Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-03-24


Just about a week here-and then die
CT IT."
lie walked into the library. AS he
did so he heard mufiied exclamation
/ and caught n glimpse of n skirt whisk-
irg through Il door. An easy chair
pulled w before an oren bookcase
caught his eye.
Hello, | wonder who that VASE"
Tie found push button on the jamb.
II? PIT his thumb on it and waited.
"rid you ring. sir;' asked Sc
| pucLral voice behind him.
Mr.. Ucvinc jumped and turned to
see solemn faced butler.
"yvho else would ring il | didn'tY"
demanded the Cherub.
mo one, sir"
Sure about that, are your
quite sure. sir"
well. I'm not. Some one just skip
ped ont of this room as 1 came in.
Who was itT'
Likely one Of the maids. SIR
DO tho minds hnve the run of tho
bookcase. ell! She was sitting here"
'Might have been the 'ousoGcepcr.
sir-Mrs. Tmmins sir"
She's reader. is she? Wei, tell
her not to he so skttish next time.
1t gives me tie fdgets."
The man had rctreated rs silently
ana abruptly as he had come.
wonder II they're all that kind"
commented the Cherub. Guess III
have 10 hang sleighbels en- 'cm it /
want to dodge case OF nerves.
I Dropping into the easy chair, he be-
gan reading the titles on the backs of
the volumes before him. SO all these
I books we're his. were they: We'll. that
was odd Some day he might want to
do little reading. He had always
meant to. but
| Something white on the floor be-
! tween the chair and the wall caught
his eye. He stopped and picked mp 81
handkerchief. 1t was Il dainty affair
! mostly lace. and there was an initial
I IN the corner, an embroidered with
some sort Of a little pointed crown
! above II.
3 "H-in-m." said the Cherub. ~ can't
I stand for Timmins."
Having made This subtle deduction,
he pocketed the handkerchief and
! started to look for the factotum who
was caretaker and superintendent and
whose wife was the housekecper.
"Timmins," said Mr.. Devine. what
sized force are we carrying:'
beg pardon. sir, but Timmins
caught himself abruptly. "Oh, you
mean how :uany in help? Only five
now, sir, outside of me and Mrs. Tim
MINIS"
give, eh-and two are seven? Let's
see the payroll. will your
Timmins produced an account book
in which were entered names, dates
and amounts. Mr.. Devine glanced
hastily through the list
None O. ZEN seem to have v in
their names." suggested the Cherub,
"a V, sir?" Timmins' blank look
was wholly convincing.
Maybe you never heard of any one
whose name began with a V, Tim
mins?'
ooh. yes. sir. There was the Vena-
bles, sir, as used to visit here, and
Volkenberg, who was one Of the gar
deners."
THAT alp"
There might be others, sir, If
could lay my tongue to-
Don't strain your memory. Tim
Minis. 1t doesn't natter
Yet when he had returned to the We
randa to resume his contemplation of
the windy green lawn, over which
the tree shadows We're now lengthen-
ing, he could not rid himself OF the
notion that somewhere about this big
house. of which he was trying to con-
vince himself that he was the owner.
was Il person who had not thus for
beer accounted for. Moreover. the
person was Il woman. Mr.. Devinc
moved uneasily in his chair
Mr.. Devine INDUCED in chuckle
at his own expense when he found
himself seated alone in the big din
ing room, a single plate laid at the big
round table and the candlelight bare
~ suggesting the dim corners and tho
cavernous fireplace. ii was with q
sense of relief that he saw the butler
emerge from the gloom.
Lets see. what's your name?" he
asked of this parsonage
"Eppings, sir. Soup, sir" Both re
ply and question We're dismal, Sc
pulchral in tone.
Eyes. I'll have some soup. Grand.
mother dead. is she:"
BEG pardon. sir" Epplngs paused
it'll his hand on the turecn cover.
Grandmother dead" repeated Mr.
Devine
"She Is. sir"
"Thought so. Mine Is too. But
cheer up. You'll get over It."
"Most hextraordnary man, the new
master" reported Eppings in the serv.
ants quarters. Thinks I'm mourn
Ing FOR my grandmother when, bless
me, the old lady's dead and gone these
twenty years"
| Cyl T,TEH II