Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1938-10-13
CHAPTER VI-Continued

mother" snapped Old Harry. "By
consenting to do as you did, you
were playing straight into the hands
of father and son. Supposing you'd
been discovered +. Brief would
have seen his chance and have fiat
tened you out. He'd have trumpet
ed the scandal, played the outraged
father and ordered his erring daugh-
ter out of his sight. Never darken
my doors again. And you would
have had to go-your cousin would
have seen to that. Father fooled,
police fooled, Austria fooled. And,
ring or no ring, I couldn't have
helped you at all. / used to be able
to drop soul-shaking hint, but I've
never mastered the art of raising
the dead"
There was a little silence, only
disturbed by the sleeveless fret of
bee on a window-pane.
At length
"You must blame me, madam"
said. "That Elizabeth should stay
at Raven was my idea"
care you proud of it, Richard Ex-
on?"
''No, I'm not" said I. "I'm great
ly ashamed"
"Good," said Old Harry. elm fu-
ture stick to your last. Take ac-
tion-that's your forte. But never
reflect. From what hear. you
have instinct-a precious faculty.
Well, be content with that-and
drown your ideas at birth. And
now take a seat" She touched a
chair by her side. AS 1 did her
bidding, she turned to Elizabeth.
"What were you going to tell me
about your mothers jewels?"
Elizabeth recited the facts.
i When she had done, Old Harry
wrinkled her brows.
"I'm not surprised that your cous-
in found you de trop. That he's
drawn and sold the gems, there can
be no doubt. And that by forgery.
Now the English are tolerant lot.
They'll overlook treason and fight
for a murderer's life, while a
healthy theft in England is nearly
always worth while. But they've al
ways loathed forgery-probably be-
cause they feel that it isn't playing
yfhe game. Witness, your poor IA
Tier Now Cousin Percy has
committed that 1oathsome' crime.
But yours is the only voice that can
ssSserd him down. Without you, he
cant be arrested, much less ar
,Sraigned. With you, he is-doomed
!. And so you had to CO."
3 She glanced at clock.
Lllnch," she said, twill be
served in quarter of an hour. For
yoI two: in the Medici room. After
4 that, you may sit on the terrace I'M
Till 4 send. I must think this matter
over. Il don't want to let you down,
but ! can't make bricks without
( straw"
We could not talk freely at table,
for never less than three men were
Z constantly in the room. The meal
1. was reyally served, and the dishes
!. set before us were fit for a king. ALI
B the appointments were fawless,
3 and, ruled by the major-domo, the
Ii footnen moved and waited as
though their duty had been tirelessly
rehearsed.
At these things I shall always
!; wonder, for; Elizabeth told me later
that months had passed since the
Duchess had left her room, while no
guests had been entertained for
. nearly two years. Indeed, I can only
/ submit that they showed forth Old
4 HaTry's dominion as nothing else
/ could have done. The palace was
out Of commission, it's mistress was
out Of sight: and yet, at nod from
4 her, the machinery sprang to life,
( to move with all the precision of
practiced vigilance.
Coffee was served upon the ter
race, above an italian garden, run
Il to seed. N And there we were left
lSsto ourselves and the lizards that
jared and daTted over the molder-
nag stone.
she deserves fame" said
81 ELI BETH g know no more than
you what line shg's going to take:
4 but whatevA she does, I haven't
q wasted my tArHS because l have
seen and TALKED with Harriet the
Great 4 4,
Hers estsias1e saX that that sur
name d6es Her justice as can no
\ periods IA few men and women
n have: borne It, SINCE Time was
young il she had had as fair fields,
!, have o5dsoslbt that she would have
Z wish, said T, She was not
confined to her bed"z'o
1'""She isn't" said Elizabeth, swift
u 1y. "She stays there because she
likes it.1f She told me so. She said
she had crowded SO much into fifty
years that she onever had time to
digest ftthe brilliantlvburden they
held And now she is doing that.
She goes leisurelye through her di-
> aries, considering I'M detail the play
(which, because she Was, leading, she
r'never saw" nsos t'Y ecrs
n re''And she never gets; up?"
"Never. She says that the mental