The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-04-01
CHAPTER VI.

the CneruD continued TO SIT In
the library. smoking ana meditating
He had trick when watching an I'M
steady market Of tearing pieces Of pa
! per into small bits and throwing them
away. He was doing this now, and
the eastern rug under his feet looked
as if it had been visited by a stage
snowstorm. He was aroused by an
odd noise. 1t sounded as if some one
was dragging heavy object down the
stairs
| Looking out through the door hang
ings, he could see the lower half of the
staircase. For a moment he waited,
and then there appeared the Countess
| Vecchi, Juggling at a dress suit case
which was evidently we'll filed. She
was dressed as if for the street, with
a light silk dust coat over her black
gown and jaunty straw hat on her
head. When she saw the Cherub she
seemed startled and shrank back
guiltily.
oh" she exclaimed, IL did not
expect TO find you here. 1 am going
away"
Are you? Do you generally start
alone and in the middle of the night?"
The Cherub had walked out into the
hall
IL don't care to talk to you about
it. Mr.. Devine. ] am going away, I
tell you" Her brown eyes looked as
iif they might fill with tears at any
moment.
"All right, all right" he said sooth-
ingly. "You needn't talk about it,"
The Countess Vecchi allowed the
suit case to slide to the floor, and then
she faced him resolutely.
Mr.. Devine, l have found out all
about YOU"
"Men'
Yes. / know why you are here"
Good! You know blamed sight
more than l do then"
at is useless for you to try to keep
up the deceit any longer, Mr.. Devine.
My father has confessed the whole
wretched story. He told me at first
that you were merely here on some
law business. but when | heard that
you were entertaining your friends
here, just as you would in your ow'
house. ! demanded to be told the truth.
And now j know. Oh. know it ALI
This is your house. You own it.
Somehow or other you have trickeC
my poor father out of it, and now ou'
beautiful ho-o-ome is yours. Dare
you deny it? Come! Isn't it SOP"
The Cherub bowed his head in meek
submission
Then" exclaimed the countess, you
are not only wicked man. but you
nre deceitful, cruel! l despise you!
You-you are
Just what else he was the astonish-
ed Cherub was never to know. for at
that point the denunciation was in
terrupted. The threatening food sub
merged the brown eyes. and the count
ess, sinking down on the bottom stair.
and sobbed tempestuously into the
ample sleeve of the silk coat
ooh. say. noww he protested "See
here. won't you? l didn't mean it. I
take it all back, honest. l do. Core.
now: let's talk it over. Oh, stop it.
Do stop it!'
To the Cherub's urgent entrcaties
she paid not the slightest heed.
She grasped the suit case and
marched past him with as much dig
nifty as it was possible to assume with
heavy weight dragging down one
arm. At the door she made a deter
mined attack on the bolts. stupidity
away vainly.
You had better wait until morn
ing. hadn't you?" he suggested.
To this she made no reply, but
showed and pulled at the stubborn
bolts until she was forced to give up.
Then, just as he had thought her
beaten, she went promptly to one Of
the French windows in front room.
turned the catch and stepped out on
the veranda. Mr.. Devine followed.
81 do not wish for your company,
Mr.. Devine''
81 suppose you don't. but I'm going
just the same. I'll get my coat and
hat"
AS he ran back into the hall he
heard the countess leave the veranda.
Snatching up an opera hat and a rain
coat, he hurried out through the win
dow after her. She was easily over
taken, for the suit case acted as
brake
You'd better let me carry your
bag" he said as he overlook her. but
the offer was ignored, and the repulsed
Cheub fell back pace. Thus they
started down the narrow graveled
path which wound leisurely course
in and out among the shrubbery to-
ward the main road.
''See here.' he said sternly as he
stepped forward beside her; you must
let me take that bag"
81 shall not. | don't need your
she began bravely enough, but the
Cherub had already lifted it from her
numbed fingers.
81 know you don't" he said. "but
I've got the bag"
A low grumble of distant thunder !
caused the countess to slacken her !,
pace.
"Therer' he exclaimed responsibility. !
''It's going to rain, you see. Did you !
hear that? sas.ca0a
Eyes, heard"
"But where are you going"