The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-04-15

at times presumptuous enough to form
| opinions of her own. And what q
shrewd old gentleman he was. to be
sure! How well 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 businessr'
! laughed the countess. II shouldn't
expect him to be generous in bust
ness"
I'm the instance / had i'm mind"
suavely continued Mr.. Hewington.
twirling his glasses slowly, "he was
not dealing with a business competitor.
: believe l said rival"
"You don't mean a-a"-
! Exactly. A man who stood in his
way in what l 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 go.
waiting W NC tOIu tulbSS w ulCH you
probably could not understand and
/ which,
But can. l do. Tell me at once.
! Was it Nicholas WallowayT
! Mr.. Hewington waved his glasses
most impatiently.
Most assuredly not. What strange
conception that Nicholas and Mr.. De-
vine should be rivals in love! No,
quite a different person. And what
does Mr.. DeVine do when he meets
him and learns his identity? Seizes
him forcibly, drags him into the near
est building and locks him up without
law or license
! Father. can't believe such story.
: Where did you hear such a preposter-
Gus tale?"
Prom Mr.. Devine himself"
! But how? Where did all this &C.
cur?"
| only this afternoon
''Since he was here? But you have
not been away. Then-then it was
here on our grounds. Do you mean to
say that Mr.. Devine has some one
locked UP in one of our buildings?"
/ Mr.. Hewington 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. if 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 fair. though, to specu-
late as to the innermost thoughts of
the Countess Vecchi at that trying
moment. We know that she was rath-
: er nice young woman. very good to
look at and more or less entertaining
as companion. Suppose she did mar
row her eyelids and bite to ripper
redness her gracefully curved under
lip. We may even admit that she
, crushed the meshes of the silver girdle
until there were red marks ON her
white palm. She was no pallid COM
pendulum of all the feminine virtues
She was a young person of high spir-
its and ready passions. And she could
not wholly forget those stories about
~
chorus girls. Throwing a 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. 1t was after 8 o'clock and
quite dark. as the old moon was now
rising late but she knew exactly where
she was going.
She saw something which made her
lean forward and strain her eyes with
intent interest. From one Of the
smallest buildings, low stone struc-
ture, which she judged must be the
icehouse. issued CHEEKY beam of
light Some one was standing in the
half opened doorway. Only for an in
slant did this spectacle remain visible.
Then the door was shut with a bang.
and the yellow ray disappeared. A
moment later the countess thought
she could distinguish a man making
his way across the lawn toward the
servants wing of the house.
Now, all this seemed very singular
to the Countess Vecchi. So. keeping
the figure of the man in sight, she be-
gan to walk parallel with him in order
to see where he was going. When she
saw he was making directly for the
side door of the south wing she grasp
ed her skirts firmly and started to
run. and she overlook him.
why. Timmins. is it you?
Obviously it was. On one hand he
balanced a tray; in the other he car
ried a formidable looking club.
'Ior'. miss. what a start you gave
met" said he.
did /? I'm sure didn't intend to
brighten you. Timmins. But | saw
you coming. and there was something
] wanted to ask you. What Is it you
have there. Timmins?'
''Why, miss. I've been a-givin' the
puppies their supper"
Yes. ! know But | thought you
usually carried their food in pail
What have they had tonightW And
before Timmins could protest she had
lifted the linen cover which had been
thrown over the tray. A. variety of
dishes stood revealed.
why, Timmins. surely the coach
puppies do not eat French chops"
He was ready witted, was Timmins.
"Lor'. no, miss. not as a general
thing. But this is special occasion,
you know, a very particular occasion.
miss
"Indeedi And what very particular