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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1914)
l HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION 15 By Geo. Ban McCutcbeon I SYNOPSIS OP PREVIOUS ' INSTALLMENTS. . Io the opening instalments of "A Fool and His Money," Oeo. Barr Mc-- Cutcheon's charming novel, serial rights for which have been specially obtained for the Home and Farm S Magazine Section, w learn of John. 9 Bellamy Smart, the younj man who p v is toning thi Btory. Ho has just written hit first novel, and at the $ same tirao has fallen heir to an im- mense fortune left him by his undo. After a visit to London, Smart takes a trip on tho Biver Danube. t After finding an old-world town, be f e""""re au ancient castle, which Uo t v pnrmascs trom ita owner, the Count. With his secretary, Poopendyke, he takes possession of the immense 3 structure, which is mummed to ho Q tenanted only by tho caretaker and -w luuiiiy, me acnmicaa. i.ater Muart finds a woman who is in possession ef a wing of the castle that is barred $ s mm. no grants a brief interview, but refuses to leave. The servants appear to be in league with her, and v oman is m a quandary. Later he is v ciuuraica ny me wit and beauty of tho mysterious lady and no longer W urge ner departure. He finds that V sue is uivorced from a worthless and Q scheming Austrian CounJ, who was , awarded the custody of tho lady's child. The Count dmands a million dollars fnrm his rich American father ly in-law, when he would give it up. The mother abducts the child and selects $, Q the rastla as a hiding place. Smart V ""are irouuio .witu me authorities, ! t I'UI decides to assist the fair divorcee, t- e aiinougn she warns him of tho 0 tlanger. A number of vimtors makes j it oniituit to keep secret the free- once oi tlie Countess in the caelle. yilfcKh was a Russian baron (the man who had to bo kneaded) tho last syllable of whose name was vitch, the first five evading mo in a perpetual chase up and down tlie alphabet. For lrovity's sake, I 11 fall luni I'ltiovitch. The French valet's master was a Viennese gentle man of twetity six or eight ( I heard) but who looked forty. J found mvself wondering how dear, puritanic, little Elsie Haazard could have fallen in with two such unamiable wrecks ss these fel lows appeared to be at first sight. J he Austrian s name was Hess, lie Was a plain mister. Themore I saw of bun the first afternoon the more I won dered at George Hazzard's carelessness. Then there were two very bright and charming Americans, the Billy Smiths. He was connected with the American Embassy at Vienna, and I liked him from the start. You could tell that he was the sort of a chap who is bound to get on in the world by simply look ing at his wife. Tho man who could wiu the love and support of such an at tractive creature must of necessity have qualifications to spare. She was very beautiful and very clever. Somehow the unforgetable resplendency of my erst while typist (who married the jeweler's clerk) faded into a pale, ineffective drab when opposed to the charms of Mrs. Betty Billy Smith. (They all call ed her Betty Billy.) i After luncheon I got Elsie off in a corner and plied her' with questions con cerning, her friends. The Billy Smiths were easily accounted for. They be longed to the most exclusive set in New York and Newport. He hud an incomprehensible lot of money and a taste for the diplomatic service. Some day he would be au ambassador. The Baron was in the Russian embassy and was really a very nice boy "Boy!" I exclaimed. "He is not more than thirty," said she. "iou wouldn't call that old There was nothing 1 could say to that and still be a perfect host, But to yon I declare that he wasn't a day under fifty. How blind women can be! Or is silly the word! From where, we sat the figure of Mr. rless wns plainly visible in the loggia. He was alone, leaning against the low wall and looking down upon the river. Ho puffed idly at a cigarette, His coal black hair grew very sleek on his small ish head and his shoulders were rather high, as if pinched upward by a tend ency to defy a weak spine. "And this Mr, Pless, who is he!" Elsie- was looking at tho rakish young man with a' pitying expression in her tender blue eyes, "Poor fellow," she sighed. "He is in great trouble, John. "We hoped that if wo got hint off here where it is quiet' ho might be able to forget;- Oh,-but I am not supposed to tell you a word of HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION SERIAL. A Fool and His Money the storyl We are all sworn to secrecy. It was only on that condition that be consented to come with us." "Indeed!" Sho hesitated, uncomfortably placed between two duties. She owed one to him and one to me. "It is only fair, John, that you should know that Bless is not his real name," she said, lowering her voiee. "But, of course, we stand sponsor for him, so it is all right." "Your word is sufficient, Elsie." She seemed to be debating some in ward question. The next 1 knew she moved a little closer to me. "His life is a a tragedy," she whis pered. "His heart is broken, I firmly believe. Oh!" The Billy Smiths eame up. Elsie pro ceeded to withdraw into herself. "Wo were speaking of Mr. Bless," said I. "He has a broken heart." The newcomers looked hard at poor Elsie. "Broken fiddlo-sticks," said Billy Smith, nudging Elsie until she made room for him beside her on the long couch. 