13
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION SERIAL.
A Fool and His Money
By
Geo. Ban
McCutcheon
Copyright, 1913,
By Geo. Barr
McCutcheon.
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
SYSOP8TS OF PREVIOUS
INSTALLMENTS.
In the opening instalments of "A
"ol end His Money," Geo. Bmt Me
Onteheon', channinr n0vel, serial
.i ?r "hl h been specially
obtained for th. Hon.. and Farm
f Section, wo learn of John
JMllamjr smarti th, mM who
,torT- Ha ha. just
TOtten hit fir,, nmli ,nd lt th,
tin,, h f,eo he.r to ln lm.
e fortune left him br nit uncle.
After a visit to Loudon, Smart
a ? ,rip on ths RiTer Danube.
'ter finding an old-world town, he
aMra ,n ancient cattle, which uo .
Pnrchaae. from an Austrian count.
With hit secretary, Poopendyke, he
. " Possession of the immense
nieture, which is supposed to b.
tenanted on It br the caretaker and
is family, the Schmicks. Later Smart
"nds a woman who is In possession
. f.WUlf 0 the ctle ""t barred
aim- She (rrants a brief interview,
bit refuses to leave. The servants
PPetr to be in league with her, and
Bmart la in a quandary. Later he
meeta her and ia captivated by
.".'' bu,J'- H (in,1
no is divorced from a worthless and
scheming Austrian Count, who was
w"ded 'be custody of the lady's
"i d. The Count demands a million
dullara from his rich American father-in-law,
when he would cite it up. The
mother abducts tho chil l and selects
the castle as a hiding place. Kmart
fears trouble with the authorities,
but decides to assist the fair divorcee,
although she warns him of the
daniter. A number of visitors makes
It difficult to keep secret the pres
ence of the Countess In the ears.:),
espociaily as she baa been seen by
ome of the party, who ore sus
picious but have failed to identify
her. One guest, familiar with castle,
almost comes upon Smart and the
Countess unaware. Tho uomaira,
escapes but slams a d'or behind
her. The visitor suspects Smart of
an Intrigue with the wife of his
valet. Finally the party leaves and
Smart is relieved.
)$$)
I LOOKED in at the door. Over in his
corner by the window Poopendyke
was at work, his lanky figure hunch-
eu over me Key-ooaru, nis head envelop
ed in clouds from a busy pipe, for all the
world like a tugboat smothering in its
own low-lying smoke. Sheets of paper
woro strewn about the floor. Even as
I stood there hesitating, he came (o
tho end of a sheet and jerked it out
of tbo machine with such a resounding
snap that the noise startled me. lie
was having the time of his life!
I stole away, unwilling to break in
upon this joyful orgy.
Conrad, grinning from ear to ear,
was waiting for me outsido by bed
room door tate in tho day. He saluted
me with unusual cordiality.
"A note, mein herr, " said he, and
banded me a dainty little pearl-gray
envelope. Ho waited while I read the
missive.
"I sha'n't bo homo for dinner, Con
rad," said I, my eyes aglow. "Tell
kawkes, will youf"
He bowed and scraped himself away;
somehow he seemed to have grown
younger by decades. It was in tho air
to ba yonng and care free. I read the
note again and felt almost boyish.
Them I went np to my room, got out
my gayest raiment without hamo or
compunction, dressed with especial re
gard for lively effects, and hied me
forth to carry sunshine into the utter
most recesses of my castle.
The Countess welcomed me with a
radiant smile. We shook hands.
"Well, he has gone," said I, draw
ing a deep breath.
"Thank the Lord," said she, and
then I knew that the symphony was
complete. We all had sung it.
It must not be supposed for an in
stant that I had been guilty of neg
lecting my lovely eharge during that
season of travail and despair. No, in
deed! I had visited her every day as
matter of precaution. She required
certain amount of watching.
I do not hesitate to say at this time
that she scorned to be growing lovelier
very day. In a hnndreeV little ways
she was changing, not only in appoar
anee bat in manner.
Now, to bo perfoctly frank about it,
I can't explain just what these little
ehanges wore that is, not in bo many
words but they were quite as pro
nounced as they were subtle. I may
risk mentioning an improvement in her
method of handling me. She was not
taking quite so mneh for granted as
she did at first Sho was much more
humblo and considerate, I remarked;
instead of bulying me into things bIio
now cajoled me; instead of making de
mands upon my patience and gener
osity, Blie rather hesitated about put
ting mo to the least trouble. She
wasn't so arrogant, nor so hard to
manage. In a nutshell, I may say with
some satisfaction, she was beginning
to show a surprising amount 01 respect
for me and my opinions. Where once
she had done as sho pleased, she now
did bo only after asking my advico and
permission, both of wkk I gave free
ly as a gentleman Bhould. Fundamen
tally sho was all right. It was only in
a superficial sort of way that she fell
short of being ideal. I thought 1 could
see tho making of a very fine woman
in her.
