The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-07-02

MY white e%lephantw I was so ca.
ger to get rid Of 1t that ! would have
wired at once, naming a figure proper.
tionately low had 1t moi been for the
united protests Of my four friends aud
the canny advice Of Mr.. Poopendyke.
SOAK him"' said be. and | arose to
the occasion.
waited for three days and then tel
egraphed him that l would not take a
heller less than $25O.OOO. more than
doubling the price ! had paid for the
property. was prepared. however. to
come down a paitry hundred thousand
Or so II he revealed signs Of reluctance.
We built another bonfire that night
and danced around 1t like 80 many
sa wages.
Terms acceptable. WIN come 10 schloss
Rothhoefen at once to complete the trans
fer. TARNOWSY.
Accompanied by Hazard and Smith.
went over the castle from top to
bottom in quest Ut the reason for Tar
uowsy's prompt acceptance Of my de-
mand. We had no doubt that he had
u good and sufficient reason for want.
ing the place. and but one thing sug.
gested itself to our imagination; his
absolute certainty that treasure was
hidden somewhere about the venerable
pile, treasure Of considerable magni-
tude, you may be sure, or he would
not have revealed such alacrity Ia &C.
repting my terms. Sentiment had
| nothing to do with this surprising
move on his part. That was all bosh.
He had an Interior motive. and 1t was
for me to get the better Of him at his
own game II | could. While l was
eager to get rid of the castle at any.
price. ! did not relish the thought Of
being laughed at for Il fool by Maris
Tarnowsy after he had laid his greedy
hands upon treasure that had been
mine without my knowledge.
He was no fool. The castle meant
nothing to him as a home or as an in
vestment. 40 doubt he would blow it
to pieces in order to unearth the thing
he knew its walls secreted.
We spent two Improbable days in
going over the place. and in the end
sank down tired. defeated and without
the slightest evidence in our possession
that So much as a half crown lay hid
den there as treasure trove. ! gave in
and announced that II. Tarnowsy could
find anything worth having be was en-
titled to it 50 far as | was concerned,
and | wouldn't begrudge him a farth.
ing's worth.
He telegraphed that he would arrive
on the morhing OF the third day. &C.
%companied by his lawyer, a notary and
an architect. My four guests departed
in haste by the late night train after
extracting a promise from me to join
them in Vienna when | was no longer
the master of Schloss Rothhoefen. |
rather relished the thought of q brief
vacation.
Then. like the spiuer. l crept back
into my web and waited for the fool
ish fly, knowing all the time that he
would have the better Of me in the
long run.
l confess to a feeling Of sadness in
parting with the place, after all, ele-
phantine though it was in every sense
Of the word. Within its gray and an
cient walls that beautiful thing called
love had come to me to live with me
forever. 1t had come %unbidden, against
my will. against my better judgment
and in spite Of my prejudices, but still
it was a thing to cherish and to hold
in its virgin youth all through the long
years to come. 1t would always be
young and sweet and rose colored. this
unrequited love Of mine. Walking
through the empty, dismantled rooms
that had once been hers. | grew sick
with longing and in something like
fear fed downward. absurd tears blind
ing my eyes. Verify. l was a fool-a
monstrous, silly fool!
Tarnowsy was as bland and smiling
as a May morning as he came jauntily
down the great hall to where l await
ed him.
Il I'M here incognito, my deal
Smart" he said. extending his gloveG
hand, which l took perforce. "Sut
rosa. you might say" be went ON
with a wry smile. "A stupid. unchiv
alric empire has designs upon me. per
functorily perhaps, but it's just as vel
not to stir up the monkeys. as you
Americans would put It."
"Our late friend, the baron. was no
totally without friends. | take it." sait
l dryly.
He made a grimace. "Nor enemies.
he declared. Brave men usually hav
more enemies than friends. and be wa
a brave man. a truly brave mar BE
cause he was a brave man l have n,
feeling Of regret over the outcome o
our-er-meeting. 1t is no honor t
kill a coward, Mr.. Smart"
He introduced his three companions
l was surprised to see that the lawye
was not the fawning ~Schymansky an
lo<oo mn inr,,iro1 Por him, N>nvrn-c,