The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-06-02
CHAPTER 27. COMPLIMENT TO THE QUEEN

CHAPTER 27.
 COMPLIMENT TO THE QUEEr
 Before Jenny could tell him, mans form came around the cur tain of the four poster.
 She saw that he was short il the shoulder and neck, and tha he had a soft, quick way of tread ing. He looked deferentially a Grafton Matching and murmer ed:
 q thought perhaps you re quired me, sir?"
 Why should I require you Eh?" His employers voice ros, into rasping squeak that startled Jenny still further. Get out! G away! I'm capable of ringing fol you, when I want you!"
 The soft, sliding walk took tht valet over the expanse of carpet tC door in the paneling of the wall A moment later it closed behind him. Jenny found that her eccen- tric host was watching her again
 Have you seen that fellow be- fore?"
 "Yes, just for a second when he carried my cousins bag down, or the day that she went away with you"
 "Ha! You've a memory for faces. And you're judge of char acter, too, by the set of your lips and the breadth between your eyes No need to bluSh-I'm old enough to pay a compliment to the queen herself without offense. . What do you think of him?"
 T don't want" said Jenny firm ly, "to discuss your nephew"
 But I was speaking of that fellow, my valet" the old man pointed out; and the sly grimace that was his smile, made her blush anew.
 "It doesn't seem fair to come to conclusion about a man. I've only seen him twice for a minute or two. But"
 You don't like the look of him? Don't trust him?"
 "It might be better" said Jenny, unwillingly, mot to trust him in matter of great importance. But that's only my opinion"
 The strange old man lay back upon his pillows, wriggling twice whether with satisfaction or an- noyance Jenny could not tell-and remained flat upon the bed. She could barely see him and when he spoke she had the greatest diff culty in following his words; for he was not using his dreadful nerve--racSing squeak but mon- otonous thread of sound that blen- ded with the rustic of brocade at his opened windows and the sound of the satin coverlet under his hands.
 My wife was so very like you, little Miss Jenny. You've got her same tricks and graces and her same sound judgment under all that pale gold hair. Only would nt listen to her dye see" Shut her up, laughed at her, cowed her and tken when she was gone, found that she had had the right of most things. People she warn ed me against and people she be- lieved in, she was right about them all and I was wrong. But you're not so timid as she was. You speak up-you stand up to mel couldn't COW you without without meaning to Eh?"
 well, I had the advantage If very bullying old grandfather, {" explained Jenny conscienciously And they laughed together-Jen- ny Revell and the old man who people said, hadn't got heart On impulse, she put out a hand to cover his as it plucked at the cov- erlet. Please shout at me if you'd rather. T shan't care scrap"
 How thin and cold old peoples hands were!-she remembered her grandfather being like that and at nights as hot as this. She slipped her other hand under it and cradled it gently, trying to give out her own thrilling warmth.
 "Old bones, cold bones," nut tered Grafton Matching, as though he had read her thoughts. What