The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-09-03

holding the keys He was to await my
signal to reopen them, but he was not
to release me under any circumstance
if snoopers were abroad.
My secretary was vastly disturbed
by the news l impaired. He was SO
startled that he forgot to tell me that
he wouldn't spend another night on
pile OF rugs with Britton as bed -fel-
low, an omission which gave Britton the
opportunity to anticipate him by almost
giving me notice that very night (The
upshot of it was the hasty acquisition
OF two brand new iron beds the next
day, and the restoration of peace in my
domestic realm)
! Somewhat timorously I knocked at
the Countess door. / realized that it
was most unseemly hour for calling
on a young, beautiful and unprotected
lady, but the exigencies of the moment
lent moral support to my invasion.
After waiting five minutes and then
knocking again so loudly that the sound
reverberated through the empty halls
with a sickening elatter, I heard some
one fumbling with the bolts. The door
opened an inch or two.
The Countess French maid peered
out at me.
"Tell your mistress that l must see
her at once"
|
Madame is not at home, m 'sieur, -
said the young woman.
Not at homei'' gasped. "Where
is shei"
Madame has gone to bed
{, "Oh," " said, blinking. "Then she
is at home. Present my compliments
and ask her to get up. Something very
exasperating has hap"
Madame has request me to inform
m 'sieur that she knows the Count is
here, and will you be SO good as to
call tomorrow morning"
What She knows he s here' Who
brought the informationg"
"The bountiful Max, m 'sieur. He
bring it with dejeuner, again with
dinner, and but now with the hot water,
N 'sieur.'
"Oh, I see, said profoundly. "In
that case, I-sha n t disturb her. How
-er-how did she take its"
She gave me severely reproachful
look.
"She took it as usual, m 'seur In
that dreadful little tin tub old Con
rad
"Good heavens, girl I mean the
news-the news about the Count"
Mon dieu! I thought m 'sieur refer
to But yesl She take it beautifully.
l too mean the news. Madame is not
afraid. Has she not the good brave
m 'sieur to-what you call ito shoul-
der all the worry, moi She is not alarm.
She reads m 'seur s latest book in bed, |
smoke the cigarette and she say what
the divil do she care"
"What!"
"Non, no! ], Helene Marie Louise
Antoinettc, say it for Madame. Par
don! Pardon, m 'seur! 1t is | who am
wicked.'
Very stiffly and tremendously | ad-
vised caution for the next twelve hours.
and saying good night to Helene Marie
Louise Antoinette in an unintentionally
complimentary whisper, took myself off
down the stairs, pursued by an equally
bon soir which made me feel
like softstepping Lothario.
Now it may occur to you that any
gentleman in possession
of castle and grain of common
sense would have set about to find out
the true names of the guests beneath
his roof. The task would have been a
simple one there is no doubt of that. {
A peremptory command with rigid
alternative would have brought out the {
truth in jiffy.
But it so happens that ] rather en-
joyed the mystery. The situation was
unique, the comedy most exhilarating.
Of course, there was tragic side to
the whole matter, but now that l was I
in for it, why minimize the novelty by i
adopting arbitrary measuresi Three {
minutes of stern conversation with Elsie t
Hazard would enlighten me on all the s