The Washington times., 1920-05-16
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foowftnssd From FreceSsre Fo0c/
Dssk--a picturesque old figure. She
must have bssn q real beauty In
her youth and there could b no
doubt whence Jim Heasdsn, the
son. derived his splendid features
and proportions. She would have
been very tall but for chronic
stoop which rheumatism he'd i'm.
posed upon her. Put II che was
picturesque she was a very ter.
rfble old hgure. for all that.
Her tongue was quick and witty.
as shsrp-edged as an asp's and as
poisonous. and not at all choloe In
Its selection OF epithets. she sup
ported herself On-a stick. which she
could WELD vigorously enough to
keep all children at its full length
rom her. and among some Of the
village folk II was piously believed
that she had the powsr OF the evil
eye, although that was q faith
which had rather suffered In the
free thought OF q later generation
that had been to board school.
She was not ct all neighborly old
lady, having taken very much to
her heart q maxim dear to many Of
our villagers Of keeping oneself to
oneself.
But she had = fierce. tigerish af-
fecti0n for this only son--the father
had been dead many years--who
was something like q very well
grown tiger-cub himself. She took
his side ferociously In every
trouble. and they had been, many.
into which ne had fallen with the
lawful authorities both as boy and
man, and in consequence had be-
come something OF an Ishmaelite.
with her hand, for his sake, turned
against every man, and with every
mans hand turned against her and
against him.
But 20 far as he was concerned,
II was by no means the same In re-
gard to the hand OF every woman.
/ suppose that he had about him
IN the eyes OF the village maidens
something of that glamor which al
ways surrounds the robber or the
pirate in our works of fiction.
The homely virtues do not seem
to be those which always commend
a man to the feminine heart. Be-
sides which the good looks Of Jim
Heasden were so very remarkable
that any village maid might find
much excuse for falling victim to
them. It has been seen that even
that much more experienced lady
OF the world, Mademoiselle Celeste,
had no armor OF proof against
them. - ..s
When Sergeant Crisp inquired Of
Liyesay the whereabouts OF Heas'
denis cottage, the keeper most
obligingly offered to conduct him
there. The sergeant. however. de
ciined. 1t seemed to him that to
come in the company OF the game
keeper to call upon person bear.
ing the reputation of Heasden
wou d be much like coming In the
company of ferret to call on a
rabbit. "'@'
The comparison may have been
suggested to him by the recent
exertions Of Livesay down the rab-
hit.hole, but however that may be
I've went with the keeper only 30
far as the outskirts of the village
from VIII ch the exact position OF
the Heasden castle could be point
ed out to him. From thence he
sent back the keeper, with thanks
for his escort, and proceeded to his
assault on the stronghold single
handed.
Rather happily for his enterprise
the formidable chatelaine was not
at her post. A frosty night or two
in the early Autumn had brought
on the rheumatic pains with in
creased acuteness, and the poor
old woman was bedrldden, chafing
with impatience at her inability to
get up, and attended only by the
ministrations of her son, who prob
ably left something to be desired
in the role of sick-nurse.
So the sergeant knocked at the
door and was answered only by
chorus of dog-voices. He knocked
again, and already was beginning
to be the object of much interest
to the Sabbath loiterers In the vii
lage street, both for his own sake,
because he was a stranger and was
known to be connected with the
police and with "her ladyship's
MURDER" as the tragedy had begun
to be spoken OF in the village, and
also because anyone who ventured
to call on the Heasdens was re-
garded as rather greatly daring, no
matter what he might be.
The third knock, given most
loudly Of the three, was successful
in drawing the owner, who opened
the door and restrained, though In
no very whole-hearted or effective
manner, the dogs which threatened
to treat the sergeant rather after
the fashion in which Nebuchadnez-
zars lions dealt with his privy
councillors.
The little man took the measure
of the splendid specimen OF human
ity before him in a glance. a glance
which he purposely made as direct
and penetrating as he could-and