HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE RECTfON
15
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION SERIAL.
By
too. Bur
McCntclieon
Copyright, 1913,
By Geo. Barr
McCutcieon.
A Fool and His Money
i . , .
The rmo47 VtdnVta th. T rhnrf T . ,ne custody ol the lady s child. The Count demands a mi
The mother abducts the child and selects the castle as a hiding place. Bmart fears trouble with the
him of the danger. A number of visitor, make, it difficult to keep secret the present of the oWnte
.t.Ji."!il"D"in ""'" ecP-but .lams a doo, - behind her The visiSir
.vTaT-.. .kJ . Vi awaraea tne custody ol the lady's child. The Count demands a million dollar, from bis rich American fatherin-lsw. when
wouia jive it up.
although ahe ware.
almoat comes upon
authorities, but decides to asaist the fair divorcee.
Countess in the castle. One guest, familiar with the castas,
lot. finally the party leave. and Smart is rel.ev J, 10". upTgd l,?io . Ln of'toney, touS&JT' . " "
T .. SYNOPSIS OP PREVIOUS IKSTALLMENTS
lory. H has just written his first novel Tnd Y. i. . 1 . i ' 7,, cVDt,an omg novel, we learn of John Bellamy Smart, the young man who Is telling ihia
discovers M ,'c"t m e .Mi h. ZL, ( t Jam. tim. has fallen heir U, an immense fortune left h.m by hi. ancle. Smart taKes . trip on the Hirer Danube H.
taker d"ia family ioSchnuck. Cter Smart nd. i ""i ' -,th h" "9nt7- P0PdyVe, he take, possession. It i. supposed to be tenanted only by the -
o lea... The esrvsn'ts aowsuTto be ic i lei, with . A 2 "I ' ln "' ' mg the castle that ia barred to him. She grant, a brief interview, hot refuses
rotrr ,alhU.l? .h,? .,0A.1i ,.",.w"l.k":. nd """'.V n "ndary. Later he meet, her and i. eaptivate.1 by her wit and beauty. He find, that ah, i, divorce
S CANNOT explain why, but at the slightest
unusual sound that morning, I found my
self shooting an Involuntary glance at the
imperturbable feature, of Ludwig the lied
Kumetimes I .topped in the middle of a sen
tence, to look and to listen rather more in
tently than .earned absolutely necessary, and
iu each occasion I was obliged to begin the
sentence ail over again, because, for the lif"
:f me, I couldn't remember what it was I
bad sot out to .ay in dictation. Poopendyke
It -id an air of patient tolerance about him
that irritated me intensely. More than once
J thought 1 detected him in the act ol sup
pressing a smile.
At elevon o'clock, Blatehford came to the
ilaor. Hi. ordinarily stoical feature, bore
signs of a great, though subdued excitement.
1 had a fleeting glimpse of Britton in the
distance, a sort of passing shadow, as it
were.
"A note for yon, sir, if you please," said
he. He wa. holding the salver almoat on a
levon with hi. nose. It seemed lo bio that he
was looking at it out of the corner of his
eye.
My heart my incomprehensible heart
pave a leap tbat sent the blood rushing to
my fare, lie advanced, not with hi. usual
imposing tread but with a sprigtlinees thst
pleased me vastly. I took the little pearl
grey envelope from the salver, and carelessly
glanced at the superscription. There was a
curious ringing in my ears.
"Thank you, Blatehford; that will do."
"I beg your pardon, sir, but there ia to be
an answer."
"Oh," .aid i. I had the feeling that at
least fifty eyes were upon me, although I am
bound to admit that both Poopendyke and the
footman were actively engaged in looking it,
anulhcr direction.
1 tore open the envelope.
."Have yob deserted me entirely! Wont
you please come and see me! Thanks for
Ihe violets, but I can't talk to violets, you
know. Please come up for luncheon."