1 promptly made room for Betty Billy. "We ought to tell John just a little about him," said Elsie defensively. "It is due him, Billy." "But don't tell him the fellow heart is broken. That's rot." "It isn't rot," said his wife, "Wouldn't your heart be broken!' He crossed his legs comfortably. "Wouldn't it!" repeated Betty Bill "Not if Jt were as porous as hi i ou can't break a sponge, my dear." "What happened to it!" I inquired, mildly interested. "Women," said Billy impressively. "Then it's easily patched," said Like cures like." "You don't understand, John," sai Elsie gravely. "He was married to beautiful " - l "Now, Elsie, yon 're telling," cau tioned Betty Billy. Well," said Elsie doggedly, "I' determined to ten tins much ins nam wo i j-iess, nis wire got a divorce Ironi him, and now she has taken their child and run off with it and they can 't fin what's the matter!" My eyes were almost popping from my head. Is is he a count!" I cried, so loud ly that they all said "sh!" and shot tpprehensive glances toward the pseudo Mr. rless. . "Goodness!" said Elsie in alarm 'Don't shout John." Billy Smith regarded me speculative ly. "I daresay Mr. Smart has road all about the affair in the newspapers. They've had nothing else 'lately, won t say he is a count, and I won't say ho isn't. We're bound by a deep. dark, sinister oath, sealed with blood, "I haven't seen anything about it n the papers," said I trying to recover my self-possession which had sustained most tremendous shock. "Thank heaven!" cried Elsie devout "Do you mean to say you won't tell me his name! I demanded. Elsio eyed me suspiciously. "Why did you ask if he is a count!" "I have a vague recollection of hear ing some one speak of a count having trouble with his young American wife, divorce, or something of the sort. A very prominent New York girl, if I'm not mistaken. All very hazy, however. What is his name!" "John," said Mrs. Hazzard firmly, "you must not ask us to tell you. Won't you please understand!" "The poor fellow is almost distracted. Really, Mr. Smart, we planned this little visit here simply in order to to take him out of himself for a while. It has been such a tragedy for him. He wor shipped the child." It was Mrs. Billy who spoke. "And tho mother mado way with him!" I queried, resorting to a sud denly acquired cunning. "It is a girl," said Elsio in a loud whisper. "The loveliest girl, The mother appeared in Vienna about three weeks or a month ago and whiff I Off ?oes tho child, Abducted kidnaped! And tho court had granted him the cus tody of tho child. That's what makes it so terrible, If she is caught anywhere in Europe well, I don't know what may happen to her. It is just such silly acts as this that make American girls tue laugmng stocks of the whole world. I give you my word I am almost ashamed to have people point me out and say: 'There goes an American Pooh!' " By this time I had myself pretty well in hand. "I daresay the mother loved the child, which ought to condone one among her multitude of sins. I take it, of course, that she was entirely to blame for everything that happened." They at once proceeded to tear the poor little mother to shreds, delicately and with finesse, to be sure, but none tho less completely. No doubt they meant to be charitable. "This is what a silly American no body gets for trying to be somebody over here just because her father has a trunkful of millions," said ElBie, con cluding a rather peevish estimate of tho conjugal effrontery laid at the door of Mr. Pless' late wife. "Or just because one of these spend thrift foreigners has a title for sale," said Billy Smith sarcastically. "He was deeply in love with her when they were married," said his wife. "I don't believe it was his fault that they didn't get along well together." "The truth of the matter is," said Elsie with finality, 'Hhe couldn't live up to her estate. She was a drag, a stone about his neck. It was like put ting one's waitress at the head of the table and expecting her to make good as a host cbs. " "What was her social standing in rvew lorlcT " I enquired. 'Oh, good enough," said Bettv Billy, "She was in the smartest set, if that is a recommendation." "Then you admit, both of you, that nie Dest ol our American girls fall short of being all that is required over Here. Jif other words, they ean 't hold a candle to the Europeans." "Not at all," they both said in a flSFi). "That's the way it sounds to me. 1.-1..:- j . . i.iMe seemed repentant. "I suppose we are a little hard on the poor thing. rne was very vouug, vou see." "What you meau to say, then, is that she wasn't good enough for Mr. Pless and his coterie." No, not just precisely that," ad mitted Betty Billy Smith. "She made a bid for him and got him, and my con tention ib that she should have lived up to the bargain." Wasn't he paid in full!" I asked. witn a slight sneer. "What do you mean!" "Didn't he get his money!" "I am sure I don't see what money has to do with the case," said Elsie with dignity. "Mr. Pless is a poor man I've heard. There could not have been very much of a marriage settlement." 