Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-08

going to make the United States the
first naval power in the world"
And with a good natured laugh
the attache went OF.
us that true7" asked the lady,
smiling With that mixture Of girlish.
ness and English grandladyism
which was SO new to Caleb s. Hark
ness.
quite, he answered, but am
not going to tell you how
In a few minutes they had found
seat beneath a marvellous stand of
flowers, and she was chatting away
like a schoolgirl, while he listened
and added here and there keen
comment or a humorous suggestion.
Presently she began talking Of her
self, and, in natural sequence, Of her
husband, Of their home in England,
of his career and of her hatred of
politics.
"And," +" she added suddenly at the
end of it, "here is my husband"
"Ah" he said in a peculiar, dull
voice, this is your husband"
She was smiling upon the man who
approached, beckoning to him to
come with her eyes, as women some
hines do. She turned sharply upon
Hardness, her attention caught by
something in his voice.
"Yesr she answered.
Hardness had risen with a clatter
Of his sword on the polished floor
and stood awaiting the Introduction.
'My husband-Ad Admiral Hardness. y
The men bowed, and before they
could exchange a word fair young
imam came up.
"PhewEthis is worse than 'Simla, I"
he saidAthen, offering his arm to
lLady Storrel, ''sAlice, " he continued,
II have discovered some ices-the
most lovely'ices." e..-
They moved away, the lady favor
ing Hardness with a little nod, leav'
ing the two tallest men in the assem-
bly, facing each other. ia .a55i.
When they were, gone, Caleb 5.
Hardness and Lord Storrel looked
into each others eyes.
$50" said Hardness, lapsing sud
denly into a twang, she waited"
| The other nodded. He raised his
| perfectly gloved hand to his mus;
tache, which he tdgged pensively to
either side.
seYes," he answered, 'she waited. "
Then helllooked round the room,
4 and seeing that they were, almost
alone he moved. toward the seat just
vacated by bis wife. s..sa. ,
"Come and sit down, he said, land
I will tell you a little story, ,
Does she know it2" inquired Hark-
ness when they were seated.
mo"
Then / don't want to hear i'll
You'd better keep it to yourself, ]
reckon"
II should like to tell you some OF
it for my own sake. ! don't want
you to go away thinking--somethine
that is not the fact. 20
II would rather not have. the
story persisted Hardness. This
n American had some strange MOTIONS
of bygone virtue called chivalry
L"Give me few facts. Twill string
them together"
Lord Storrel was sitting forward OF
his low chair, with his hands elapsed
! between his knees. They were rather
. tlarge handsA-su suggestive of manua
I Iiabor ..l. Is .l.y.i i4.l. ID.
l''Suppose, he said, without look
ing round, "that a man is in stree'
row in Dublin when no one knows
he is even in the town. Suppose the
l--erAEnglish side of the question Il
: getting battered, and he hits out anC
kills drunken beast. 1r
fSuppose an innocent man Is &C
Icused Of it, and the right chap 4
/, Forced to come forward and show uI
under o false name-and gets fiv'
years.
HSuppose he escapes after three ant
half and goes homesaying that he hai
, been in America cattle ranching, hay
ling always been a scapegrace and |
ne'er-do-well, who never wrote hom'
when he had gone off in huff.
Suppose he had tried all this TO
the sake of-a girl, and he had car
: ried it through
Caleb Hardness had discovered tina
J the identity of the British plenipC
I tentiary had become known TO som
81 the more curious Of the president
lguests, who were now moaning In
Inocently around them as they sat
He moved in his chair, as II TO rise.
"Yes-I can suppose all that" h
said. a. - ul
> The EDglishman's nerve was maj
} yelous. He saw what Hardness ha,
/. seen a moment before, and over hi
J face came the bland smile OF an ir
teiligent Englishman talking nava
! matters with an American admiral
"of course. " said he, II am at you
! mercy"
Il was at yours once, 30 now W
are quits, ! take it." f
iV And the two big men rose an
passed out of the room together
Pearsons Monthly.