I managed to dash off a brief note in a
fairly nonchalant manner. Blatehford almost
committed the unpardonable crime of slam
ming the door brhind him, be was in such
a hurry to be off with the message.
Then I Went over and stood above Mr.
Poopendyke.
"Mr. Poopendyke," said I slowly, darkly,
"what do you know about those violetsf"
Ho quailed. "I hope you don't mind, Mr.
Smart. It's all right. I put one of youi
eards in, so that there couldn't be any mis
take." CHAPTER XIII.
I Visit and Am Tinted.
ALFWAY up the windings stairway., 1
B - paused in some astonishment. It had
just occurred to me that I waa going
p the steps two at a time and that my
heart was beating like mad.
I reflected. Here Was I racing along like
a schoolboy, and whereforf What occasion
wa. then for uch unseemly haste t Is the
first plaee, it was now but a few minutes
-after eleven, and ahe bad asked me for
luncheon; there was no getting around that.
At best luncheon was two hour. off. So why
was I galloping like this. The series of self
inflicted questions found me utterly unpre
pared; I couldn't get at them Intelligently;
i waa befuddled. I progressed more slowly,
more deliberately, finally coming to a full
top tn a sitting po.ture in one of the win
dow easements, where I lighted a cigarette
nd proceeded to thresh the thing out in my
Bind before going any farther.
The fundamental problem was this: why
wa. I breaking my neck to get to her be
fore Blatehford had time to deliver my re
iponse to her appealing little note! It was
something of a facer, and it set me U won
dering. Why was I so eager! Could It be
possible that there was anything is the spec
wJatlon of my servants I I recalled the sen
lation of supreme delight that shot through
me when I received her note, but after that
1 queer sort of oblivion seem, to have rur
nunded me, from which I waa but sow
merging in a timely struggle for .elf-control.
There was something really startling about
It, after all.
I profess to be a steady, level headed, pro
ale sort of person, and this surprising re
version to extreme youthfulness rather stag
gered me. In fact It brought a cold chill of
suspicion into existence. Grown-up men do
sot, as a rule, fly off the head unless con
fronted by some prodigious (motion, such
as terror, grief or guilt. And yet here was
I going into a perfect rampage of rapture
ever a simple, unconventional communication
from a lady whom I had known for less than
1 month and for whom I had no real feeling
f sympathy whatever. The chill of suspicion
continued to incroase.
If it had been a cigar that I waa smoking
it would have gone out through neglect. A
eigarotto goes on forever and smells.
After ten minutes f serious, undisturbed
consideration of the matter, I came to the
final conclusion that it was not love bnt pity
that had driven me (o such abnormal activ :
ity. It was nonsense to even argue the
point
Having thoroughly settled the matter to
my own satisfaction and relief, I acknow
ledged a feeling of ahame for having been
so precipitous. I shudder to think of the
look she would hare given me if I had burn
in upon her while in the throes of that ex
traordinary aeisure. Obviously I had lost my
wits. Mow I had them once more, I knew
what to do with them. First of all, I would
wait until one o'clock before presenting my
self for luncheon. Clearly that was the thing
to do. Secondly, I would wait on this side
of the castle instead of returning to my
own rooms, thereby avoiding a very unpleaa
ant gauntlet. Luckily I had profited by the
discussion in the servants' quarters and was
not wearing a three days' growth of beard.
Moreover, I had taken considerable pain,
in dressing that morning. Evidently a pres
entiment.
For an hour and a half by my watch, bnt
fire or .ix by my nerves, I paoed the lonely,
sequestered halls in the lower regions of
the castle. Two or three times I was sure
that my watch had stopped, the hands seemed
so stationary. The third time I tried to
wind it, I broke the mainspring, but as it
waa nearly one o'clock not much harm was
done.
That one little sentence, "nave you deserted
mef" grew to be a voluminous indictment.
