The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-03-12

less interior, the former owner of the
house might have deserted 1t O week
ago. On wall-rack lay two walking.
sticks and a gold-mounted hunting
crop, and on a great carved chest
| below II had been flung an opened
book bound in fooled leather John
/ Valiant picked this up curiously. It
was Lucille" He noted that here
and there passages we're marked with
penciled lines-some light and femi-
ninety delicate, some heavier, as
though two had been reading 1t to-
gether, noting their individual prefer
ences.
He laid 1t back musingly, and open
ing door, entered the large room 1t
disclosed. This had been the dining
room. At one end stood a crystal
knobbed mahogany sideboard, holding
glass candlesticks in the shape of
Ionic columns-above Il a quaint por-
trait of a lady in hoops and love
curls--and at the other end was a
huge fireplace with rust-red firedogs
and furnished brass fender. All these,
with the round centipede table and
the Chippendale chairs set in order
against the walls, we're dimmed and
grayed with a thick powdering Of dust.
The next room that he entered was
big and wide, place of dark colors,
nobly smutched of time. Ii had been
at once library and living-room. A
great leather settee was drawn near
the desk and beside this stood read
lng.stand with a small china dog and
a squat bronze lamp upon II. In con-
trast to the orderly dining-room there
was about this chamber sense of
untouched disorder--a desk-drawer
jerked half-open, yellowed news
paper torn across and flung into cor
ner, books tossed on desk and lounge,
and in the fireplace little heap OF
whitened ashes in which charred frag-
ments told OF letters and papers
burned In haste.
Suddenly he lifted his eyes. Above
the desk hung a lfe-size portrait OF
man. In the high soft stock and vel
vet collar OF half century before. |
The right eye, strangely, had been cut
from the canvas. He stood straight |
and tall, one hand holding an eager |
hound In leash. his face proud and
tiorid, his single. cold, steelblue eye
staring down through it's dusty curtain
with a certain malicious arrogance,
and his lips set In sardonic curve
that seemed about to sneer 1t was
Tor an instant as II the pictured figure
the young man who stood
here, mutely challenging his entrance
INTO that tomb.like and secret-keeping
luiet; and he gazed back as fixedly,
'epelled by the craft of the face, yet
Iubtly attracted. II wonder who you
we're" he said You were cruel.
Perhaps you we're wicked. But you
we're strong, too
He returned to the outer hall to find
hat the negro had carried in his
runk. and he babe him place 1t. with
he portmanteau, in the room he had
asst left Dusk was falling.
Uncle Jefferson" said Valiant alb
uptly, have you a family?"
mo, sub. Jes' me en- nah oil
d
Can she cook?"
Cook" The genial litter again
aptured his dusky escort. when (
he got do fixens. All reckn she dc
eaten'es cook In his heah county"
How would you both like to live I
ere with me for while? She could {
ook and you could take care OF me-"
Uncle Jefferson's eyes seemed to
urn inward with mingled surprise and
itrospection He shifted from one /
DOT to the other, swallowed difficulty i
everal times. and said. "Ah ain neb- {
ah seed yo' befo, sub" I
"Well. | haven't seen you either. {
ave II"
Oats de trufe. sub, deed ct isl
Iyuh. hyuhl Whut All means ter &
ay is dat do oil CONAN kahn cook
o fancy didoes like what dey eats up !
lori. She kin jes' cook de Ferginey q
lyle"
That sounds good to me-" quoth
'aliant I'm risk 1t. Now as tc
IS