The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-05-07
Continued From Last Week.

Wv IHo pdoI yodi hdNo uOAo AittlC
or NO work. My books are few
and far between, so few in fact,
that more than once have felt the
sting of dilettantism inflicting my
labors with more or less increasing
sharpness. It is not for me to say that
| despise a fortune, but I am con-
strained to remark that believe pov.
erty would have been fairer friend
to me. At any rate / now pamper
myself to an unreasonable extent For
one thing, feel that l cannot work
much less think-when opposed by dis
tracing conditions such as women, tea,
disputes over luggage, and things of
that sort. They subdue all the romantic
tendencies l am SO parsimonious about
wasting. My best work is done when
the madding crowd is far from me.
Hence I seek out remote, obscure
places when feel the plot boiling, and
grind away for dear life with nothing
to distract me save no unconquerable
habit acquired very early in life which
urges me to eat three meals day and
to sleep nine hours out Of twenty four.
A month ago, in Vienna, l felt the plot
breaking out on me, very much as the
measles do, at a most inopportune time
for everybody concerned, and my secre-
tary, more wide-awake than you d i'm.
agine by looking at him, urged me to
coddle the muse while she was willing
and not to put her off till an evil day,
as frequently am in the habit Of
doing.
1t was especially annoying, coming
as it did, just as I was about to set
off for fortnight's motor-boat trip
up the Danube with Elsie Hazard and
her stupid husband, the doctor. com.
promised with myself by deciding to
give them week Of my dreamy com.
pany, and then dash off to England
where could work off the story in
a sequestered village I had had in
mind for some time past.
The fourth day of our delectable ex.
cursion brought us to an ancient town
whose name you would recall in an
instant if were fool enough to men.
tion it, and where we were to put up
for the night. On the crest of stu.
pendous crag overhanging the river, al
most opposite the town, which isn't far
from Krems, stood the venerable but
unvenerated castle Of that highland
ed old robber baron, the first of the
Rothhoefens. He has been in his sar.
cophagus these six centuries, I am ad-
vised, but you wouldn't think SO to
look at the stronghold. At a glance
you can almost convince yourself that
he is still there, with battle-axe and
broad-sword, and an inflamed eye at
every window in the grim facade.
We picked up little Of its history
while in the town, and the next morn
ing crossed over to visit the place. Its
antiquity was considerably enhanced by
the presence Of caretaker who would
never see eighty again, and whose wife
was even older. Their two sons lived
with them in the capacity OF loafers
and, as things go in these rapid times
of ours, appeared to be even older and
more sere than their parents.
1t is winding and tortuous road
that leads up to the portals of this
huge old pile, and 1 couldn u help think.
ink how stupid I have always been in |
execrating the spirit Of progress that
conceives the funicular and rack.and.
pionion railroads which serve to com.
mercialize grandeur instead Of protect.
ing it. Half way up the hill, we paused
to rest, and quite clearly remember
growing that if the confounded thing
belonged to me I'd build funicular or
install an elevator without delay. Poor
Elsie was too fatigued to say what she