The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-11-15

ed. When he got to his feet-he
wasn't hurt, luckily-what did he see
but the body of his son, lying with
his throat torn out, and the white
wolf standing over him, the broken
chain dangling at its neck.
They say he was q giant, this
Philip de Laune, and of very wild
and passionate temper. Anyway, he
went straight for the beast, and,
though he was dreadfully mauled, he
killed it-Heaven knows how-with
his bare hands. That's why the pres
ent branch of the family came by
the place. Pretty grewsome, isn't
it2"
"A strange story" told him; "but
why must II be kept secret from the
ladies?"
Because the beast walks, man.
There's not a laborer in Norfolk who
would go into the lower gardens on
any night of the year, much less on
Christmas eve."
MY good Talman. do you mean
to say you believe this?"
II don't know-but / wouldn't go
into the lower gardens tonight, II I
could walk round. Think of It,
Phillips, the white shape with the
bloody jaws lurking in the shadows!.
Ugh-let's go and get cocktail be-
fore"
II beg your pardon, sir. but the
baron is looking for you"
He was q tall. hatchet-faced fellow,
with that mixture Of respect and dig
nifty that marks the well-trained Brit
ish manservant. Upon the soft pile.
Of the rugs we had not heard his
footsteps.
HE asked me to find you, SIR" he
continued, addressing himself to me
with slight bow. He is waiting in
his ROOM"
As he preceded us thither, Talman
whispered that Henderson-meaning
thereby our conductor-was Stems
valet. and very clever fellow by all
accounts.
The baron, fat, high-colored and
sincerity of pleasure we'll calculated
to place guest at his ease. A re-
markable old boy was Baron Steen.
He always seemed to carry with him
a jovial atmosphere Of his own, in
which those to whom he spoke were
lost and blinded out of their better
Judgment. He was kind enough to
pay me some compliments upon my
water-color work. Whatever else can
be brought against him, no one can
deny that he was sound Judge of
art.
The dinner passed pleasantly
enough that night, with free and wit
ty conversation. Our bachelor host
was in his most humorous mood.
keeping those about him in shouts
of laughter. Facing him, at the ex-
tremity of the long table, was his
secretary, a thin, melancholy youth
of about four-and-twenty. My fair
neighbor told me that Terry, as he
was named, had been intended for
the church, but that his father, having
ruined himself on the stock ex-
change, had persuaded the baron to
give him work. He was devoted to
his patron, which, she smiled. was
not surprising, seeing that he must
be well on his way to rebuilding the
fortune his father had lost.
I am not an ardent gambler. and
when I do play I admit a preference
for games in which brains are OF
some account. The roulette table
soon bored me, and after had seen
the last OF few pounds, I contented'
myself by watching the changing for
tunes Of the rest Of the party Just.
before eleven the baron. who had,
parted with considerable sums .ofl
money in perfect good humor, excused
himself, and before the rest had set
tied down to the table again, I slipped
away to my bedroom, where a selec-
ton Of novels and favorite pipe Of
fered more congenial attractions.
The room was Of considerable size
and majestically furnished. It was on
the first floor at the extremity of the
right-hand wing. and looked out over
the gardens on the cliff. A branch
road from the main drive ran be-
meath the windows to an entrance at
the back of the house.
They had steam heat on the upper
floors, and the high temperature of
my room had drawn stale and heavy
odors from the tapestry on the walls
and the ancient hangings that fringed
the huge four-post bedstead. It was
the atmosphere Of an old clothes
shop on a July day. I pulled back
the curtains, opened the window and
thrust out my head for q mouthful of
fresh air.
1t was quiet, moonless night, lit
by the stars that blinked in their
thousand consultations. Though the
snow lay deep. the air struck mild
ly. Indeed, II 1t were freezing, 1t
could not have been by more than
two degrees. Upon the edge of the
distant cliffs robes of confusing mist
curled In wells as thin as moonlight;
but in the foreground the yew walks
and aisles of ancient laurel showed
clearly upon the white carpet. About
the central avenue of nrs which
carved the gardens into the dark
ness lay impenetrable pools Of shad-
ow. AS / waited, the silence was