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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1914)
13 HOME AND 7 ABM. MAGAZINE SECTION SERIAL. A Fool and His Money Bj Qm. Bur McCrrtcheon j&pytit, 1913, $y Geo. But MeCtehooa. grsopsia of pbktioos vssxjjjjtana. in M (vesting raitollmoum f A rml ana mi aloeey, . arr meamiawew- "-"" , " JT -. ' 7. rr. r.k' . " Z - .l. w., tw-w; tory. H. fcTVrtti hto. Ant awvel. and t the ..m. um. he. faUen heir J"" ..il" J""? IftJljTlfv iTu. Geo. Ban MeCu tehee anning navel, ,w mar i at Mam bm-w , . r? "V-! iZ Mien u ancient guth, wMt aa (iraum mm aa uwiu count, una in p -- - r- ; , -- - gr- ,ta ; k. i.terview bat renal taker and hil family, the Schsntoks. liter Smart find. . woman who 1 to paunsioa wing of In caatll that J-. i f- ., 'JfU W. ST rti aOTatwaS to km Th. servant, appear to b. In league with h.r, and Smart i to . quandary. LMer he meato h end ll eapuvatod by J"'' T, American tothen-Lw whan tnm a worthies, and sejieW.,, Austrian Count, who wa awarded th. custody of th. lady'. ehild. Th. Count demand, a f-,1 i iiir Z'vmZ he would (It. it a. Th. mother .hduou th. child and .eltct. th. eaaU. .. a hiding pl.ee. Smart Iw. trouble with to. ""v d" to with th. S although .V. warn.' him of th. danger. A number of vieitora mak.a it difficult to keep neret thi prwnee .1 th. Ooanlo m. caatte. Oa. f", . thi wito ol hi ahaoat comra upon Bmart and th. Oou.t.a uruw.ru. Th. woman escapes but lis mi a door behind her. Th. vtaitor nuipeeU Mut el aa intrigue wi ui " Wet. finally (ha party nana and Bmart relieved. Th. Count turn, np .fain and aat. tor lau f money, bat to rarasod. HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION A LL UUSBAKDS ar bad," I mid, m "but some ar mora pre-enrinently nil than .than. 1 am not finding fault with Tarnowiy a a hnahandL H. did Just what wa expected of him. H. did what ha aat out to do, H. isn't ta b. blamed for living up to hia craad. Thar. ar. bad hus bands in America, and bad wivei. But they went into th. (am. blindly, moat of thorn. Thoy didn't find out their miatak. until after th. marriage. Th. aam. atatem.nt appliea to hosbandi and wivei the world w. I hold a brief only .rainat th. mar- vage wherein th. contracting partial, their lamiues, their mends, their enemies, their hankers and their creditors know beforehand that it's a business proposition and not a aacred compart. But we're gone into all nu Before. Why rako it up again." But there are many happy marriage! be tween American girls and foreign noblemen aoseai of taa that X could mention." "I rant you that. I know of a (ew myself. But I think if you will reflect .for a moment you'll find that money had no placa in th. covenant. They married because they lored one another; Th. noblemen to auch eases are real noblemen, and their American wirea are real wives. There are no Count Tarnowsys smonir them. My blood curdles when 1 think of you being married to a man of the Tarnowsy type. It ia thai .aort of a maxriug. that Z execrate.," "The bay and sell kindt" she said, and her eyes fell. Tho color had fided from her cheeks. "Yes. The premeditated murder type." She looked up after a amomenl. There was a bleak expression in her eyes. "Will you believe me if I say to you that I went into it blindly!" "God bless my soul, I am sure of it," 1 eried earnestly. "You hud never been in love. You did not know." "T have told you that I believed myseif to be in love with Maris. Doesn't doesn't that help matters a little bitt" I looked away. Tho hurt, appealing look was in hrr eyes. It had come at last, and, upon my soul. I wax as little preparrd to r-pel it a when I entered the room hours aeo aftrr having lived in fear of it for hours before that. I looked away because 1 knew that I should do something rash if I were to lose my head for an Instant She was like an unhappy pleading child, i solemnly affirm that it waa tender-heartedness thrtt moved me in this crucial instant. What man could have felt otherwiset I assumed a coldly impersonal ton.. "Not a single editorial in any of these papers holds you responBihle for what