Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-21
CHAPTER I.
I Make No Effort to Defend Myself.


serves me well he relieved himself OF
that conviction at q time when | was
least competent TO acknowledge his wis
dom and most arrogant in asserting my
own. / was freshman in college; fact.
or condition, perhaps-that sho@ld serve
as an excuse for both of us. He had been
very emphatic in his belief that 1901
and his money were soon parted Up to
the time OF his death | had been IN no
way qualified to dispute this ancient theo-
ry In theory. no doubt | was the klno
of fool he referred to; but in practice !
was an untried novice. 1t $ very hard
for even fool 10 part with something he
hasn't got
In any event Uncle Rilas did not leave
me his money until my freshman days
were far behind me; wherein lies the sol
ace that he may have outgrown an oplh-
ion while | was going through the same
process. At twenty-three | confessed that
all freshmen were insufferabie, and lmme-
diatply afterward took my degree ana
went out into the world to convince IL
that seniors We're by no means adoleScent-
His original estimate of meas a fresh
man. of course-was uttered when |, at
the age of eighteen, picked out my walk
IN life so to speak. After conS'defihS
everything | decided to he literary man
much choice between the two. or per-
haps a Journalist. My Uncle Rilas was
scornful. He said that / would outSro"
it There was some conSoiauon Iii thdt-
He even admitted that when he was sew
enteen he wanted to be an actor 1Heie
YOU are.' said he.
! declared there was great dlherehce
between being an actor ana Delns writ
err Only handsome men could be actors
while I-well. by nature | was doomed u
80 NO novel,
ist, who doesn't have to spoil an ilIu-
sion by showing himself in public Be
sides | argued, povelists made great
deal of money and playwrlgnts.> TOO. LOT
that matter He said in reply that ar,
ordinarily vigorous washerwoman couid
make more money than the average nov
elist, and she always had a stocking with
out a hole to keep il in, which was more
to the point
When | was twenty-seven my first short
story appeared in a magazine of consid-
cradle weight. due to its advertislns
pages but NY Uncle Rilas didn feau IL
until / had convinced him that the nom
orarium amounted 20 three hundred dol-
lars. When he saw TIE check, however
he was properly impressed. lie took pack
what he said about the was2erWomah
but gave me little further advissscon-
corning the stocking.
In course of time my first novel appear
ed. 1t was love story. Uncle Rilas read
over 10 the last page. Then he began
it all over again and sat up nearly al
night to finish it. The next day ne can
ed it trash: but all the same he IN.
yited me to have luncheon with nm al
the Metropolitan Club. where he rather
noisily introduced me to a few old cro-
MES of his.
month later he died. He left me a
fortune which was all the more stag
gering, in view of the circumstance tnal
he had seen me named for my Uncle john
and not for him. :.
1t was not long afterward that / made
a perfect fool of myself by falling IN love
with my typist. 1t turned out very bad
w. She would have none of me. put
with considerable independence of spirit
elected to wed a splendid-looking young
fellow who clerked in a Jeweler SHOP on
5th avenue. / gave her as a wedding
present a very costly and magnificent
dining room set. fondly hoping that the
jewelers. clerk would experience great
deal of trouble living up to it.
At thirty-five | am still unattached ara
so far as l can tell. unloved- For tns
last year / have done little or no work
A month ago. in Vienna, l felt the plo
breaking out on me, VeCy mucn as ths
measles do. at most ino2poftune uh1t
for everybody concerned, and FAY secfe
tary more wide-awake u an you q ifffa M
by looking at him, urged me u codaiS
the muse while she was willing. ard no.
TO put her off till an evil day. as n y 2
frequently IN the ndDll VI !o-He.
1t was specially annoying. coming, as
il did Just as | was about to set OFF To-
a fortnight's motor boat trip up the oan
ube with Elsie Hazard and her stup
husband. the doctor. COMPROMISED VIII
myself hv deciding to give them Weei
of nv dreamy company, and then dasf
off to England, where / could WORK OF
the story in a sequestered village l hae
had in mind for some time.
The fourth day of our delectaale eNeur
or, lcvh a an ancient
name YOU would recall in an instant II
were fool enough 10 mention il, where w
were to put up for the night TN TN
crest of a stupcndous crag overhangins
the river almost opposite the town, which
isn't far from krems. stood the venerable
hut unvenerated castle of that nigh
handed old robber baron. the first of tn
Rothhoefens. lie has been in his sar
cophagas these six centuries. | am ad
vised. but YOU wouldn't think so to loo!
at the stronghold At a glance YOU cal
almost convince yourself that he is still
there with battleax and broadsword. ant
an infiamed eye at every window In tn
grim facade.
We picked up little of its histor,
when in the town. and the next nlornin.
crossed over to visit the place. Its an
tiquity was considerably enhanced by tn
presence of caIetaker who would neVe
see eighty again. and whose VIE wa
even older Their two sons lived witt
them In the capacity of loafers, and, a
things go in these rapid times or ours
appeared TO be even older and more sea
than their parents.
The next day instead of continuing ou
delightful trip down the river. We three
were scurrying to Salisbury, urged by {
sud len and stupendouS within on my Fart
and filled with a new interest in life.
had made up my mind to buy the castle
The Hazards sat up with me nearl,
the whole of the night. trying to talk MT
out of the mad design: but all TO no pur
pose. / was determined TO be the sort o
fool that Uncle Rilas referred to when h
so frequently quoted the old adage. Ny
only argument in reply to their entreatie
was that / had to have a quiet. inspira
tiona place in which to work. and be
sides ! was quite sure we could beat thu
impoverished owner down considerably il
the price. whatever it might turn on
TO he.
While the ancient caretaker admitted
that IL was for sale. he couldn't give M
the faintest notion what it was expected
TO bring. except that il ought to brini
more from an American than from an,
one else. and that he would be prout
and happy TO remain in my service, h
and his wife and his prodisiously capable
sons-either of whom IL put to the ties
could break all the bones in a bullocl
without half trying.
/ had no difficulty whatever in striking
bargain with the abandoned wretcl
who owned the schloss He seemed yer.
knock off a thousand pounds sterling. an
We hunted up notary and all the othe
officials necessary to the transfer Of tn
property. Al the end of three days
was the sole owner and proprietor of
feudai stronghold on the Danube. To
gether with all its contents. which in
cluded more antique furniture and tap
"a sslm