The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-21
CONTINUED

manded resolutely.
| Very reluctantly Max barred bis great
arms. spit upon his hands and. with
pitifui look at his parents, prepared to
deal the first blow upon the ancient
paddock. But the paddock merely shed
few scabs OF rust and ratified back
into its customary repose.
Seer cried Max, triumphantly. "It
cannot be broken"
ut Is Il very fine lock-" cried old
Conrad. with a note of pride in his
voice.
| began to feel some pride in the
thing myself. ut is. indeed said
"Try once more. Max"
1t seemed to me that he struck with
d great deal more confidence than be-
fore. but without result
Give ME the hammer" ] said In
desperation. Max surrendered the
clumsy. old fashioned Instrument with
a grin and / motioned for them all to
stand back. Three successive blows
with all the might | had In my body
failed to shatter the lock. whereupon
my choler rose to heights hitherto un.
known, ! being very mild hammered.
| placid person and averse to anything
savoring ot the tenpestuous. de-
livered a savage and resounding
thwack upon the broad oak panel Of
the door. regardless of the destructive
ness that might attend the effort. IL
any one had told me that couldn't
splinter an oak board with a sledge
hammer at single blow | should have
laughed in his face. But as 1t turned
out In this case | not only failed to
split the panel. but broke OF the sledge
handle near the head. putting 1t Who'll
ly out of commission for the time be-
ing as well as stinging my hands so Sc
verely that | doubled up with pain.
The Schmicks fairly glowed with
| Joy. Afterward Max informed me that
the door was nearly six inches thick
and often had withstood the assaults
OF huge battering rams. back In the
dim past when occasion induced the
primal baron to seek safety in the east
wing. which. after all. appears to have
been the reaI. simon pure fortress.
AS we trudged Dack to the lower
halls, defeated, but none the less i'm
| pressed by our failure to devastate our
stronghold. / was struck by the aw.
full barrenness of the surroundings.
| There suddenly came over me the
shocking reaiization-tbe contents" OF
the castle. as set forth rather vaguely
In the DILL or sale. were not what
had been led to consider them.
Herr Schmck." said l.. abruptly
halting my party In the center of the
nall, what has become or the rugs
that were here last week and where
is that pile OF furniture we mad back
yonder?'
Old Conrad was not slow In answer.
ing.
THE gentlemen called day before
yesterday. mein herr, and took much
away. They will return tomorrow for
the remainder"
"GentlemenT" gasped. Remain
derT"
THE gentlemen to whom the herr
count Suld the rugs and chairs and
chests and'--
"Whatw roared Even Poopen
! dyke jumped at this sudden exhibition
! of wrath. do you mean to tell me
that these things nave been sold and
carried away without n,y knowledge
! or consent? I'll have the law
Hprr bnnnapd y. ipfaryanod sNrho q
( had bills OF Sale and orders for re-
movui OF property dated several weeks
| prior to your purchase. Mr. Smart We
had TO let the articles go. You surely
remember my speaking to you about
It."
81 don't remember anything" snap.
| ped. which was the truth. why
why, | bought everything that the cas-
tie contained! This is robbery. What
the dickens do you mean by
Old Conrad held up his hands as II
expecting to pacify me. sputtered
out the rest of the sentence, which
really amounted to nothing.
"The count has been selling OF the
lovely old pieces for the past six
months. sir. Ach. what sin! They
have come here day after day. these
| furniture buyers. to take away the
most priceless of our treasures. to sell
them to the poor rich at twenty prices.
could weep over the sacrifices.
have wept. haven't |, Gretel? Eh. Ru-
dolph? Buckets of tears nave | shed,
mein herr. Oceans of them. Time aft
er time have | implored him to deny
these rascally curio hunters. these
bloodsucking"
But listen TO me-" ! broke In. "Do
you mean to say that articles have
been taken away from the castle since
| came into possession"
Many of them. sir. Always with
proper credentials. believe me. Ach,
what spendthrift he is. And his
poor wife. Ach. Gott. how she must
suffer! Nearly all OF the grand paint
ings, the tapestries that came from
France and Itaiy hundreds of years
ago, the wonderful old bedsteads and
tables that were here when the castle
was new-all gone. And for mere
songs. mein herr-the cheapest OF
songs! ~
please don't weep now. Herr
Schmick." | made haste to exclaim.
seeing iachrymose symptoms in his
blear old eyes. Then became firm
once more. This knaverv must ceasr