Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-04-01

Seems to be l heard something
about that"
Possibly, possibly Mr.. Hewington
waved his eyeglasses impatiently. 81
am telling you these things. Mr.. De-
vine, that you may have a better I'M
Outstanding of our attitude. Since the
death of the count she has lived in
seclusion. She has almost entirely
withdrawn from society,""
Mr.. Devine looked keenly at the old
gentleman. 81 see." he observed.
kind of focks by herself. Well, I've
no objection. l didn't come up here
especially to get acquainted with you
folks, you know. In fact. you and the
countess We're rather sprung on me as
a surprise"
Mr.. Hewington might have been
seen to shudder. MY dear Mr.. De-
vine," he protested, Il fear that you
still fail to realize our position. Cir
cumstances compel US to remain here
during your stay. There is my sis
ter
Yes, l know all about that, and l
wouldn't for the world disturb the
sick lady. I'm just trying TO be so
ciable. l want you to stay until you're
ready to leave"
You see, Mr.. Devine, my plans for
the immediate future are very uncer-
tain
Eyes, that seems TO be the word.
What does the countess say about it?"
81 never discuss matters of business
with my daughter. Women do not
understand such matters. OF course it
is necessary to have her sign papers
now and then. The lawyers insist on
1t, some of the property having been
left to her, but l eve try to explain
things which l do o fully compre-
bend myself. The sale of this place,
for instance, still perplexes me. l did
not desire it at all. l suppose, how
ever, that it was necessary as a mat
ter of form. Probably you have a
clearer notion of it than l, Mr.. De-
vine"
"Your idea is a bit hazy." admitted
the Cherub.
Perhaps so, but l presume that
your-er-possession here is only a
temporary arrangement. Matters will
oon be adjusted, I suppose, when my
daughter was more or less worried un-
til l assured her that l would attend
to the affair personally"
"Then she cheered up, did she?' Mr..
Devine appeared to find the conversa-
ton entertaining. !.
"She was relieved, of course. But
/ have been so ~engrossed in preparing
a pamphlet on-weIl, on a scientific
subject which would not be of inter
est to you-that l have neglected to
take the proper steps. However, now
that you thoroughly understand the
situation, l trust that you will not
act hastily"
thing like that. Mr.. Hewington. Make
your mind easy on that score"
TITS rery-cunsrdelate OF you, sir.
OF curse until the affair is settled we
shall not encroach on our technical
right of possession more than is abso-
lutely necessary. If the present ar
rangement Is satisfactory l would sug-
gest that 1t be continued"
The Cherub favored Mr.. Hewington
with a whimsical smile. well, We'll
let the thing drift for awhile anyway.
Only you don't have to act as though
you were prisoners. Why don't you
and the countess come down to your
meals just as though l wasn't here?"
my dear sir Here Mr.. Hewing-
ton began an exhaustive review of the
situation. When he was through Mr..
Devine chuckled gleefully. 1t was an
amazingly simple proposition. The
H%ewingtons were the Hewingtons, and
newell, he was Cherub Devine. That
told the story.
1t was all done very courteously and
delicately in Mr.. Hewington's fine, arts
tocratic manner, yet nothing but the
superlative buoyancy of Mr.. Devine's
audacious soul saved him from being
Utterly crushed.
81 wish l could have dreams like
that" s~oliloquized the Cherub when
he had been left alone.
The possibilities incident upon ac-
quiring a quiet country house were
surprising to Mr.. Cherub Devine.
"Let's see," he reflected; I'm not ex-
act.y what you'd call an unwelcome
guest. am |? | guess l must be an
unwelcome host. then. and hanged If
that isn't Il new one on me. But there's
worse and more of 1t. I'm no gentle
man. for one item. Then, If I'm to be-
lieye all | hear about myself. I'm q
deep dyed villain and an unregenerate
sinner VINO has DEtted into his own
house. Take 1t all around, things are
pretty badly mixed. Wonder what
program l ought to follow"
More or less thought did Mr.. Devine
bestow upon the Countess Vecchi dur
ing the next half hour. He had a
well defined idea, had the Cherub,
that his knowledge of women was vast
and deep. oh, he had seer lots of