I could think of nothing else. There was
something ineffably sad and pathetic about
it. Had she been unhappy because of my
beastly behaviousf Was her poor little heart
sore over my incomprehensible conduct. Per
haps she had cried through sheer loneli
ness But no I It would never do for me to
even think of her in tears. I remembered
having detected tears in her lovely ayes
early in our acquaintance and the signt of
them or the sensation, if you please quite
unmanned me.
At last I approached her deor. Upon my
soul, my legs were trembling I I experienced
a silly sensation of fear. A sew problem
confronted me: what was I to say to her'
Following cloae npou this came another and
even graver question: what would she say
to mef Suppose she were to look at me
with hurt, reproachful eyes and speak to mc
with a little quaver in her voice as she held
out her hand to me timidly what then!
What would become of me! - By Jove, the
answer that flashed through my whole body
almost deprived mo of reason I
I hesitated, then, plucking up my courage
.and putting all silly questions behind me, I
rapped resoundingly upon the door.
The excellent Hawkes opened it I I started
back ln dismay. He stood aside impres
sively. ' M r. Smart I " - he announced. Damm H
all! '
T caught sight of the Countess. She was
arranging some flowers on tlje table. Blateh
ford was placing the knives and forks. Helen
Marie Louise Aitoinette stood beside her
mistress holding a box of flowers in her,
hands.
What wa. it that I had been thinking out
there in those gloomy halls! That .he would
greet ma with a pathetic, hurt look and . . .
"Good morning I" she cried gaily. Hurt
Pathetic! She was radiant I "So glad to see
you again. Hawkes has told me how busy
you've been." She dried her hands on the
abbreviated apron of Helen Marie Louise An
toinette and then quite composedly extended
one for me to shako.
I bowed low over it. "Awfully, awfully
busy," I murmured. Was it relief st find
ug her so happy and unconcerned that
swept through me! I am morally, but
shamelessly certain it wasn'tl
Don't you think the roses art lovely tn
that old silver bowl!"
"Exquisite."
"Blatehford found it is Ihe plate vault,"
she said, standing off to admire the effect.
Do you mind if I go on arranging them!"
she asked, and without waiting for an an
swer resumed her employment.
"Bon jour, m'sieur," said Helen Varie
Louise Antoinette over her mistress' shoul
der. One never knows whether a French
maid is polite or merely spiteful.
"It seems ages since I saw you last,"
aid the Countess in a matter of-faet tone,
jiggling a rose into position and then stand
ing off to study the effect, her head cocked
prettily at an angle of Inquiry.
It suddenly occurred to me that she go
on very well without me during the ages.
The discovery irritated me. She was not
behaving at all as I had expected. This
cool, even easnal reception certainly was
not in kocping with my idea of what it
ought to have been. "But Mr, Poopendyko
has been awfully kind. He ha. given me all
the news."
Poopendyke I nad he been visiting her
without my knowledgo or was I about to
say consontf
"There hasn't been s rest deal of news,"
I said.
Bhe dropped a long-stemmed rose and
waited for me to pick it up.
"Thank you," she said. "Oh, did it
prick you!"
"Yes," said I flatly. Then we both
gave the closest attention to the end of my
thumb while I triumphantly squeezed a tiny
drop of blood ont of it. I sucked It. The
incident was closed. She was no longer in
terested in the laceration.
"Mr. Poopendyke knew how lonely I
would be. He telephoned twice a day."
I thought I detected a slight note of
piqne in her voice. But it was so alight
that it was hardly werth while to exult
"So you thought I had deserted pes,"
I said, and was a little surprised at the
gruffness in my voice.
"The violets appeased me," ahe said, with
a smile. For the first time I noticed that
she wss wearing a lar.e bunch of them.
"You will be bankrupt, Mr. Smart, if you
keep on buying roses and violets and orchids
for mo."