happened in New York." I said. She bepan to collect the icattered news asper clippings and the type-written tran scriptions. I gathered up those in th. comer and laid them in her lap. Her fingers trembled a little. "Throw them in the fireplace, please," she laid in a low voice. "I kept them only for the purpore of showing them to you. Oh, how I hate, how I losthe it alll" When I came back from the fireplace, she was lying back in the big, comfortable chair, a careless, whimsical smile on htr lips. She was as serene as if she had never known what it was to have a heart-pang or an in itant of regret in all her life. I could not understand that side of her. "And now I have some pleasant news for you," she said. "My mother will be here en Thursday. You will not like htr, of course, because yon ar. already prejudiced, hut I know she will like you." I knew I should hate her mother, but . ararse it would not do to say so. "Next Thnrsdsy!" I Inquired. She nodded her bead. "I hope she will like me," I add ed, feeling that it was necessary, "Indeed." The Celingraft family was one the oldest and most exclusive is New York. I had a vague recollection of hearing an. of my fastidiom friends at home lay that It must have been a bitter blow to the Oetsngrafts when, ai an expedient, ihe mar ried the vulgarly rich Jasper Titus, then of fit. Paul, Minnesota. It had been a clear case of marryiac the mosey, aot th man. Aline 'l marriage, therefore, was due to hereditary old iloodedness and not to eovetoosaess. "A Una old name. Countess." "Titus luggeau titles, tharwht It hat aim. to b. our family name," sh said, with her aattrio amile. "You will Uka my father. Be lores me mere than airy en all to th amrW more than all th world. He la mak xag the (reat fight for me, Mr. Bmart. H. veuld buy off th. Count tomorrow U I would aarmlt him to do. Of late I have keen think tog very lertouily el urfaittog it to him. It would be th. simplest way cut if our ttvohlei, wouldn't HI A jnilUea If nothing ta my father." "Nothing at all, I submit, In view the fact that it may be th. means of saving you from a term In prison fox abducting Bo-ternary I" She paled. "Do yen really think they wwold put mi In prison I" "Cnoueitlonanry," I proceuneed m ahacieally. "Oh, dear I" ihi murmured. "But they can't lock yea np until they'vs aught yen," old I reassuringly. "And I arlTt an to It that they do aot catch yon." "I I am depending on jm entirely, Mr. Bmart," (hi laid anxiously. "Bom day I may hi In a position to repay you tar all th kindnaia " "Please, please I" " and all the risk yon ar taking for as," ihe completed "Yon see, you haven't the excuse any longer that yam don't knew my aam. and story. Yea an Uabta to he arrested yourself for " Then un a sharp rapping a th. door at thi. instant a rather imperative,, linister rapping, if one were to jadg by th way we started and the way we looked at each other. W laughed nervously. 'Goodneail You'd think Sharieek Holmes himself was it th. door," ah ariad. "Bee wh. it ia, please." I went to the door. Poopendyke was there. He was visibly exeited. "Can you eome down at enee, afr. Smart!" he said in a voice aot meant to reach the ears .1 th Countess. "What's upt" I queationed sharply. "The jig, I'm afraid," he whispered aen- tentioasly. Poopendyko, being a stenog rapher, never wasted words. H. would hav. made a fin. playwright. "Good Lord! Deteetivest" "No. Count Tarnowsy and a stranger." Impossible I Tho Countess, alarmed by ear manner, ouirkly crossed the room. "What ia it f ih demanded. "The Count is downstairs," I laid. "Don't hi alarmed. Nothing can happen. You" She laughed. "Oh, is that all! My dear Mr. Smart, he has come to see y-oa about the frescoes." "But I have iosnlted him!" "Not permanently," she said. "I knew him too well. He is like a leech. He has iriven you time to reflect and therefore re irret your action of the ether night. Go down and see him." Poopendyke volunteered further informa tion. "There is s!o a man down there a cheap looking person who says he must see tho C'mntess Tarnowsy at once." "A middle aged man with the upper but ton of his waistcoat' off 1" Rhe asked sharp- ir.