I do not say that sho was perfect
or ever could be, but she might come
very close to it if she went on improv
ing as sho did every day. As a matter
of fact, 1 found an immense amount
of analytical pleasure in studying the
changes that attended the metamor
phosis. It seemed to my eager imagi-
I nation that sho was being translated
j before my eyes; developing into a seri
i oils, sensible, unselfish ierson with .1
I soul preparing to mount higher than
I self. Her voice seemed to be softer,
'sweeter; tho satirical nolo had dis
i appeared almost entirely, and with it
j went Hie forced raillery that had been
so pronounced t the beginning of our
acquaintance.
. Her devotion to Rosemary was won
derful to see. liy the way, while I
think of it, the child was quit ador
able. She was learning to pronounee
my name, and getting nearer and near
er to it every day. At the time of
which I now write sho was calling me
(with great enthusiasm), by the name
of "(logo, " which, reduced to aborigi
nal American, means " Man with-the-
Strong-Arm-Who-Carries-Baby. "
"It is very nice of you to ask me
to dine with you," said I.
"Isn't it about time I was doing
something fur yon in return for nil that
you have done for mef" she inquired
gaily. "We arc having a particularly
nico dinner this evening, and I thought
you'd enjoy a change.''
"A changef" said I, with a laugh.
"As if we haven't been eating out
of tho same kettle for days!"
"I was not referring to the food,"
she paid, and 1 was very properly
squelched.
"Nevertheless, speaking of food,"
said I, "it may interest you to know
that I expected to have rather a sump
tuous repast of my own to celebrate
tho deliverance. A fine plump pheas
ant, prepared a la Oscar, corn fritters
like mother used to make, potatoes
picard "
"And a wonderful alligator pear
salad," she interrupted, her eyes danc
ing.
j. suireu. new in tne worm did vou
guess 1"
She laughed in pure delight, and I
began to understand. By the Lord
Harry,- the amazing creature was in
viting me to eat my own dinner in her
sallo manger! "Well, may 1 be hanged!
Yon do beat tho Dutch!"
Sho was wearing a wonderful dinner
gown of Irish lace, and she fairly
sparkled with diamonds. There was
no ornament in her brown hair, how
ever, nor were her little pink ears made
hideous by ear rings'. Her face was a
jewel sufficient unto itself. I had
never seen her in an evening gown be
fore. The effect was really quito ravish
ing. As I looked at her standing there
by the big rak table, I couldn'i help
thinking that the Count was not only a
scoundrel, but all kinds of a fool.
"It as necossary for mo to bribe nil
of your servants, Mr. Smart," she said.
"You did not offer tho rascals
money, I hope," I said in a horrified
tone.
1 ' No, indeed! ' ' Sho did not explain but
I know that money isn't everything to
a servant after all. "I hopo you don't
mind my borrowing your butler and
footman for tho evening," she went on.
"Not that we really noed two to serve
two, but it seems bo much more like a
function, as the newspapers would call
it."
It was my torn to say, "No, in
deed." "And now yon must come in and
kiss Bosemary good night," she said,
glancing at my great Amsterdam dock
in tho corner.
3Ve went into the, nursery. It was.
past Rosemary's bedtime by nearly an
hour and the youngster was having
great difficulty in keeping awake. She
managed to put her arms around my
neck when I took her np from the bed,
all tucked away in her warm little
nightie, and sleepily presented her own
little throat tor me to kiss, that par
ticular spot being where the honey
came from in her dispensation of
sweets.
I was full of exuberance. An irre
sistible impulse to do a jig seized upon
me. To my ,own intense amazement,
and to Dlake's horror, I began to dance
about the room like a clumsy kangaroo.
Rosemary shrieked delightedly into my
ear and I daueed the harder fur that.
The Countess, recovering from her sur
prise, cried out in laughter and began
to clap time with her hands. Blake for-
i got herself and sat down rather heavily
on the eiigo of the bed. 1 think the
poor woman's knees gave wav under
her.
"Hurrah!" I shouted 'to Kosemary,
hut looking directly at the Countess.
"We're celebrating!"
Only Wake's reserved and somewhat
dampening admonition brought me to
my senses.
"Please don't drop the child, Mr.
Smart," she said. I had the great sat
isfaction of hearing Rosemary cry when
I delivered her up to Wake and started
to slink out of the room in the wake
of my warm-cheeked hostess.
