Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1938-10-06

the passage I had observed. Through
this the woman pointed, and stood
back against the wall, for me to 60
by. ! passed her and entered the
room, and the door behind me was
shut.
stood in a spacious bedroom,
splendidly furnished in the Italian
style. Gold leaf, and velvet and
beautifully painted wood; lantern
and plaque and mirror; silver,
dusky crimson and mellowed green
made up stately harmony of love-
ly things. In their midst, command
ing them all from it's dais, a great
state bedstead stood with its head
to the wall. And sitting up in the
bed was Her Grace the Duchess of
Whelp.
The room was full of light, and I
saw her well. A highly elaborate
couture attired her head, and a
richly embroidered vesture swathed
her from throat to wrist, but once
I had seen her face, I had no eyes
for anything else in that room. That
this was painted was nothing
ley could not diminish the light of
her countenance. Her cheeks were
raddled, her lashes were stiff and
laden, her lips were a scarlet
blotch: but the visage thus over
laid was above these things. It was
handsome as an eagles is hand
some-with cold majesty of fea-
ture, needless of the sense of mi
nority which it imposed.
I Understanding awkwardly,
dimly aware of Elizabeth sitting be-
side the bed and smiling at me to
tell me that all was well.
Old Harry inclined her head.
"How d'you do, Mr.. Exon. Come
here, if you please
I stepped to her side, and she
put out hand which was blazing
with three magnificent rings.
I took the fingers in mine and put
them to my lips.
81 am told you're a man of &C
tion,' she said, land so it seems.
But you're not very quick off the
mark" She tapped the papers that
lay on her delicate quilt. ''This Ger
ing business. Why did you wait so
long?"
"For two reasons, madam" said
l. First, for several months was
not myself. I found life hard to ham
die and had no brains to spare for
anything else. And then I shrank
from interference with a state of af-
fairs which had been established so
long"
"And then you saw Percy vir-
gil?"
eyes," said I. "He's-he's not a
nice-looking man."
"He'd look very well from a gal
lows" observed the Duchess of
Whelp. She turned to Elizabeth.
what made you allow Mr.. Exon
to carry you OFF,"
"That," said Elizabeth, sis what
I keep asking him.
Sex" said Old Harry, firmly.
"You liked subjecting yourself to
the strength of the male. It's been
done before. The Sabines kicked
and screamed for the look of the
thing: as matter of hard fact,
they were tickled to DEATH" She
turned upon me. "And what do you
mean, Richard Exon, by hiding this
lady at Raven for over week?"
Her attack was so sudden that
was taken aback
Madam" said I, sit seemed the
best thing to do"
"Did it, indeed?" said Old Harry.
"Well, God preserve us all from
your benevolence. The Lady Eliza
beth Virgil, for whom the cities of
Europe are being surreptitiously
secured, sharing two young mems
lodgings ten miles from her fathers
house! And who's this Herrick per-
son? I knew Naseby once ;"
"He's one of the BEST" said I.
"And he pulls far more than his
weight. AS matter of fact, he's
the present Lord Naseby's heir"
(TO BE CONTINUED)