- "T I can't say as to the huttnn." "I am expecting one of my lawyers. It must he he. He was to have a button off." "I'll look him over again," said I'oopen dyke. "Do. And be careful not to let the Count catch a glimpse of him. That would be fatal." "No danger af -that. He went at once to old Conrad's room." "Good! I had a note from him this morn ing, Mr. Smart. Ho is Mr. Bangs of Loo don." "May I insure. Countess, bow yon man age to hsve letters delivered to you here I Isn't it extremely dangerous to havathem go through the mails." "Thoy are all directed to the Schmicks," she explained. "They are passed on to me. Now go and 'see the Count. Don't lend him any money." "I shall probably kick him off the cliff, I said, with a scowl. She laid her hand upon my arm. "Be careful," she ssid very earnestly, "for my sake. Poopendyke had already started down tin stairs. I raised her hand to my lips. Then I ruahed away, cursing myself for a fool, an ingrate, a presumptuous bounder. My nncalled-for act had brought a swift flush of anger to her cheek. I saw It quite plainly as she lowered her head and drew bark into, the shadow of the curtain. Bounder! That is what I was for taking ad vantage of her simple trust in me. Strange to Bay, she came to the head of the stairs and watched me until I was out of sight in the hall below. The Count was waiting for me in the loggia. It was quite warm and he fanned himself laxily with his broad straw hat. As I approached, he tossed his cigarette over the wall and hastened to meet me. There was quaint diffident smile on his lips. "It ti good to see you again, old fel low," hi laid, with an amiability that sur prised me. "I was afraid yon might hold a grieeaae against mi. Yea Americana are queer chaps, you know. Our little tilt of the other evening, you understand. Stupid way for two grown-up men to behave, wasn t ltl Of course, the explanation is simple. We had been drinking. Men do silly things in their cups." Oonsummste assurance! I had not touched I drop of anything that night. "I assure you. Count Tarnowsy, thi littl. tilt, as yon ire pleased t call it, wag of no consequence. I had quit, forgotten that it occurred. Sorry yon reminded me of it." The irony was wasted. He beamed. "My dear fellow, ihall we not shake hands!" There waa something Irresistibly winning about him, is I've said before. Something boyish, Ingenuous, charming what you will that want far toward accounting for many things that yon who hav. niter leen him may consider 'incomprehensible. A certain wariness took possession of me. I could well afford to temporize. We shook hands with what seemed to be genuine fervor. "I suppose yon ar wondering whit brlnga m here," ha laid, si we started toward th entrance to thi loggia, hil arm through mine, "I do not forget a promise," Mr. Smart. Yon may remember that I agreed to fetch a man from Man eh an to look over your tin eld frescoes and to give yon an estimate. Well, he to here, th very beat man in Europe,' ' "I am sere I am greatly Indebted to ya. Count," I said, "hut after torn king it ever I'T " Don't say that yon have already en gaged some one to d. the work," a aned in horror. "My dear fester-, damt tell me thai! Yea ar rtoi to make a dwaadful mtotaki if yam liaaaa to any en but Schwartomaller. Ha i. the laal word to restorations. H ti Ih beat bat, aa yen would lay in New Teak. Any an eta win make a botch of th work. Yen will cane th. day you " I cheeked him. "I hare virtaaBy decided to l.t th. whole matter g ever an til aext spring. However, I ahaU be happy to hav Mr. Schwartz muller'a opinion. We may I. able to plan ahead." A lack of disappointment flitted taw bis fee. Th mggeatien if hard out age crept toto hi! features for a second aad then aa appeared. - "Delayi ar. dangerous," h Mid. "My judgment ia that the gergeeue paintings will disintegrate mora during the coming win ter than in all the yean gone by. They an at the critical Itaga. If not preserved now well. I cannot bear to think ei th. eon- sequences. Ah, here is Herr Scnwnrts muller." Just inside the