The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-16

with stern, compelling gaze, "this has
gone quite far enough"
"Yes, mein herrs"
"Do you serve me, or do you serve
1.-THE lady in the east wing9"
81 do" said he, with great deal
more wit than l thought he possessed.
For a moment I was speechless, but not
Tor the reason you may suspect I was
trying to fix my question and his re-
sponse quite clearly in my memory SO
that l might employ them later in the
course of conversation between char
acters in my Forthcoming novel.
~ have been talking with the lady
this evening"" said I.
eyes, mein herr; I know" said he.
ooh, you do, ehf Well, will you be
good enough to tell me what the devil
is the meaning of all this two faced,
underhanded conduct on your part?"
He lowered his head, closed his thin
lips and fumbled with the hem of his
smock in Significantly sullcn manner.
1t was evident that he meant to defy
me. His sharp little eyes sent warn
ing look at GIetel, who instantly ceased
her mutterings and gave over asking
God to bear witRess to something or
other. She was always dragging in the
Deity.
"Now, see here, Conrad, I want the
truth from you. Who is this woman,
and why are you so Internally set upon
shielding her? What crime has she com
mitteds Tell me at once, or, by the
Lord Harry, out you go tomorrow-all
of you
~ am a very old man." he whined,
twisting his gnarled fingers, a sugges-
tion Of tears in his voice. "My wife is
old, mein herr. You must not be cruel.
We have been here for sixty years. The
old baron"
Enough" cried resolutely. "Out
with it, man. l mean all that l say"
He was still for Tong time, looking
first at the floor and then at me; fur
tive, appealing, uncertain little glances
from which he hoped to derive comfort
by catching me with twinkle in my
eye. l have stupid, weak way of
letting a twinkle appear there even
when I am trying to be harsh and
domineering. Britton has noticed it fre-
quently, am sure, and l 'hink he
rather depends upon it. But now real
lied, if never before, that to betray
the slightest sign of fentleness would
be to forever forfeit my standing as
master in my own house. Conrad saw
no twinkle. He began to weaken.
Tomorrow, mein herr, tomorrow, ~
he mumbled, in final plea. I shook
my head. "She will explain everything
tomorrow, - he went ON eagerly. ~ am
sworn to reveal nothing, mein herr. My
wife, too, and my sons. We may not
speak until she gives the word. Alas!
we shall he turned out to die in our
"We have been faithful servants to
the Rothhoefens for sixty years."
sobbed his wife.
"And still are, suspect" I cried
angrily.
"Ach mein herr, mein herr!" pro-
tested Conrad, greatly perturbed.
"Where are the keys, you old ras-
eal'" I demanded so sternly that even
Dooynp1xla woe u a r{1ed
Conrad almost resorted to the ex-
pedieney of grovelling. "Forgive! for
give!" he groancd. "I have done only |
what Was best. 4"
"Produce the keys, sir!"
"But not tonight, not tonight" he
pleaded. "She will be very angry. She
will not like it, mein herr. Ach, Gott!
She will drive us out, she will shame
up all! Ach and she who is SO gentle
and so unhappy and $3.50 kind to all
of usl II cannot-I cannot! Mol"
Mr.. Poopendyke' IS common sense came
in very handily at this critical iuncture.
He counselled me to let the matter rest
until the next morning, when, it was
reasonable to expect, the lady herself
would explain everything. Further ap-
peal to Schmick was like brtting one s
head against stone wall, he said.
Courad's loyalty to the lady
was most commendable.
Conrad and Gretel beamed on Poopen-
dyke. They thanked him so profound