Evening star., 1934-02-05

Chateau Blisssac. He was reading his
mail on the terrace outside the draw
Ing room.
A passerby, given the choice between
looking at Mr.. Gedge and at the view
beneath him, would have done well
to select the latter, for this tubby little
man constituted the only blot on an i'm
pressive landscape. The chateau was
on a hill, and from its terrace the
ground descended sharply through
many-colored gardens and shrubberies
till 1t reached the lake. Beyond the
lake lay sand dunes, and beyond these
slittered the harbor, dotted with boats
at anchor.
The town itself was to the left, a
struggling huddle Of red roofs and
white walls. in the center of which,
raising a golden dome proudly sky
ward, stood the building which had
made the place the popular resort 1t
was-the Casino Municipale. For St.
Rocque, once tiny fishing village,
has become in recent years a mecca
for those who enjoy watching their
money gathered in with rakes hv sad
eyed croupiers.
Mr.. Gedge. reading his correspond
ence, did not see the spreading pros
pect. Nor did he wish to. He was not
fond of ST. Rocque, and this morning
It would have seemed less attractive
to him than ever, for three OF his
letters bore California postmarks, and
their contents had aggravated the
fever of his homesickness. Ever since
his marriage two years ago and the
subsequent exodus to Europe he had
been pining wistfully for California.
The poet speaks of a man whose heart
was in the Highlands. a-chasing OF the
deer. Mr. Gedge's was in Glendale.
Calf, wandering round among the
hod dogs and filling stations.
To him, greving there entered
trim and personable young woman
whom after a moment of blinking, he
identified as Midway, his wife's maid.
"Moddom would like to see you. sir"
"Eh?" said Mr.. Gedge, He had al
ready paid his morning visit to the Big
Chief. "Why?"
II fancy Moddom has decided to
take the afternoon boat to England
today"
Mr.. Gedge started. "What'"
eyes sir
"How long is she going to be gomez"
81 could not say SIR
It WAS a point on which Mr.. Gedge
was anxious to obtain early and au-
thoritative information, for much de-
pended on it. st. ROGUE, normally,
he found boring, but there is one day
In the year when it pulls itself to-
eether and gives of its best. This is
on the occasion of its founders birth
day, which is piously celebrated by
costume carnival of impressive pro-
portions. The festival of the saint
was due next week, and until this
moment Mr. Gedge had had not even
a faint hope of contributing his mite
To the revels. He stuffed his letters in
his pocket and hurried into the
chateau. -.
A lover Of the old and qaint would
have admired the chateau, dating as
It did from the late fourteenth or early
fifteenth century. The only feeling 1t
gave Mr.. Gedge in the year 1882 was
that its architect must have been
cockeyed Moldering stone with spiky
t,lrrets stuck on all over it was not
his idea of house. And while its in
terror had been modernized or what
these French called modernized-elec-
not at all what he had been accustom-
ed to in Glendale, Calf.
He found Mrs. Gedge in the Vene-
tian suite, large apartment with a
heavily carved ceiling which always
looked as If it were going to come
down and bean you. She was sitting
I'D in bed, debating letters to Miss
Putnam, her social secretary, thin,
;-I,%
trimmed spectacles and an air OF quiet
responsibility.
Mrs. Gedge herself would have
fought in the light-heavy division. She
was a solidly built handsome woman
q few years younger than her hus-
band, and you could see from a glance
at her why he always did what she
told him to. Of her past life before
their marriage, except that she was
the widow of a multimillionaire oil
man named Brewster, who had left
her all his multi millions, Mr.. Gedge
knew nothing. He sometimes Thought
she might have been lion tanner.
With slight gesture OF her hand
she caused Miss Putnam to melt into
thin air, and raised herself on the
pillows.
What" asked Mr.. Gedge, taking
the chair vacated by the secretary,
"is all this about your going to Eng
land?"
Il have had letter from my lawyer
IN London. There has been some
trouble about English income tax, and
he says he must see me-"
How about your ticket?"
Miss Putnam is attending to that. |
I want you to run down to the drug
store and buy me some seasick remedy. |
You had better get Philipson's NAL
de-Mer-o"
There was a pause. Mr.. Gedge
eoughed nonchalantly.
Going to be gone long?"
"About week"
~Ah!" said Mr.. Gedge.
A purposeful gleam lit up his prom
fnent eyes. There and then he had |
resolved that he would attend the |
festival Of the saint, and not only at
tend 1t, but attend it right.
well, sir" he said, Il guess it's
going to be lonesome without you.
Yes, sir, it'll be lonesome all right.
But I'll make out somehow" he added
bravely.
you won't be lonesome. Didn't I
tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
II have invited some people to stay
at the chateau They will be arriving
the day after tomorrow"
Something of Mr.. Gedge's quiet
happiness left him. A lot OF nosy
visitors about the place might hamper
his movements.
"Quite small party. Senator Opal
and his daughter
"Old Opal"
"And the Vicomte de Blissac."
"What!''
"I have never met him, but I be-
lieve he is very charming young
man"
Mr.. Gedge corrected this view. "A
very charming young wild Indian.
Haven't you heard he's celebrated as