door, we came upon a pom pous yet servile German who could not by any means have been mistaken for anything but the last word in restoration. I have ever seen any one in my lif whose ap pearance suggested a more complete stato of rehabilitation. His frock eoit was new, it had the unfailing smell of new wool freshly dyed; his shoes wen painfully new; his gloves were new; his ulk hat waa reaplend- ently new; his fat jowl was ihaved to a luminous pink; his gorgeous moustache was twisted up at the ends to such a degree that when he smiled the point! wavered in rron! of his eyes, causing him to blink with aston ishment. He was undeniably dressed up for tho occasion. My critical eye, however, dis covered a pair of welt-worn striped trousers badly stained, slightly frayed at the bot tom and inclined to bag outward at the knee. Perhaps I should have said that he was droseeu up from the knee. "This is the greet Herr Schwartimuller, of the Imperial galteries in Muncheu," said the Count, introducing us. The stranger bowed very profoundly and at the same tima extracted a business card from the tail pocket of his coat. This he delivered to me with a smile which seemed to invite me to participate in a great and serious seeret the secret of irreproachable standing as an art expert and couuoisseur. I confesa to a mistaken impression concern ing him up to the moment he handed me his clumsy business card. My suspicions had set bitn down as a confederate of Count Tarnowsy, a spy, a secret agent or what ever you choose to consider one who is cmploved in furthering a secnt purpose. But the business card removed my doubts and misgivings. It tumped him for what he really was there is no mistaking a ber man who hands you his business card. He destroys all possible chance for discussion In three languages the card announced that he was "August Schwartxmuller, of the Imperial galleries, Munrhen, Zumpe ft Schwartsmuller, proprietors. Restorations a specialty." There was much more, but I did not have time to read all of it. More over, the card was a trifle soiled, as if it had been used before. There could be no doubt is to his genuineness. Ha wai an art expert. For ten minutes I allowed them to torpati- fate on the perils of procrastination in the treatment of rare old canvases and pig ments, and then, having formulated my plans, blandly inquired what, the cost would be. It appears that Herr Sohwartamuller had examined thi fret coal no longer than six montiis before in the intareeta ef a New York gentleman to wham Canal Hohan- dahl had tried to sell them for a lamp run. He was unable to recall the gentleman's name. "I ihotrld say let mora than an hun dred and fifty thousand marks, perhaps less," said thi expert, rolling ail aalealatrve eye upward and running tt atoag the vast dome el th. hall a if to figure it ant in yards and inches. The Count was watching mi with an lager light in his eyes. He looked away aa I shot a quick glance at hit face. The whole mat ter became ai dear as day to mi. Hi was to receive a handsome commission if thi contract waa awarded. Na doubt hia share would be at least half ef th amount itipu lsted. I hid reason to believ that the woik could be performed al a profit tor lesi than half thi figure mantiened by the German. - "Nearly forty thousand dollars, la ether words," aaid I reflectively. "They are worth ten time that amount, sir," laid the expert gravely. I smiled skeptically. The Count took in stant alarm. He realised thai I was aat such i fool ai I looked, perhaps. "Hohendahl 'waa one. offered two hun dred and fifty thousand dollars, Mr, Smart," hi said. "Why didn't he accept HI" I aaked bluntly. "Ha sold thi whole placa to me, content! included, for lest thin half that amount" "It was yean ago, befon he waa In such din itraiti," hi explained emiekly. A terrible suspicion entered my head. I felt myself turn cold, If thi frcscoca van genmin they wen worth all that Sebwarto maller deetared; that being the can why ahaald Hebendabl have let them cam to ma in practically nothing when there man asanas af collectors who would have nsda the fall price 1 I swalWwed hard, but mam aged to control my voice. 