Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-06-07

Captains Double
By LILLIAs CAMPBELL DAVIDSON


! him to his hostess, while his host
walked in with Miss Hamilton on his
arm; he would rather have been Win
stanley. to sit beside her and share
half her talk
1t was after the ladies had with.
drawn that he counted on his oppor-
tunity. A fourth guest had arrived,
after the soup was served-a neigh
boring curate, full of apologies for be-
ing late. Him the admiral engaged in
earnest conversation over the port and
claret and the baron moved his chair
close to that of Winstanley and re
newed his attack.
1t proved more hopeless than in the
morning. Winstanley was getting dis
tinctly bored by him. He thought him
an impertinent, prying little beggar,
who asked too personal questions. AT
an offer from the baron to visit him at
Government house, he administered
distinct snub. 1t was directly after
that the baron got up and left the ia
bic, and Winstanley, rising to follow,
was stopped by his host.
sit down! Sit down! I want you
to stay and keep us company. Maule-
verer came late. and he's been hurried
through his dinner too fast, anyway.
Well join the ladies in good time;
there's no hurry. That Italian fellow
---or is he Frenchman?-he's gone
In, SO they won't feel neglected. A
queer little fellow, though straight
shot. You know all about him, of
course, or you wouldn't have stood
sponsor for him?"
II beg your pardon" said Winstan-
ley, with some pardonable irritation.
Il did nothing of the sort. l think you
were the one, sir, if l am not mistak-
en-, VINO introduced him first"
All, perhaps it may be. | forget
how it was, Anyway, don't know
that I'm greatly taken with him, now
that he's here. What do you think of
him yourself, putting aside the fact
that he's foreigner? That, of course,
he can't help; it's hardly fair to throw
it in his teeth"
IL you ask me- responded Win
stanley, goaded by the fancy that the
baron was at that moment sitting by
the side of Ursula and turning over
the leaves for her as she sang, II don't
think much OF him. A bounder, rath-
er, It's my impression / don't want
to be unduly hard"
Tut, tut!" said the admiral, remon-
stratingly. 81 think you are bit Sc
we're. OF course, one must allow for
the fact that these Italians and Ger
mans and the rest don't go to Elton
and Oxford; their traditions and bring
ing up are different from ours. Take
this man, for instance, and one might
fancy he wasn't quite in Debritt, GER
tainly. But, afte rail-, any one who
can bring down his twelve brace in
the coy isn't to be despised, whatever
his disadvantages may have been"
Winsfanley only smiled little grim
ly, while the curate hesitatingly re-
marked that one could not help MOTTO
ing how in all those countries where
papal rule prevailed people were a.
couple of centuries still behind the
world
"one thing goes against your argu-
ment, padre" said the admiral, with
a faint chuckle. This fellow doesn't
seem to have been behindhand in get
ting back to the ladies'. You'd better
follow him up, Winstanley, If you
don't want to find yourself left"
Winstanley waited for no further
bidding. He crossed the hall and
opened the door of the drawing room.
His quick eye lit on Ursula and the
baron. standing together near the win
dow, In conversation which seemed
to be somewhat eager on his side and
reluctant on hers, If one could Judge
from the frs cursory glance.
6 T1xona had found the ladies. finish
ing their coffee, and Mrs Shuttlewaite
liked q little interval of repose after
that, before she exerted herself to en-.
tertain her guests. She half closed
her eyes and folded her hands in plac-
i'd calm, with a smile at the young
pepole which intimated that she did
not intend to be disturbed. Nothing
10th. the baron followed Ursula to the
farther end OF the room. She began
NJ SOiAiC 4NAlnSS6 CuTlOS
him, but he displayed scanty atten-
ton.
That is very confidential position.
Capt. Winstanley has here" he began.
Very trusted he must be, and highly
thought of by the general. Z
Ursula was a little surprised at the
suddenness Of the eulogy, but she was,
as much gratified as any woman would
be to hear the praises Of man In
whom she took q special interest, SO
she bent an encouraging ear. Il sup
pose he Is much trusted and liked at
Government house yes. certainly.
think Capt Winstan1ey is q very pop
nlar A, %. g. I. Z
not only popular. the general
no doubt trusts him with private mat
tiers. Now, for Instance, there arc
those who say that he III, IL course, IA
the secret 81 this new discovery the
general has made hut others. they
are envious Of his good favor. they
laugh at such al idea, and ny that ot
course, that would ba absurd They
pretend 10 make little 81 him. md viii
not believe that Nc q II considered
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