The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-02-01

be back soon; and he certainly can't
find out anything by stumping down a
road like this-I didn't think he
could
"Then why did you send him out p
she cried. She had the proud, impetu-
Gus face that goes with reddish color
ing and a Roman nose, as it did in
Marie Antoinettc. He looked at her
steadily for the first time, and said:
Because I hoped you would speak
to me-
She looked back at him for some
time with a heated face, in which hung
a red shadow of anger; then, despite
her anxietics, humor broke out of her
eyes and the corners of her mouth,
and she answered almost grimly: We'll
if you're so keen on my conversation.
perhaps you'll answer my question"
After a pause she added: Il had the
honor to ask you why you thought the
mans nose was false
The wax always spots like that just
little in this weather. answered
Father Brown, with entire simplicity.
Bot its such a crooked nose re-
monstrated the red-haircd girl.
The priest smiled in his turn. Il
don't say its the sort of nose one
would wear out of mere foppery," he
admitted. This man, l think, wears
it because his real nose is SO much
nicer
But why?" she insisted.
What is the nursery rhyme:" OBJ
served Brown absent-mindedly. There
was a crooked man, and he went
crooked mile That man, fancy, has
gone a very crooked road-by follow
ing his nose"
why, what's he done?' she de-
manded
Il don't want TO force your conf
dence," said Father Brown quietly;
but | think you could tell me more
about that man than | can tell you"
The red-haired girl sprang to her
feet as if about to stride away; then
she sat down again.
Il will tell you everything" she said,
except why am telling you; and that
| don't know
You look as if you know what isn't
snobbery as we'll as what is; and when
| say that ours is a good old family,
you'll understand it is a necessary part
Of the story. Well, my name is Chris
label Carstairs; and my father was that
Col. Carstairs you've probably heard
of who made the famous Carstairs COL
lection of Roman coins. | could never
describe my father to you; the nearest
| can say is that he was very like a
Roman coin himself. He was as hand
some and as genuine and as valuable
and as metallic and as out of date. He J
was prouder of his collection than of |
MS coat-of-arms-nobody could say
more than that. His extraordinary |
character came out most in his will. He |
mad two sons and one daughter. He |
luarreled with one son, my brother |
Giles, and sent him to Australia on a |
small allowance. He then made will |
leaving the Carstairs collection, actual !
Iy with yet smaller allowance, to my |
brother Arthur. He meant it as the |
highest honor he could offer. He left |
me practically all his pretty large for
tune; and | am sure he meant it in |
Arthur, you may say, might well |
of this; but Arthur is my |
father over again. Though he had
iome differences with my father in
.arly youth, no sooner had he taken
over the collection than he became
ike a pagan priest dedicated to tenn
BE. He acted as if Roman money
must be guarded by all the Roman viz
ues. He took no pleasures; he spent
nothing on himself; he lived for the
collection. Often he would not trouble
o dress for his simple meals, but pot
cred about among the corded brown
,aper parcels (Which no one else was
allowed to touch) in an old brown
PRESSING gown. With his pale, thin,
,efined face, he looked like an old as
:etic monk. Every now and then,
hough, he would appear dressed like
| decidedly fashionable gentleman; but
hat was only when he went up TO the
london sales or shops to make an ad-
lition to the Carstairs collection.
Now, if you've known any young
'eople, you won't be shocked if / say
hat ! got into rather low frame of
mind with all this-I'm not like my
'rother Arthur; ! can't help enjoying
Enjoyment. | got a lot of romance
nd rubbish where / got my red hair
rom the other side OF the family.
Il como now to the silly part OF the
tory. | think a man as clever as you
an guess the sort of thing that would
elieve the monotony for a, girl of
eventeen placed in srch position. We
ived then at little seaside watering