Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-03-29

| other person whose presence at Hew- | ington Acres was not fully accounted 1 for. She could not be one of the | servants. He was sure of that. But when you find a person about the | grounds of a private house, apparent | ly quite at home, and they reply when asked if they live there, Not exact ly," what is one to infer? She couldn't be guest. Who was there for her to visit? Nor boarder. strikes me I ought to take cen sus," commented the Cherub. Going back to the house, he rang a bell until Epplngs appeared, heavy eyed and lugubrious.
 Breakfast ready yet?"
 Breakfast, sir? It's rather early, sir, but
 Early! It's the middle of the fore noon. Go stir things up in the kitch- en-"
 As Eppings departed the hall clock chimed 7 The Cherub grinned. He had not breakfasted at for years. In less than an hour, though, breakfast was an accomplished fact, and MT. Devine, now soothed by one of his black cigars, set out for a more ex- tended tour of the grounds. He dis covered the path leading to the sound and had spent some time on the porch of the penthouse watching the steam CTS and coasting 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 Hewingtons?"
 q guess you didn't, Timmins."
 "The 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. Mir Hew- ington's sister, who has took so bad she couldn't be moved. Perhaps I''-
 Its all right. There's MT. Hewing- ton and his sick sister, is there? That all?"
 And the Countess Vecchi, sir"
 "The which?" Mir. Devine grabbed the cigar from between his teeth and turned quickly on Timmins.
 '"The Countess Vecchi, sir, as stayed to look after the e-aunt The countess is the married daughter, sir The counts been dead two years, sir, and"-here Timmins coughed apologetically be- hind his hand-"the Hewingtons want precisely sorry to lose him."
 "Not bowling success, ehW
 Hardly, sir. The countess left him two hours after the wedding"
 "She must be a hummer" observed the Cherub, and then refectively: "Countesses are hardly in my line. Guess you can hook up pretty soon and drive me back to the station. l don't want to disturb the old lady,"
 "Lord, sir, you won't see any of 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 up like the house was quarantined. Besides, sir, there isn't another express you could get to the city until the 10:33 tonight"
 "Oh, well, there's plenty of time then! Perhaps you'll be able to dig up some more reports before night"
 MT. Devine was thinking of the young person he had seen in the gar den. It didn't matter who she was, of course, but it might be interesting to know.
 The day passed, however, without further discoveries, although at any moment the Cherub was prepared to find himself confronted either by MT. Hewington or the countess or the young woman of the roses or some wholly unknown person.
 He had seated himself for another solitary and stately meal when a bell rang somewhere, and Eppings excused himself to answer it. Then ensued out in the reception hall whispered con versation, part of which MT. Devine could hardly avoid hearing, although he was certain it was not intended for his ears.
 "Is that-that dreadful man in there| asked voice.
 Eppings reappeared to announce i'm pressively, "The Countess Vecchi, sir"
 "Oh, the devilp' MT. Devine grab bed his napkin end from between the second and third buttons of his waist coat and dropped it across his left knee. He had vague notion that all countesses were large, stout women, who wore crowns of some sort, ermine trimmed robes and a multitude of rings.
 Through the doorway stepped the big eyed, slender young person whom he had seen before breakfast in the garden. She wore neither crown nor ermine robes. The braid of dark hair had been transformed into simple but effective setting for the long oval of her face.
 Hello! You?" he exclaimed. Say, honest, you aren't the countess, are