The evening world., 1914-03-14

tnemE ne inquired with polite irony.
Then to his lawyer: Take the gem
tleman's receipt for the amount In the
presence of witnesses. THIS Il q busi-
ness transaction. not game OF
chance" IL was the insult perfect.
As he prepared to take hts depar-
ture. he assumed an inslnt,attng air
of apology, and remarked TO me:
~ owe you an apology, Mr.. Smart.
There was q time when did you an
injustice. suspected you of keeping
your mistress here. Pray forgive my
error"
Five days later I was snusly en-
sconced In the ducsl quite at Bristol,
overlooking the Observation-Disclosures,
bereft of my bsronial possessions but
not at all sorry. Ny romance had
been short-lived. IL In one thing to
write novels about medieval castles
and quite another thing TO try to
write a novel IN one OF them. I trust
may never again be guilty OF such
arrant stupidity as to think that an
American born citizen can become a
feudal baron by virtue Of his dollars
and cents, any more than an Ameri.
can born girl can hope to be a real.
dyed n-the- wool countess or duchess
because some one needs the money
ssASsO oho uOcSs ~ WOuI0 w
as impossible, contrari- wise, to trans
form q noble duke into a plain Amert-
can citizen, SO there you are. even up.
My plans were made. After Q fort
night In Vienna, l expected to 20 ives.
to London for the autumn. and then
back to New York. Strange to relate,
] was homesick. Never before had
my thoughts turned 90 restlessly, no
wistfully to the haunts Of my boy
hood days. began to long for tho
lights Of Broadway (which ] had
scornfully despised in other days..
and the gay peacockery Of Fifth ave-
nue. at four In the afternoon. II
seemed to me that nowhere In all the
world was life so Joyous and blithe
and worth while az In ''old New
SO attractive, nowhere such restau--
ants. Even. in retrospect. the sub
way looked allurtng, and as for the
Fifth avenue stages they were too
beautiful for words. All, what q
builder Of unreal things q spell of
may become II one
gives It half . chance!
As for Schloss Rothhoefen. I had It
in excellent authority (no less a per-
son than Conrad Schmick himself)
that barely had ! shaken the dust OF
the place from myself before the new
master put into execution . most ex-
and incomprehensible
plan Of reconstruction. In the first
place he gave all the servants two
weeks notice, and then began TO rase
the castle from the bottom upward
instead Of the other way round. ~ q
ssnsible person might have been ex-
pect0d to do. He was Knocking out
TIE walls IN the cellars and diGgins
40 tke stone floors with splendid dis.
regard for that ominous thing known
as n cataclysm. The grave question
In the minds OF the servaats IVES
the usual and somewhat
two weeks notice
wouldn't prove . trihe too long after
alton worthy Of an ONCE boy, man
aged to produce a sick grandmother
and got away from the place at the
end Of ono week. although having
been paid in full for two.
The day on which left for Paris
still saw TarnowGy at work with his
masons. heroically battering down tho
walls Of the grim old stronghold, and
chuckled to myself. 1t was quite
evident that he hadn't found the hid
Ing place up to that time.
After several days in Paris. I took
myself of to London. I was expecting
letters at ClaridRe's, where always
take rooms. not because think It is
the best hotel in London but because
I am. to some extent. . creature OF
habit. Ny mother took me to Clar-
idge's when ! was . boy and I saw .
wonderful parsonage at the door
whom was pleased to call the King.
Ever since then have been soin9 to
and while my hret king 10
bids fAir to live hong. albeit 10 ons
wears the most gorgeous buttons I've
ever sean. and doubt u King Solo
mon himself could have been more
regal. Certainly not Observation-Disclosures.
He works from seven In the morning
until seven at night, and he has an
imperial scorn for anything smaller
than half . sovereign.
There were many letters waiting
there for me. but not one rom the
Countess Aline. I had encouraged
the hope that she might write to me;
II was the least she could DO in re-
turn for all that I had done for her.
my wretched behav-
iour on the last day Of our associa-
Ion. While had undoubtedly offend
ed in the most fragrant manner. still
nay act was not unpardonable. There
was tribute, not outrage In my be-
havior.
Poopendyks f,dEsted . good deal
with the ocauty results Of my literary
laboPs. rattliAS tho typed pages IN .
most iusinuatinS way. He oiled his
machine with aocusative frequency.
but failed to respond. I wAs In no
mood for writing. He said 70 me ono
day:
Il don't sss Why you keep . score
tary., Mr.. Smart. I don't ssssa to
earn my salt"
salt. Mr.. Poopendyks." said !. '1s
the cheapest thing know Of. Now.
if you had said pepper I might pause
to reflect. hut am absolutely. inex-
orably opposed to rating anything on
. salt basis. II you
"You know what I mean." he said
stiff1y. II am Of no use to you"
"Ah," said ] triumphantly. but
you forget! Who IL It that draws tho
Ialary checks for yourself and Britton.
and who keeps the accounts straight?
Who, I repeat? Why, you. Mr.. Poop
You draw TIA ehsclEs. Isn't
that somsthinSf"
Tiff ! didn't know you 20 we'll, I
wouldn't hesitate to call You Q