The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-05-08

"Britton. what's all this gossip hear
going the rounds Of the castle behind
my back exclaimed.
Confound him. he looked pleased. |.
''It's quite trne. sir: quite true"
"Quite true" roared. whats
quite true. sir?'
isn't it. sir?' he asked. dismayed
"Isn't what?"
81 mean to say. sir. isn't it true?" g
"My God 7 cried. throwing up my
hands In hopeless despair. "You-you
wait! I'm going to sct to the bot
tom Of this. | want the truth. Brit.
ton. Who put it into that confounded
head or yours that | am-er-in love
with the countess: Speak. Who did
it?"
He lowered bis voice. presumably be-
cause had dropped mine to very
loud whisper. also had glanced over
both shoulders.
Begging your pardon. sir. but
must be honest, sir. 1t was you as
first put it into my cad. sir"
"T:" My face went the colc- of a
cardinals cap
"You, sir. IT'S as plain as the nose
on your
THAT will do. Britton." l command
ed. He remained discreetly silent
THAT will do, ! say" repeated some
what testify. DO you hear. sir?"
"ies. sir" he responded. That will
do. you says"
"Ahem. l-ahem."
Five minutes later | was at her door
my heart in my mouth. sudden
inexplicable form of panic took pos
session of me.
After some deiberation | came to a
decision. The proper thing for me to
do was to show all of them that their
ridiculous suspicious vsae wrong. Res.
olutely ! marched downstairs.
For some two long and extremely
monotonous days toiled. could not
deny to myself that | was missing
those pleasant hours with the countess.
did miss them. | missed Rosemary
and Jinko and Helen Marie Louise An.
toinette and Blake.
Blatchford came to the door.
"A note for you. sir, if you please"
said he. He was holding the salver
almost on IL level with his nose.
My heart - my incomprehensibe
heart-gave "A leap that sent the blood
rushing to my face.
Thank you, Blatchford; that will
do"
Il beg your pardon, sir. but there is
to be an answer"
Oh said |.
l tore open the envelope.
l managed to dash off a brief note
In fairly nonchalant manner. Batch
FORD almost committed the unpardon-
able crime of slamming the door be-
hind him. he was in such hurry to be
off with the message.
Then | went over and stood above
Mr.. Poopendyke.
MIR. Poopendyke," said slowly.
darkly. what do you know about those
violets?"
He quailed. II hope you don't mind,
MIR. Smart, It's all right. put one
of your cards in so that there couldn't
be any mistake"
Halfway up the winding stairways |
paused in some astonishment II had
just occurred to me that ! was going
up the steps two at a time and that
my heart was beating like mad.
L reflected. Here was | racing along
Ike schoolboy. and for what? What
occasion was there for such unseemly
haste? In the first place. 1t was now
but few minutes after II. and she
had asked me for luncheon. There was
no getting around that. At best lunch.
con was two hours off. So why was |
galloping like this? The series of self
inflicted questions found me utterly
unprepared. | couldn't answer one of
them
After ten minutes Of serious, undis.
turbed consideration of the matter
came to the final conclusion that Il
was not love, but pity. that had driven
me to such abnormal activity 1t was
nonsense to even argue the point.
For an hour and a half by my watch.
but five or six by my nerves.. paced
the lonely. sequestered halls in the
lower regions of the castle. Two or
three times was sure that my watch
had stopped. the hands seemed so sta.
tionary. The third time / tried tc
wind 1t broke the handspring. but as
1t was nearly o'clock not much harm
was done.
That one little sentence. Have you
deserted me?' grew TO be voIuminous