So the roses were mine also I I shot a
swift glance at the mantelpiece, irresistibly
moved by some mysterious force. There were
two bowls of orchids there. I couldn't help
thinking of the meddling, over-sealous geni
that served the hero of Anstey's "Brass
Bottle" tale. He was being outdone by my
efficacious secretary,
"But they are lovely," she cried, noting
the expression in my face and misconstruing
it. You are an angel."
That was the last straw. "I am nothing
of the sort," I exclaimed, very hot and
uncomfortable.
You are," was her retort. "There!
Isn't it a lovely centre-piece! Now, you
must come and see Rosemary. She adores
the new elephant you sent to her."
'JEle i-' ' I began, blinking my eyes. "Oh
oh, yes, yes. Ha, ha! the elephant.
Good Heavens, had that idiotic Poopendyke
started a menagerie in my castle!
I was vastly relieved to find that the
elephant Was made of felt and not too large
to keep Rosemary from wielding it skilfully
in an assault upon the hapless Jinko. She
had it firmly gripped by the proboacis, and
she was shrieking with delight. Jinko was
barking in vain glorious defence. The racket
was terrible.
The Countess succeeded in quelling the dis
turbance, and Rosemary ran np to kiss me
Jinko, who disliked me because I looked like
the Count, also ran up, bnt his ubjeet was to
bite me. I made up my mind, there and
then that if I should ever, by any chance,
fall in love with his mistress I would In
augurate the courting period by slaying
Jinko,
Rosemary gleefully permitted me to sip
honey from that warm little spot os her
seek, and I forgtft many odious things. As
I held her in -my arms I experieneel a vivid
longing to have a child of my own, just like
Rosemary.
Our hincheon was not as gay nor as un
conventional as ethers that had preceded It
The Countess vainly tried to make it as
sprightly is its predecessors, but gave over
in despair in the face of my taciturnity. Her
spirits drooped. She became strangely uneasy
and, I thought, preoccupied.
"What is on your mind, Oountess f" I
asked rather gruffly, after a painful silence
of some duration.
She regarded me fixedly for a moment.
She seemed to be searching my thoughts.
"You," she said very succinctly. "Why are
yon so quiet, so funeral f" I observed a
faint tinge of red in her cheeks and an
ominous steadineae in her game. Was there
anger also!
I apologized for my manners, and assured
her that my work was responsible,- But her
moodiness increased. At last, apparently at
the end of her reaources, she announced that
she was tired that after we had had
cigarette she would ask to be excused, as
ahe wanted to lie down. Would I come te
see her the next day!
"But don't think of coming, Mr. Smart,"
she declared, "if you feel you cannot spare
the time awoy from your work."
I began to feel heartily ashamed ef my
beorichness. After all, why should i expend
my unpleasant humor n her!
"My dear Countess," I exclaimed, 4is-
playing a livelier interest than at any time
before, "I shall be delighted to some. Per
mit me to add that my work may go hang."
Her face brightened. "But men must
work," she objected.
"Not when women are wining to play,"
I said.
"Splendid!" she cried. "Ton are re
viving. I feel better. If you are going to
be nice, I'll let you stay."
"Thanks. I'll do my best."
She seemed to he weighing something in
her mind. Her ehin was in her hands, her
elbows resting on the edge of the table. Bhs
was regarding me with speculative eyes.
'II you don t mind what the servants
sre saying about us, Mr. Smsrt, I am quite
sure I do not."
I caught my breath.
"Oh, I understand everything," she erie.l
mischievously, before I eould stammer any
thing in reply. "They are building a de
lightful romance around us. And why notf
Why begrudge them the pleasure! No harm
can come of it, you see."
"Certainly no harm," I floundered.
"The gossip is confined to the castle. It
win not go any farther. We can afford to
laugh in our sleeves, can't we!"
"Ha, ha!" I laughed is a strained effort,
but sot into my sleeve. "I rejoice to heaz
you say that you don't mind. No more da
I It's rather jolly."
