Adventure, June 1911 — page 158: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

344 Presently he turned to me. “I under- stand,” he said, “that Major Temple’s place is upon the main road, about half a mile this side of Exeter. There is a gray stone gateway, and a lodge. I shall try the first entrance answering that description.”’ I suggested that I should leave the car as soon as we reached the gateway in question and continue upon foot the balance of my way. My companion nodded and we rode in silence for a few moments. Suddenly, with a great swirl of dead leaves and a squall of cold rain, the storm broke upon us, and a moment later we turned without stopping into a handsome gray stone gate- way and up a long, straight gravel road bordered on each side by a row of beautiful oaks. I glanced up in some surprise, but he only smiled and nodded, so I said no more, realizing that he could hardly set me down in the face of such a storm. A quarter of a mile, through a fine park, and a swift turn brought us up under the porte-cochére of a large gray stone house of a peculiar and to me somewhat gloomy and unattractive appearance. The rain and wind were now so bad that I saw it would be useless to attempt to proceed against it, and after a short wait the door was thrown open by a servant and we hurriedly entered. “WE FOUND ourselves in a large, dimly lighted hallway. I in- spected with considerable curios- ity the man who had admitted us, not only because of his Oriental appearance—he was a Chinaman of the better sort—but also be- cause he was dressed in his native garb. He, upon his part, showed not the slightest in- terest in our coming, as he inspected us with his childlike, sleepy eyes. “Tell Major Temple,” said my friend, “that Mr. Robert Ashton is here, and—”’ he turned to me with a questioning glance— “Owen Morgan,” I replied, wondering if he would know me by name. If he did, he showed no sign. “Just so—Mr. Owen Morgan,” he con- tinued, then strode toward a log fire which crackled and sputtered cheerily upon the hearth of a huge stone fire-place. “Y’m afraid I’m rather presuming upon the situation,” I suggested when I had . joined him, “but perhaps the storm will slacken up presently.’ “Major ‘Temple will be glad to see you, I’m sure,” rejoined Mr. Ashton uncon- ‘Mr. Ashton remarked. Adventure cernedly. “You can’t possibly go on, you know.” “T’m afraid not,” I answered, a bit un- graciously. “The Major is a queer old character,” “Great traveler* and collector. I’m here on a matter of busi- ness myself—partly, at least. He'll be glad to meet you. I fancy he’s a bit lonely with nobody to keep him company but his daughter. Here he comes now.” He turned toward a tall spare man with gray hair and drooping gray mustaches. His face, like Ashton’s, had the dull burnt- in tone of brown which is acquired only by long exposure to the sun and which usually marks its possessor as a traveler in the hot countries. “‘Ah, Ashton,” Siclainicd the Major, dropping his monocle, ‘‘delighted to see you. You arrived yesterday?” “Late yesterday; you see I lost no time in coming to report the result of my quest.” “‘And you were successful?” demanded the older man excitedly. “Entirely so,” replied Ashton with a smile of satisfaction. “Good! Good!’* The Major rubbed his hands and smiled, then,..apparently ob- serving me for the first time, glanced at Mr. Ashton with a slight frown and an in- terrogative expression. “Mr. Owen Morgan,” said Ashton lightly, “on his way to Exeter with me. I took the liberty of bringing him in, on account- of the storm.” “T am ready to go on at once,” I inter- jected stiffly, ‘“‘as soon as the rain lets up a bit.” “Nonsense, nonsense!” The Major’s voice was somewhat testy. “You can’t possibly proceed on a night like this. Make yourself at home, sir. Any friend of Mr. Ashton’s is welcome here.’”’ He turned to one of the servants, who had entered the room>to turn on the lights. “Show Mr. Ashton and Mr. Morgan to their rooms, Gibson. You'll be wanting to fix up a bit before dinner,’”’? he announced. ‘Which rooms, sir, shall I show the gen- tlemen to?” asked the man, a trifle un- easily, I thought. The Major looked at Ashton and laughed. “Ashton,” he said, “you know I took this place only a, short. time ago on my return from my last trip to the East and, as we do not have many visitors, it’s a bit musty and Gomichbooksecom