The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-03-30
Cherub
Deviine
By SEWELL FORD
Copyright. 1893. by Mitchell Keaass3ey
CHAPTER VI.
BY SEWELL FORD

INC SAcl SIT III
the library, smoking and meditating.
He had a trick when watching an un-
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 il had been visited by a stage
snowStorm- He was aroused by an
odd noise. 1t sounded as If some one
was dragging a 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, tugging at a dress suit case
which was evidently well filed. She
was dressed as IL for the street. with
light silk dust coat over her black
gown and a jaunty straw hat on her
head When she saw the Cherub she
seemed startled and shrank back
guiltily.
"Oh," she exclaimed, II did not
expect TO find you here. i 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
II don't care to talk to you about
it, Mr.. Devine. / am going away, /
tell you" Her brown eyes looked as
If they might fill with tears at any
moment.
"All right. all right he said sooth-
ingly. You needn't talk about 1t"
The Countess yecchi allowed the
suit case to slide to the floor, and then
she faced him resolutely.
"Mr. Devine, l have found out all
about you"
"Mer'
Yes. / know why you are here"
Good You know a blamed sight
more than i do then"
cit 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 1 heard that
you were entertaining your friends
here, just as you would in your own
house, 1 demanded to be told the truth.
And now / know. Oh, / know IL aIl!e
This is your house. You own II.
Somehow or other you have tricked
my poor father out of IL, and now cur
beautiful ho-o-ome is yours. DaNS
you deny It? Comet Isn't it sol"
The Cherub bowed his head In meek
submission.
Then" exclaimed the countess, you
are not only wicked man, but you
are deceitful, cruel! 1 despise you'll
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,
leaned against the carved newell post
and sobbed tempestuously into the
ample sleeve Of the silk coat.
ooh, say, now!' he protested. "See
here, won't you? i didn't mean II.
take it all back, honest. | do. Come.
now; let's talk it over. Oh. stop it!
Do stop it,
To the Cherub's urgent entreaties
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
a heavy weight dragging down one
arm. At the door she made a deter
mined attack on the bolts. Stupidity
the Cherub watched her as she tugged
away vainly.
"You had better wait until morn
ing, hadn't you?' be 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 a front room.
turned the catch and stepped out on
the veranda. Mr. Deyine followed.
II do not wish for your company,
Mr.. Devtne-"
81 suppose you don't, but I'm going
Just the same. III 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 be overlook her, but
the offer was ignored, and the repuised
Cheub fell back a pace. Thus they
started down the narrow graveled
path which wound a leisurely course
In and out among the shrubbery to
ward the main road.
See here" be said sternly as he
stepped forward beside her; you muS
let me take that bag" "
'T shall not. don't need your
she began braEely enough, but tAe
Cherub had already lifted 1t from her
numbed fingers.
81 know you don't" he said, bit
I've got the bag"
a low grumble Of distant thunder
caused the countess 10 slacken her
pace.
THERE" he exclaimed reproachfully.
Its going to rain, you see. DID you
hear thatY'
Yes, i heard"
tfRur -ybara ara ron oofnoSs