Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-16
THE %IAN
oNTHE BOX
By
HAROLD MAC GRATH
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from a roll in her hand and signifed him
| to approach. He took the money. coony
counted II. and put il in his vest pocket
Thank you. miss"
I do not say that she looked disappointed
| but ! assert that she was slightly soon
| certed. She never knew the ehort ne had
| put forth to subdue the desire to tear the
money into shreds. throw 1t at her feet
and leave the house.
| when the gentlemen wish for cigars or
| cigarettes. you will find them IN the usual
| place. the lower drawer in the sideboard.
| With swish she was gone
| he TOOK the money out and studied II.
NO, ne wouldn't tear ii up: rather he would
| put II among his keepsakes.
| L shall leave Mr.. Robert. or Nj sieu Thames
| to recover his tranquility. and describe to
you the character and quality OF the guests.
| There was the affable military attache OF
| the British embassy there was celebrated
American countess. famous dramatist aad
| his musical wife. Warburton's late com
manding colonel. Mrs Chadwick. Count
| Karlof. one of the notable grand opera prima
donnas. who would not sing in opera till
| February. cabinet officer and his Wife
Colonel Annesley and his daughter. You
VIII note the cosmopolitan character OF
] these distinguished persons Perhaps In 10
| other city In America could they be brought
| together at an informal dinner such as this
| one was. There was no question of prece-
dence or any such nonsense. Everybody
| knew everybody else. with one exception.
Colonel Raleigh was a comparative stran-
ger But he lilSeahle old fellow. full
OF stories of the wild. free west. an excellent
| listener besides, who always stopped a
goodly distance on the right side of what
is known in polite circles as the bore's
| dead line, Warburton held for him deep
affection. martinez though he was. for he
was singularly just and merciful.
They had either drunk the cocktail or
emptied the oyster shells, when the ordeal
Of the soup began. Very few OF those
seated gave any attention to my butler
| The first thing he did was to drop the silver
| niShaD.
laughed; and Raleigh believed that he had
! told his story in an exceptionally taking
manner. My butler quietly procured an
other ladle. and proceeded coolly enough.
/ must confess, however, that his GOODNESS
was the result of a physical effort The
soup quivered and trembled outrageousiy.
and more than once he felt the heat of
| the .uid his thumb. This moment
| his lace was pale. that moment it was red
But, as l remarked, few observed him.
| Why should they? Everybody had some
| thing to say to everybody else; and but
Ter was only machine any way. Yet
three persons occasionally looked in his
direction-his late colonel, Mrs. Chadwick
and the girl: each from different
angle Of vision There scowl on
the colonels face. puzzlement on
Mrs Chadwick and don't know what the
girls represented. not having been there
| with my discerning eyes
Once the American countess raised her
lorgnette and murmured: What a hand
some butler"
Karloff. who sat next to her. twisted his
mIstache and shrugged. He had seen
| handsome peasants before They did not
interest him. He glanced across the table
at the girl, and was much annoyed that
She too. was gazing at the butler who
| had successfully completed the distribution
OF the soup. ard who now stood with fold
| ed arms by the sideboard. GLOW / should
have liked to hind
| When the butler took away the soup
plates Colonel Raleigh turned to his host.
| George, where the deuce did you pick
| up that butler?"
! Annesley looked vaguely across the table
at his old comrade. He had been far away
| In thought. He had eaten nothing
| WHAT" he asked.
Il asked you where the deuce you got
that butler of yours"
''Oh, Betty found him somewhere. Our
not noticed him. Why?'
| We'll If he doesn't look like a cub lieu
tenant of mine. l was born without recol-
AN orderly of yours. a lieutenant did
you say?" asked Betty with smoldering
fires in her eyes.
Yes
THAT is strange" she unused.
| Yes; very strange. He was a daredevil,
II there ever was one.
! "Ahr'
Yes; best bump of location in the regi-
| ment, and the steadiest nerve"-dropping
| his voice.
| The girl leaned on her lovely arms and
| observed him interestedly
! "A whole company got lost i'm n snow
| storm one winter. You know that the
| pr airie a snow storm means that only a
| compass tell you where you are; and
| there wasn't in the troop-a bad piece
| OF careessness on the captains part. Well.
| this cub said he'd find the way back and
the captain wisely let him take the boys il
| hand.
Go on" said the girl.
| Interested, eh?'
/ II a soldiers daughter, and l love the
recital of brave deeds
| well, he did it. Four hours later they
| were being thawed out in the barracks
| kitchens. Another hour and not one of
whisky they poured into my cub
| Did he drink she interrupted.
| Drink? Why. the next day he going
to lick the men who had poured the stuff
down his throat. A toddy once in while:
that was all he ever took. And how he
loved a fight He had the tenacity of a
bulldog; once he set his mind on getting
something he never let go till he got it,"
The girl trifled thoughtfuly with rose.
| WAS he ever in any Indian fights?' she
asked, casually.
"Only scraps and the like He went into
the reservation alone one day and arrested
a chief who had murdered sheep herder.
1t volunteer job, and nine men out of
| ten would never have left the reservation
| alive. He was certainly cool hand"
| II dare say"-smling. She wanted to ask
| him if he had ever been hurt, this dare
| devil of lieutenant, but she could not
bring the question to her lips. What did
you say his name was?"-innocentiy
| "Warburton, Robert Warburton."
| Here the butler came in with the birds.
| The girls eyes followed him hither and
| thither, her lips hidden behind the rose.
CTo be continued tomorrow
J