'Aa a mastei af fact. Ooant Taraomay.' I laid, resorting to unworthy mean, "I nan every reason to believe that Hohendahl sold thi originals sometime age, ana naa tneni replaced on th saimaga by ctover imitation. TWy are not worth th can rat Ibay an TT. V !- --1 4h raift lo af axmrehenaian that Baaaed (rem him to tha stood SehvartomaUcr, whose tic toraed a shad redder. "Imnesmthtal" ariad Tammy therpry. " Bona hnauikh" I aaid cahm, ly, asm aara ef my grenad. "To be pea taetly frank with you, I've known from Aa beginning that they were fake. Yew trieaa usual ztoaencaas, is newer wh ju a htm credit tor being. Ha eetifeiiad to m at thi time oar transaction took plae that h Mndi vm, rv recent reproductions.. The originals, I think, in to bemoan t New York." 1 law guilt in in. ie ei Schwartxmuller. His moustaches drooped with the corners af hil mouth; hi did no seem to be filling out the frock coat qulta o completely ai when I first beheld ham, A shrewd saapieun impelled m w tasa .k.n.u nn - JiM,t lrilti(,T f looked straight into the Gorman's eyei and said-i "Bow that 1 came t tawx ei m a am he mentioned the name of Behwanamullat in connection with the " T, ..i inl Tt ta not true!" roaral the expert, without wailing for me to fin ish. "He lied to you, we the great firm of Zumpe ft Schwartsmallex wi could aad be tempted with millions ta to aucn a thing.' ' 'I went a step farther in my deductions, Somehow I had grasped thi truth thil pair deliberately hoped to swindli mi out if forty thousand dollars. Thsy knew the freecoe A iM;i.tinn &nd vet thev wen urffina me to spend a huge sum of meney in 're storing canvases that had been purposely made to look oiu ana ninny in r ,,,,, mora (-.fill tiotis nurchaaer than I. But, as I say, 1 went a step farther and .de liberately accused uounl larnowsy. "Moreover, Count Tarnowsy, you an futty, aware of all this." "My dear fellow " "I'll not wast ward. Y an a damn icoundrell" He measured th distance with his en and then aprang swiftly lorward, striking blindly at my face. Schwartxmuller was near the door, look ing over his shoulder as he felt fox the great brass knob. "Mein Gottl" he bellowed. "Stopl" I sheeted. "Come bick hen and take this fellow away with youl" Tarnowsy was Bitting up, looking about him in a daxed, bewildered manner. At that moment, Poopendyke cam. ran- ja-, ,h ,!,in attracted hv the Ion voice. He was fallowed closely by tore or four wide-eyed giaaiera who were work ing n the second floor. "Jn the name of heaven, lirl" "I've bruised my knuckles horribly," waa all that I said. I seemed to bs In a sort . - a mveelf. 1 had never knocked a man down befon to my life It w am amasingly easy thing to do, I could hardly believe that I had don It, Tinv itrnzeled to hil feet and fanes. ma, quivering with rage. I was dumb- fhundea to see mat a wai not coverwa wise. uA Hnt a ma ef a lieht. Taliowiak green. I could icaicely believe my ayes. "I, aaall pay tor uiar na cxie. imm ur, naheA to hia ere. "Coward 1 Beast I To strike a defence! sea man I" ir. . i,,nj wnt nriftlv te bda breast Bockes. and an instant later a small revolver flashed toto new. It wai then thai I sua anotner strange aad toecunnsehaniihla thing. Wish a, ntMMt iiimliiiMe 1 asepnad forward and wreatad it tram hil haad. I say Strang aad lAeomprenenaioie 1ST tn. reason inai was pointing it directly at my breast aad yet I had aot tha slightest ecaietiea of fear. Ha eeaM bar shot m like a dag, I never even thought el that. "Nen f tbatl" I cried aharuly. "Now, will yam he goad: enough to get oat of thil aa and liny enti" "My lacaadi will Mil on you ' ' 11 4h will Meeive Inst what von bar received. If yon or any of your friend presume to tnspass on ine privacy 01 uioaw a. .1 ln T'U Viek the whole lei of yon into the Danube. Hawkesl Either how or lead Count Tarnowsy to the gate. Al tor yam, Mr. Sehwartsmuller, I ihall ex pose " But th list word in restorations had de parted. (To Be Continued.) ' CANCER tSzt cured without drugs or knife NATURAL SANATORIUM 178 East 60th S treat, Portland, Oregcrn
