The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-09

but rather IN their town houses, don't
you think? Look at these wonderful
jsdes all about us-and, by Jove, in her
main drawing-room J noted two Corots,
three Rousseaus, Sorolla, small can
vas by your great Inness, and portrait
of the lady herself by Msdrazzo-and
as for this library" he added, sweeping
the room with a gesture, why, it's a
perfect gem. Really, you Americans are
astoundingl"
ooh, well, why not?" said Rswson.
THE lady has to do something to keep
from drowning in money, and these days,
while they don't pay interest pictures
and books and>jades are about the safest
investments you can find.
"By Cad, sir, fancy you're right
said the colonel IF my poor old friend
Godfrey Haldane had bought pictures,
and jades, and books ten years ago in
stead of investing every penny he had
IN Mexico, in the hope of 20 per cent
dividends, he'd have had something to
show for it now, sir"
Rawson was standing by large open
mahogany bookcase as Bustard spoke,
casually examining its contents.
"Just look at this" he said, taking
down handsome morocco case made in
the image of book, and extracting a
small pamphlet from within. Here's
a first copy of Shelley's 'Adonais' in its
original purple paper covers. Priceless~
he added, with enthusiasm. Absolutely
priceless. Why, know FIVE men in the
city of New York today who'd give $500
for that, and if they got bidding against
each other for II the Lord only knows
how high it would go-into the thou
sands, probably"
Really, now?" said Bastard, gazing
eagerly at the little treasure. Thou
sands for-for that, Ell? / should think
they must have rather large bank ac-
counts"
well, rather" said Rawson. "a thou
sand dollars to Wilkinson Wright, or J.
Henry Peabody, my dear colonel, isn't
much more than seven cents to you or
to me, and as for old Horatio Packard.
welt he can draw a check for six fig
ures and not feel it half as much as you
and l feel the strain of having to pay out
dollar for a strip of trolley tickets.
They'd rather pay $1,000 for book than
s. any day, and-well, by ginger, will
you look at this" he cried, interrupting
himself as he restored the Shelley to
its place and took down a flexible mo-
rocco bound volume. AN original man.
uscript by dear old Charles Lamb-his
essay on Old ChinaP Bless my soul,
Jenkins, why-the idea of running across
such treasure as that in a country
house"
at ought to be in the British Mu-
scum" said l.
NO" said Rawson. "No-it's safer
here with Mrs. Harlow, with militant
suffragettes around. Ordinarily you
would be right, but in these days of
arsonettes, mayhemettes, and other
variegated cites, around slashing and
burning things, treasure like that is
more safely bestowed in the hands of
private collector"
Col Bustard moved away in few mo-
ments, and was soon busy with a bevy
of charming ladies to whom he highly
commended himself with an interesting
disquisition on the subject of the do
mestic problem in Ceylon, of which he
seemed to know much. Rawson and l
continued our inspection of the books.
Suddenly Billie laughed.
81 wonder if this dear lady ever sees
anything but the outside of her books"
he went on. Il see she has set of Bur-
toms Arabian Nights here"
why not?" said l. Pretty good
stuff. isn't it,"
AL" said Rawson, but some of it
is pretty infammable material. Hardly
the style of literature most ladies would
care for, and Mrs. Harlow is some
church worker, you know. She has a
Bible class here very Wednesday after
noon, and l was juEt wondering VIVA;
some of the good people who come here
to listen to advanc-' IDEAS IN Scriptural
Interpretation would say to some of the
paragraphs in Burt"
Again Rawson paused in the middle
of his sentence.
See here, jenkins" he said lust for
the fun OF it, I'd like to be. you some
thing small-say $z5-that an expert
could get away with Lei CT Mrs. Har-
lows stuff here inside OF ten days with
out her knowing anything stcut il"
l griuned. "Yes, l srppnse he could
said ]. "But don't know that I'd care
10 be an accessory"
you don't have to be an accessory"
said Rawson "All you'll have to do
will be to fork over SIS at the end of
ten days when 1 show you that set of
Burton reposing in the bottom of my
trunk" a..-.
"Oh, come, Billie" said /. That's