Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-16

rebounded with almost equal force. The sound of the
crash must have disturbed every bird and bat in the
towers of the grim old pile; but the paddock merely
shed few scabs Of rust and ratified back into its
tomary repose.
broken.
at is very fine lock, cried old Conrad with note
of pride in his voice.
| began to feel pride in the thing myself 1T is,
indeed" | said. "Try more, Max
1t seemed to that he struck with great deal more
confidence than before and again they all uttered eacu
ations of pleasure. caught Dame Schmick in the act
of thanking God with her fingers.
"See here.' exclaimed, facing them angrily What
does all this mean? You deceiving me, all of YOU
Now let's have the truth every word of it, out you
go tomorrow, the whole lot of you insist knowing
who that woman is why she is here in my hou-my
castle, and everything: do you UNDERESTIMATE
Apparently they didnt understand; for they looked
with all the stupidity they could command.
"Give the hammer" l said at last in desperation
Max surrendered the clumsy, old-fashioned instru-
ment with grin and motioned for them all to stand
back. Three successive blows with all the might | had
in my body failed to shatter the lock- whereupon my
choer rose to heights hitherto unknown. | delivered
a savage and resounding thwack upon the broad oak
panel of the door regardless of the destuctveness that
might attend the effort. If anyone had told me that
couldn't splinter oak board with sedgehammer at
single blow should have laughed in his face. But
it turned out in this not only failed to split the
panel but broke off the sledge handle the head
putting it wholly out OF commission as well singing
my hands severely that doubled up with pain and
shouted words that Dame Schrick could not put into
her prayers.
Max informed me that the door nearly inches
thick and had often withstood the assaults of huge
battering rams, back in the dim past when occasion
induced the primal Baron to seek safety IN the east
wingwhch after all, appears to have been the real
simon-pure fortress The west wing was merely set
ting for festal amenities and was by feuda
its aspect appeal Here, as Icane to know, the
old Barons received their friends and Toasted them and
made merry with the f1agon and the horn of plenty
here the humble 1.-THE payer to settle his dues with
gold and silver instead of with blood here the little
Barons and Baronesses romped and rioted with child
ish gee and here the Barons grew fat and gross and
soggy with laziness and prosperity and here they died
in stupid quiescence. On heother side of that GRIM
stanch old door they simply went to the other
in every particular There they killed their captives
buchered their enemies and sometimes died with the
daggers of traitors in their shiverng backs.
A trudged back to the lower halls, defeated but
none the less impressed by our failure to devastate
our own stronghold, was struck by the awful barren
ness of the surroundings There suddenly came over
me the shocking realization,-the contents of the
CASTLE forth rather vaguely in the bill of SALE
not what had been led to consider them.
Still vaguely certain that many articles | had
about the halls my first and second visits
no longer in evidence Two three antique rugs for
instance, missing from the main hail. and there
amentabe suggestion of emptiness at the lower end
where we had stacked quantity of rare old furniture
in order to make room for the worknen.
"Herr Schmck said |, abruptly hating my party in
the center of the hail. what has become of the rugs
that here last week and where is that pile of un
ture we had back yonder?'
Old Conrad not slow in answering. "The gen
tlemen called day before yesterday, Mein Herr, and
took much away. They will return tomorrow for the
remainder
"Gentlemen!' gasped. 4Remander'
"The gentlemen to whom the Herr Count sold the
rugs and chairs and chests and"
"Whatl' reared do you to tell me that
these things have been sold and carried away without
my knowledge or consent? III have the law"
Poopendyke interviewed. "They had bills of sale and
orders for removal of property dated several weeks
prior your purchase Mr.. Smart We had to let the
articles go You surely remember my speaking to YOU
about it.
a don't remember anything, | snapped, which was