man. a dne-faced fellow
Of a bout thirty. wore a Earb difficult 10
place IL being partly clerical. partly
military The next eldest, a foreigner
with crafty. fuytive look was unde-
niably q priest and clothed as such. The
oldest, The only one Of the group whose