'A mere million to start with," re marked Billy Smith ironically, "It's all gone, my dear Elsie, and I eather that father-in-law locked the trunk you peait ot ana 1ml the key. You don't know women as well as I do, Mr. Smart. Hotn ot these charming ladies nro fessei to adore Mr. Vless' wife up to uo time the trial lor divorce came un. Now they've got their hammers and Hat pins out for her and" "That isn't true, Billy Smith." cried Elsie in a fierce whisper, "We stood by her until she disobeyed the mandate or whatever you call it of the court. She did steal the child, and you can't y it." loor little kiddie," said he. and from his tone I gathered that all was not rosy m tho life of the infant in this game of battledore and shuttle cock. To my disgust, the three of them re fused to enlighten me further as to the history, identity or character of thor Mr. or Mrs. Pless, but of course knew that I was entertaining under y roof, by tho most extraordinary co- ncidence, the Count and Countess of Something-or-other, who were at war, na tue cima they were fighting for ltn motives ot an entirely opposite aturo. Right or wrong, my sympathies were itb the refugee in the lonely east wing. was ail the more determined now to shield her as far as it lay in my power Copyright, 1913, By Geo. Barr McCutcbeon. to do so, and to defend her if the worst were to happen. Mr. Pless tossed his cigarette over the railing and sauntered over to join us. "I suppose you've been discussing the view," he isaid as he came up. There was a mean smilo on his yes, it was a rather handsome face and the two ladies "started guiltily. The attack on his part was particularly direct when one 6tops to consider that there wasn't any view to be had from where we were sitting, unless one eould call a three-decked plasterer's scaffolding a view. ' ' We 've been discussing the recent improvements about the eastle, Mr. Pless," said I with so much directness that I felt Mrs. Billy Smith's arm stiffen and suspected a general tension of nerves from head to foot. "You shouldn't spoil the place, Mr. Smart," said he, with a careless glance about him. "Don't ruin the ruins," added Billy Smith, of the diplomatic corps: "What time do wc dine!" asked Mr. Pless, with a suppressed yawn. "At eight," said Elsie promptly. We were in the habit of dining at seven-thirty, but I was growing accus tomed to the over riding process, so al lowed my dinner hour to bo changed without a word. "I think I'll take a nap," said he. With a languid smile and a little flaunt of his hand as if dismissing us, he moved languidly off, but stopped after a few steps to say to me: "We'll ex- plore the castle tomorrow, Mr. Smart; if it 's just the same to you. ' ' He spoka with a very slight accent and in a peculiarly attractive manner. There was charm to the man, I was bound to ad mit. "I know Schloss Rothhoefen very well. It is an old stamping ground of mine." "Indeed," said I, affecting surprise. "I spent a very joyous season here not so imany years ao. Hohendahl ia a bosom friend." When he was quite out of hearing, Billy Smith leaned over and said to me: "He spent his honeymoon here, old man. It wag the girls' idea to bring him here to assuage the present with memories of the past. Quite a pretty sentiment, eh!" "It depends on how he spent it," I said significantly. Smith grinned : p provingly. Being a diplomat, he sensed my meaning at once. "It was a lot of money," he said. At dinner the Russian baron, who examined every particle of food he ate with great care and discrimination, evi dently looking for poison, embarrassed me in the usual fashion by asking how I write my books, where I get my plots, aud all the rest of the questions that have become 60 hatefully unanswerable, ending up by blandly enquiring what I had written. This was made especially humiliating by the prefatory remark that ho had 'ived in Washington for five years and had read everything that was worth, reading. If Elsie nad been a man I should have kicked her for further confounding me by mentioning the titles of all my books aud Baying that ho surely must have read them, as everybody did, thereby supplying him with the chance to trium phantly say that he'd be hanged if he'd ever heard of any one of them. I shall always consolo myself with the joy ful tbougu. that I couldn't remember his infernal name and would now make it a point never to do so. Mr. Pless openly made love to Elsie and the Baron openly made love to Betty Billy. Being a sort of non-committal bachelor, I ranged myself with the two abandoned husbands and we had quite a reckless time of it, talking with uninterrupted devilishness about tho growth of American dentistry in European capitals, the way one has his nails manicured in Germany, the upset price of hot-house strawberries, the relative merit of French and English bulls, the continued progress of the weather and sundry other topics of similar piquancy. (To Be Continued.) Sheep will sometimes eat weeds, but t is generally because they have notu ng bettor.