"Fancy any one thinking we eould poo
sibly fall in love with each other," ahe
scoffed. Her eyes were very bright. Then
was a suggestion of cold water iu that re
mark. "Yes, just fancy," I agreed.
"Absurd!"
"But, of course, as you say, if they cam
get any pleasure out of it, why should w
object! It's a difficult matter keeping
cook any way."
"Well, we are bosom friends one man.
are we sot! I am so relieved."
"I suppose Poopendyke told you the tha
gossip!"
"Oh, not I had it from my maid. She is
perfectly terrible. All French maids are, Xn,
Smart. Beware of French maids I She wun"l
have it any other way than that I am des
perately in love with you. Isn't she deli
cious I"
"Eh!" I gasped.
"And she confides the wonderful secret
to every one in the castle, from Rosemary
down to Jinko.
" 'Pon my soult" I murmured.
"And so now they all are saying that I
sm in love with you," she laughed. "Isn't it
perfectly ludicrous."
"Perfectly," I said without enthusiemv
My heart sank like head. Ludicrous ! Wa
that the way it appeared to her! I had s)
little spirit left. "Quite as ludicrous fi
the fancy Britton has about me. He ia ob
sessed by the idea that I sm in love with
you. What do you think of thatt" -
She started. I thought her eyes narrowed
for a second. "Ridaeuaoua," she said, rery
simply. Then she arose abruptly. "Pf Baas
ring the bell for Hawkes."
I did so. Hawkea appeared. "Clear th"
table, Hawtes," she said. "I want you ts
read all these newspapers dippings. Mat
Smart," she went on, pointing to a bondha
on a chair near the window. We crossed tha
room. "Now that yon know Who I am, I
insist on you reading all that the papers
have been saying about me during the past
five or six weeks."
I protested, bnt she was firm. "Every oM
else in the world has bees reading about
my affairs, so you must do likewise. No, ft
isn't necessary to read all of them. I will
select the most lurid and the most glowing.
You see there are two sides to the casa.
The papers that father can control sre united
is defending my actios; the European press
is just the other way. Bit down, please. I'll
hand them to you."
For as hour I sat there in the window ab
sorbing the astonishing history of the Tas
aowsy abduction ease. I felt rather than
observed the intense- scrutiny with which she
favored me.
At last she tossed the remainder of the
bundle unread, into a corner. Her face was
aglow with pleasure.
"You've read both sides, and I've watches
you oh, so closely. Yon don't believe what
the papers over here have to say. I saw.
the scowls when you read the translations
that Mr. Poopendyke has typed for me. Now
I know thst you do not feel so bitterly
toward ne as you did at first."
I was resolved to make a last determined
stand for my original convictions.
"But our own papers, the New York, Bos-
tan, Philadelphia, Chicago journals etfll
voice, tn a way, my principal contention ia
the matter, Countess. They deplore the
wretched custom among the idle but ambi
tious rich that made possible this whole
lamentable stats of affairs. I mean the cus
tom of getting a title into the family at any
cost."
My dear Mr. Smart," she said serious
ly, "do you really contend that all of the
conjugal unhappine.s and unrest of the world
is confined to the Ameriesn girls who marry
noblemen I Has it escaped your notice that
there are thousands of unhappy marriages
and equally happy divorces in America every
year in which noblemen do not figure at alll
Have you not read of countless cases over
there is which conditions are quite similar,
to those which make the Tarnowsy fiasco as
notorious! Are not American women stealing
their children from American husbands! Are
all American husbands so perfect that Count
Tarnowsy would appear black among them I
Are there no American men who marry for
money, and are there no American girls gives
in marrinpe to wealthy suitors of all acres,
ereeds and habits! Why do you msintais
lhat an unfortunate alliance with a foreign
nobleman is any worse than an unhappy
marriaco witb an ordinary American bmtet
Are there no bad husbands in America."
i.T. B. Guar