Evening star., 1923-07-24
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

10 your left supper is being served.
In front is the dancing gallery. To
the right, as you see, is the lounge
leading into the winter garden. The
gymnasium is closed until midnight.
Any other part of the place please
explore at your leisure. but ] am 60
ing to ask you one thing: l want you
To meet me I'm room. which I will
show you, at quarter to IL"
He led them down one Of the cor
ridorS which opened from the hall.
Before the first door on the right a
man servant was standing is though
the panel of the door with his fore
finger.
This is my sanctum," he an
nounced. II allow no one in here
without special permission. / find 1t
useful to have a place to which one
ran come and rest quite quietly some
times. Williams here has no other
duty except to guard the entrance.
Williams, you will allow this gentle
man and these two ladies to pass in
at a quarter to H.
The man looked at them search
ingly.
Certainly. sir" he said. NO one
else?'
No one, under any pretext."
Sir Timothy hurried back to the
hall and the others followed him in
more leisurely fashion. They were
all three full of curiosity.
Il never dreamed" Margaret de-
clared as she looked around her.
that I should ever find myself inside
this house. 1t has always seemed to
me like one great Bluebeard's cham
ber. If ever my father spoke of 1t at
all, 1t was as of a place which he
intended TO convert into sort of
miniature hell"
Sir Timothy leaned back to speak
to them as they passed.
You will find a friend over there,
Ledsam," he said.
Wilmore turned around and faced
them. The two men exchanged some
what surprised greetings.
NO idea that ! was coming until
this afternoon" Wilmore explained.
Il got my card at 5 o'clock with a
note from Sir Timothy's secretary. r
am racking my brains to imagine
what it can mean"
We're all little added" Francis
confessed. Come and join our tour
of exploration. You know Lady Gym
thia; Let me present you to Mrs. Hill
ditch"
The Introduction was effected and
they all strolled on together Mar
garet and Lady Cynthia led the way
into the winter garden, palace of
glass, tall palms. banks of exotics,
towering shrubs of every description
and fountain with wonderfully
carved water nymphs, brought with
its basin from Italy. Hidden In the
iOlidSc' sinai OlCleSll d y" dS play
Ing very softly. The atmosphere of
the place was languorous and deli
cious.
Leave us here" Margaret insisted
with little exclamation of content.
Neither Cynthia nor I want to go
any further. Come back and fetch
US in time for our appointment"
The two men wandered off. The
place was indeed marvel of archi-
lecture, d country house, of which
only The ghpl1 rpn,1innd cd
and made wonderful by the genius
Of a great architect. The first room !
which they entered when they left !
the winter garden was as large as a |
small restaurant, paneled in cream |
color. with marvellous ceiling. |
There were tables of various sizes
laid for supper. rows of champagne |
bottles in ice buckets and servants
eagerly waiting for orders. Already !
a sprinkling of the guests had found |
their way here. The two men cross
cd the floor to the cocktail bar In !
the far corner. behind which a fa-
miliar face grinned at them. 1t was
Jimmy. the bartender from Soto's, |
who stood there with wonderful |
array of bottles on a walnut table.
IF 1t were not perfectly fatuous
question. I should ask what you were I
doing here. jimmy" Francis remarked |
parties, sir" Jimmy explained. Your !
first visit, isn't it. sir?"
MY first" Francis assented.
And mine" his companion echoed. !
What can ! have the pleasure of !
making for you. sir?" the man in |
quired |
"A difficult question" Francis ad- |
mitted. 1T is barely an hour and |
a half since we finished dinner. On |
the other hand, we are certainly 60
ing to have some supper some time |
or other"
Jimmy nodded understandingly.
Leave 1t to me, sir" he begged.
He served them with a foaming |
genuine lime bobbed up and down |
in the liquid.
"Sir Timothy has the lines sent
over from his own estate in South |
America" Jimmy announced. You
will find some things In that drink
you don't often taste"
The two men slipped their beverage
and pronounced it delightful. Jimmy |
leaned a little across the table.
"A big thing on tonight isn't there
sir?" he asked cautiously
rs there?" Francis replied. You
Jimmy motioned toward the open
window. close to which the river was |
flowing by.
You going down. sir?'
Francis shook his head dubiously.
Where to?"
The bartender looked with narrow
gu eyes from one 10 tne Otner OF the
two men. Then he suddenly froze up.
Wilmore leaned a little further over
the impromptu counter.
Jimmy" he asked, what goes on |
here besides dancing and boxing and /
gambling?"
II never heard of any gambling
Jimmy answered. shaking his head |
Sir Timothy doesn't care about !
cards being played here at all" /
What is the principal entertain
ment. then?" Francis demanded.
The boxing?"
The bartender shook his head.
mo one understands very much
cept that IT offers the most wonder
full entertainment in Europe. That
is for the guests to find out, though.
We servants have to attend to our
duties. Will you let me mix you
another drink. sir?'
1.-The last was too good to spoil. But
you haven't answered my question. /,
you asked IL we were going down"
Jimmy's face had become wooden.
II meant nothing. sir" he said.
Sorry / spoke"
The two men turned away. They |
recognized many acquaintance in the |
supper room and in the long gallery |
beyond. where many couples were |
dancing now to the music OF a won
derful orchestra. BY slow stages
they made their way back to the
winter garden, where Lady Cynthia 1
miration of their surroundings. They
all walked the whole length of the |
place. Beyond, down a fight of stone
steps, was a short paved way to the
river. A large electric launch was
moored at the quay. The grounds
h,,t.ida 1,ara d;,,Iv ;IIun,Inate5 ,,,ith