"Vou would be a wonderful father,
sir," said Wake, relentir.g a little.
I hail the grace to say7 "Oh.
pshaw!" and then got out. while the
illusion was still alive. (As I've said
before, I do not like a crying baby.)
It was the most wonderful dinner in
tne worm, notwithstanding it was
served on a kitchen table moved into
tho living room for the occasion. Im
posing candelabra adorned the four
corners of the table and the very best
plate in the castle was put to use.
There were roses in the center of the
board, a huge bowl of short-temmed
Marechal Niel beauties. The Countess'
chair was pulled out by my stately but
ler, llawkes; mine by the almost equal
ly imposing footman, and we faced
each other across the bowl of roses
and lifted an American cocktail to the
health of those who were about to sit
down to the feast. I think it was one
of the best cocktails I've ever tasted.
The Countess admitted having made it
herself, but wasn't quite sure whether
sho used the right ingredients or the
correct proportions. Sho asked me what
I thought of it.
"It is the best Manhattan I've ever
tasted," said I, warmly.
Her eyes wavered. Also, 1 think, her
faith in me. "It was meant to be a
Martini," she said sorrowfully.
Then wo both sat down. Was it pos
sible that the corners of llawkes'
mouth twitchedf I don't suppose I
Bhall ever know.
My sherry was much better than I
thought, too. It was deliciously oily.
The champagne! But that came later,
so why anticipate a joy with realiza
tion staring ouo in the face!
Wo began with a marvellous hors
d'oeuvres. Then n clear Boup, a fish
nspec, a Why rhapsodise f Let it be
sufficient if I say that in discussing
tho Aladdin-like feast I secretly and
faithfully promised my chef a material
increase in wages. I had never sus
pected him of being such a genius,
nor myself of being such a Pantegrue
lian disciple I must mention the alli
gator pear salad. For three weeks I
had been trying to bny alligator pears
in the town hard by. These came from
Paris. The chef had spoken to me
about them that morning, asking me
when I had ordered them. Inasmuch
as I had not ordered them at all, I
couldn't satisfy his curiosity. My first
thought was that Elsie Hazzard, re
membering my fondness for the vege
tableit is g yegotable, isn't itl had
sent off for them in order to Surprise
me. It seems, however, that Elsie had
nothing whatever to do with it. The
Countess had ordered them for rao
through her mother, who was in Taris
at the time. Also she had ordered a
quantity of Parisian strawberries of
the hot-house, one-franc-apieco variety,
and a basket of peaches. At tho risk
of being called penurious, I confess
that I was immensely relieved when I
learned that these precious jewels in
the shape of fruit had been paid for
in advance by the opulent mother of
the Countess.
"Have I told you, Mr. Smart, that I
am expecting my mother here to visit
me week after ncxtf"
She tactfully put the question to me
at a time when I was so full of con
tentment that nothing could have de
pressed me. I must confess, however,
that I was guilty of gulping my cham
pagne a little noisily. The question
camo with the salad course.
"You don't say so!" I exclaimed,
quite cheerfully.
"That is to say, she is coming if
you think you can manage it quite
safely. ' '
"I manage it? My dear Countess,
why speak of managing a thing that is
so obviously to bo desired?"
"You don't understand. Can you
smuggle her into Hie custle without i:ny
one knowing a thing about it? You see,
sue is being watched every minute of
the time by detectives, spies, secret
agents, lawyers, and Heaven knows
who else. The instant she leaves Paris,
bang! It will be like the starter's shot
in a race. They will bo after her like
a streak. And if you arc net very, very
clever they will play hub with every
thing." "Then why run the risk?" I ven
tu red.
"My two brothers are coming with
her," she said reassuringly. "They
are such big, strong fellows that ",
"My dear Counters, it isn't rtrength
we'll need," I deplored.
"No, no, I quite understand. It is
cunning, strategy, cnution, and all that
sort of thing. But I will let yon know
in ample time, so that you may be pre
pared. ' '
"Do!" I said gallantly, trying to be
enthusiastic.
"You are so wonderfully ingenious
at working ont plots and conspiracies
in your books, Mr. Smart, that 1 am
confident you can manage everything
beautifully."
Blatchford was removiug my salad
plate. A spasm of alarm came over me,
I had quite forgotten the two men. Tho
look of warning I gave her brought
forth a merry, amused smile.
"Don't hesitate to speak before
Blatchford and Hawkes, " she said, to
my astonishment. "They aro to ba
trusted implicitly. Isn't it true,
Hawkest"
"It is, Madam," said lie.
(To be continued.)
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