The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-17
less bedchamber, with all manner of
 night birds trying to get in at the win

less bedchamber with all manner of night birds trying to get in at the win dows, was rather disturbing, and I wei comed my retainers with open arms
 My first night had been spent In huge old bed. carefully prepared for occupancy by Herr Schmiek,s frau. I knew there was a ceiling. for I had seen its beams during the daylight hours, but to save my soul couldn't imagine anything so far away as it seemed to be after the candles had been taken away by the careta1xerss wife, who had tucked. me away in the bed with ample propriety and thor rughness combined.
 Twice during that interminabIe night thought heard a baby crying. So it is not unreasonable to suppose that I was more than glad to see Poopen- dyke, my secretary, clambering up the path with his typewriter in one hand and his green baize bag in the other, followed close behind by Britton, my valet, and the Gargentuan brothers, bearing trunks. bags, boxes and my golf clubs.
 'eWhewf' said Poopendyke, dropping wearily upon my doorstep.
 My secretary is youngish man with thin. stooping shoulders and habit of perpetualIy rubbing his knees together when he walks.
 ..It is something Of climb, isn't it9'' said beamingIy.
 .sIn the name of heaven, MT. Smart, what could have induced you to- He got no farther than this, and to my certain knowledge this unfinished re proof was the nearest he ever came to openly convfcting me of asininity.
 Make yourself at home, old fellow, said I in some haste. I felt sorry for him .'We are going to be very cezy here.''
 "Cozy?'' murmured he, blinking.
 q haven't explored those upper re- gions,' explained nervously, divining his thoughts we shall do it together in a day or two"
 sIt looks as though it might fall down if we jostled it careiessly," he remarked, having recovered his breath.
 s1 am expecting masons at any min ute," said I, contemplating the unsta. i ble stone crest of the northeast turret with some uneasiness. My face bright ened suddenly. That particular sec ton of the castle is ninhabitabIe, I am told. It really doesn't matter if it coIlapses.s An, Britton! Here you are. I see. Good morning.
 Britton, a very exacting servant. looked me over critically.
 "Your coat and trousers need press ing, sir,'' said he. s'And where am to get the hot water for shaving, sir 2'
 Frau Schmiek will supply anything you need, Britton,'' said I, happy on being able to give the information.
 s.It is not I as needs it, sir,'' said he, feeling of his smoothly shaved cfin-
 Come in and have look about the place. said I, with magnificent sweep of my arm to counteract the feeling of utter insignificance was experiencing at the moment
 
 A day or two later the castle was swarming with workmen. The bang ing of hammers, the rasp of saws, the spattering of mortar, the crashing of stone and the fumes of charcoal cruci- bIes extended to the renofest recesses. The tower of Babel was being recon structed in the language of six or eight nations.
 Poopendyke, in great distress of mind. notified me on the fourth day of rehabilitation that the cost of labor as well as living had gone up appre- ciabIy since our installation. In fact it had doubled. He paid all of my bills, so I suppose he knew what he was talking about.
 You will be surprised to know, MT. Smart he said, consulting his sheets, that scrubwomen are getting more here than they do in New York city, and I am convinced that there are more scrubwomen. Today we had thirty new ones scrubbing the loggia on the gun room floor, and they all seem to have apprentices working under them. The carpenters and plas- terers were not so numerous today. l paid them off last night, you see It may interest you to hear that their wages for three days amounted to nearly $7o0 in our money, to say noth- ing of materials and breakage."
 ''Breakage?' I exclaimed in surprise.
 .'Yes, sir, breakage. They break nearly as much as they mend. We'll we'll go bankrupt, sir, if we're not careful
 liked his pronoun. Never mind" said; we'll soon be rid of them"
 By the way he said. "old man Schmick and his family haven't been paid for nearly two years. They have put in claim. The late owner as sured them they'd get their money from the next
 Discharge them at once.H said I.
 We can't get on without them" pro tested he s"They know the ropes, SO to speak. and. what's more to the point,