Grand Forks herald., 1917-02-08
CHAPTER Nv.
The Hieroglyphics Mt No. IL


The Hicroglyphics Mt No. IL.
It IL curious how I went on feel
Ing annoyed that Alice Devine waa
the girl who had played the ghost
trick on me-, Ishad only spent an aft
ernoon and part Of; an evening with
her. and during most of that time
chists; yet the fact that she was the
ghost-girl stuck In my mind and be-
came q ranking grievance. It began
to spoil my temper; and was getting
quite morose.
Jack Thurman, too, was in q
gloomy state about something or 9th.
er. and when, one day, cursed thinga
generally. he surprised me by agree
ing with everything l said.
My grievance about the ghost-g girl
seemed to affect everything. 1t made
me less keen on running the Gardens
and even my polo bored me. How
ranges, and made very fair con-
tract for the fixing up Of them In the
twenty-one houses, not all at once
but one at time., Also I sold the
twenty-one old kitchen-ranges at a
very fair price to q Yorkshireman OF
an unusually speculative turn OF
mind. At least it seemed to me that
he must be. What on earth can there
be In the way Of openings for q
worn-out kitchen-range? However
1t was not for mo to balk his fancy
had already found that being a
house-agent means continual work
Just as you think you have got ev-
| erything cleared UP for week ahead
! something fresh crops up, and it crops
up every day of that week. II there
was not actually anything to be
done, there were always letters from
fussy tenants to answer.
OF all the tenants who ever rented
q house. Sir Marmaduke Ponderbury
Is the fussiest. suppose that gel
eight fussy letters week from him
and the only consolation is that they
are typewriter and easy to read-not
ambles about in public affairs, and
keeps secretary to write his CORE.
sp0ndence. One morning there came
from him a letter addressed to me
personally, and not to Garth and
Thurman. 1t ram:
Dear Lord Garthoyle:
Il am addressing myself to you per.
sonally and not to, Messrs. Garth
and Thurman, because you are one OF
my, own order. Lam sorry to have
have arisen which will compel me- te
abandon the rest of the lease of this
house. Hieroglyphics are written
nearly every day on the inside wall
of my. porch; and I have the graves,
suspicion of their purport 1 will dc
myself the honor Of calling on you
at twelve o'clock to acquaint you
with the matter. Under these cir.
cumstances, you will not be surprised
by my requesting you to release ms
from the rest of my tenancy: and ]
am sure that. making the request te
refused. Yours sincerely, l",.
"Marmaduke Ponderbury."
| What does the preposterpus ole
! idiot nean?" said: and I read .ht
letter aloud.
Miss Wishart my stenosrapher and
bookkeeper, smiled: Jack Thurman
laughed.
He can't suppose that I'm going t.
let him or his rent because some
BODY scrawls on the wall Of hi
porch?" I said.
You don't know old Ponderbury
He's the largest spoilt child in Eng.
iand, and the most spoilt. His moth.
er spotlt him. his tutors spoilt him
ne never went to school or a uni.
versity; his wife spoilt him; he ha.
always lived surrounded by the oilies
gang OF sycophants the world holds
and they spoil him worse. He be.
iieves that the world was made TO,
him, and that he's the most impor.
tant man in it, or, at any rate, will
be: when he's got the peerage he's
after. s1've heard him say the most
incredible things-1uite incredible
The only person who doesn't spoil
him is Muir his daughter; and
he hates her"
was a little surprised. Jack does
not often let himself go; and hil
eyes were sparkling, and he was
scowling.
oh. you know them7" said.
Yes, l know Them" said Jack
scoWling worse than ever
one of his own order? His father
got the baronetcy for making crock
cry" said.
The old snob thinks himself the
born aristocrat of the bluest blood
Hes trying to get a peerage to make
1t bluer."
These new rich ones make me
feel tired every time" said.
Then old Ponderbury should
make YOU COLLAPSE. He's the most
tedious old swollen-headed rotter that
breathes" said Jack savagely.
you seem to have made up YOUR
mind about him fairly distinctly" I
II have" said Jack.
suppose he has played the spoilt
child with you :"
All over me- said Jack.
And you say he has a daughter 90
Yes, he has," said Jack. And he
hunched himself over the ledger he
was working at, as If he did not wish
to talk about it. ''