The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-17

next, the savoy esy s:so sn EDWARD Sing
Or is my lion. He is just back from
Central Asia and is going to make us
forget Lander and Sven Hedin in no
time. am also asking Lord and Lady
Emscott and the William North
bridges. Yours most sincerely,
-Charles Edward Austin. =
Mrs. Wnding remarked to q friend
the next afternoon that really it was
gn 4as T. nag% 99t i h dsnd9n ho we
or they you. But she asked in the next
sentence whether Lady .Wynche knew
Edward Singer, the great explorer. Sin
ger, it appeared, would be coming to
Mrs. Vikings one day shortly.
. The William .Northbridges. declined
Mr.. Austin Is kind invitation with
F.. r. G.. s., and who thought that
he himself knew something Of Central
Asian matters, accepted with alacrity.
Mrs. Buxton would also come.
Mr.. and Mrs. Revel have lived in
London for years, altho they are Amer
leans. Charles Edwards did not know
him him. to - ask SIX them hem Yet his Conscience
troubled him little when he thought
that because they knew the same set
Of people in New York that he did,
the difficulties Of conversation with
them would be trihing. And when Mrs.
Revel wrote to say that she had known
her host s mother and thought she must
early youth, Charles Edward, to whom
this information was wholly unexpect-
ed, had a moment when he felt that he
had behaved, to Singer at least, like
an utter, cad. But he overcame these
pangs Of remorse and ordered his din
ner.
Charles Edward 8 plan Of campaign
even at smart London restaurant. He
took a private sittingroom next his
private diningroom, and impressed
upon the waiter in attendance before
dinner the necessity of announcing the
names of arrivals with great distinct
ness. - s...-. IL.
Singer came first. He, had been told
an hour and fifteen minutes in advance
Of the time appointed in the notes Of
invitation. It is as we'll to cage your
lion before you admit visitors to your
menagerie. Beside which, the host Of
the evening hoped that interest in east
ern Turkestan would at once overpoWer
all ether tha f cell e in , bis guests
"Wel, Austin, I suppose you think
you re going to bring It off. Do you
e ssas}Y;; expect a dinner party Of 'tfan.
o Could one trust to Singers tact and
resource7 In spite Of the honors at
grra duation, Charles Edwards knowl-
edge Of history, was not great; still, he
thought he could remember that Napo-
leon had kept the secret of his plans
to himself.
ono" he answered.; ~ gave 1t up,
old chap; it was too risky. These are
people [ do know. found out that [
| had met Lady Emscott and had forgot
ten It. Funny, isn't its"
The BuxtOns were announced.
j 1T is godo Of you to come, Mrs: Bux-
s sig N.Y. neer nsissed on On
my venturing to ask Mr.. Buxton. How
are you, Buxton9 Have you been speak
ing again before that Geographical so.
ciety since the time I met you9 That
must have been over a year ago; let g
."The lecture on the abandoned salt
WI HYes."
tI forget who brought you"
ooh, what s his name-I have con
foundedlly bad memory-you know, the
about the region bimself.0
| "You mean Hertwich,' said Buxton
with snort.
eyes, Hertwich.''
is he coming tonight7'
"Wen, nos" Charles Edward beamed
have heard Of him, and I thought if
ger, and Mrs. Wi1ding was announced
ct am in great luck to get you, Mrs
Wilding,' was the greeting she re
cei igTss ro,, .ra ;, sha aan,;++oa .-
engaged to some cousins Of mine 70:
tonight. But if Mr.; Singer is to burs
NYou would like to arrange that tn
sunrise should take place in Cheste
sExactly, Mr.. Austin. Do you know
/ had a hard time trying to remembe
where I met you2 It is good for tn;
soul, they say,,so I out with the truth. ,
IT can quite understand. You NEE
50 many people, and never was aspe
cially worth remembering.
F'I thought at first it must have bee,
at your embassy"
ch @Ne; T / RsySF dined there" replie'
:, "Ah, then it was Mrs. sackville's.
"And you forgotl' The speaker en-
| deavored to put a mildly sentimenta
note into MS voice.
"Don't reproach me. You forgav
me in. the beginning. Now fetch m
, Mr.. Singer
i An Introduction followed. Fort,
nately Mrs. Wilding already knew tn
Buxtons, She had collected the e.
! plorer once some years ago, and he ha
! occupied for an afternoon the place
! the Chester street drawingroom t
. which she now destined Singer:
Next came the Revells, and thei
: host, to his shame be it said, almos
) welcomed the feeling Of security whic
= they gave him. The arrival of tt
: Emscott party interrupted Mrs. Re
a telI's flow Of anecdote concernin
a Charles Edward g childhood. Charlt
Edward, inwardly agitated, tho GU
r wardly calm enough, greeted the.
guests, and prayed that dinner woul
! be announced at once.
n "I am seating people little uncol
n ventionally,' he explained to Lad
Emscott, who smiled Vaguely in repl
t "You ought to be at my right
$ course. But I know you will want |
be next to Mr.. Singer and SO, if ! a
d to keep husbands and wives and fat
# ers and daughters apart, ! can't ha,
y you next me. It ism It rudeness.
Charles Edward had worked Il
y problem out by making many charts
the dinnertable on the Berkeley's be
It notepaper. If it is worth any one
while to follow his example, it CT
easily be proved. whether or not Nj
IS Buxton had to sit at his right: and