Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-02-09

vious love affair between them, and of
the Counts love for Miss Annesley. who
has once refused his offer of marriage.
Mrs Chadwick. who still loves the count.
notified him that she has the power TO
destroy his future prospects and TO pre-
vent his marriage To her friend.
CHAPTER XVII.
DINNER is SERVED.
"Ha!"
Monsieur Pierre, having uttered this
ejaculation, stepped back and rested
his fat hands on his fat hips. AS he
surveyed the impromptu butler,
shade of perplexity spread over Ills oily
face. He smoothed his imperial and
frowned. This groom certainly looked
right but there was something lacking
in his makeup, that indefnable some
thing which is always found in the
true servant-servility. There was no
humility here, no hypocritical meek
ness, no suavity; there was nothing
SNUG or self-satisfied. In truth, there
was something grimly earnest, which
was not TO be understood readily.
Monsieur Pierre, having always busted
himself with soups and curries and
roasts and sauces, was not a profound
analyst; yet his instructive shrewd-
ness at once told him that this fellow
was no servant, nor could he ever be
made into one. Though voluble enough
in his kitchen. Monsieur Pierre lacked
expression when confronted by any
problem outside of 1t. Here was the
regulation swallowtail coat and
trousers of green, the striped red vest.
and the polished brass buttons: but
the man inside was too much for him.
"Diablei You luke right. But no,
| can not explain. Eet ees on zee
tongue, but Get rayfuse. Ha! | hat eet!
You lack vot gay call zee real. You
make me t'ink uf zee sairvant on zee
stage, something bettair off: eh?"
This was as near as monsieur ever got
to the truth of things.
During this speculative inventory,
Warburton's face was gravely set;
indeed, it pictured his exact feelings.
He was grave. He even wanted Pierre's
approval He was about to pass
through very trying ordeal; he might
not even pass through 1t. There was
no deceiving his colonel's eyes, hang
him! Whatever had induced fate to
force this old Argus-eyed soldier upon
the scene? He glanced into the kitchen
mirror. He instantly saw the salient
flaw in his dress. 1t was the cravat.
Tie ID as he would, 1t never approached
the likeness of the conventional cravat
of the waiter. 1t still remained pol
ished cravat, worldly cravat, the
cravat seen in bathrooms, drawing
rooms, in the theater stalls and boxes,
anywhere but in the servants hall.
Oh, for the ready-made cravat that
hitched to the collar-button! And then
there was that servants low turned
down collar, glossy as celluloid. He
felt as diffident in his bare throat as
a debutante feels in her first decollette
ball-gown, not very well covered up,
as 1t were. And. heaven and earth,
how appallingly large his hands had
grown, how clumsy his feet! Would
the colonel expose him? Would he
keep silent? This remained to be
found out; wherein lay the terror of
suspense.
"Remembair, went on Monsieur
Pierre. after a pause. feeling that he
had a duty to fulfill and a responsible
ity to shift to other shoulders than his
own. "remembair, eef you spill zee
soup. keel you. You carry zee tureen
In, gen you deesh out zee soup. and
sairve. Zee oystaires should be on zee
table tree minutes before zee guests
hat arrive. Now, can you make zee
American cocktail?"
II can."-with q ghost Of a smile.
make heem,"-with a pompous
wave of the hand toward the favorite
ingredients.
What kind?"
"vot kind! Eez care more cocktails,
xen?"
''Only two that are proper. the man
haitian and the martini"
Make zee martini: know heem."
But cocktails ought not be mixed
before serving"
II say make zee one cocktail
colby and skeptically. Il test heem."
Warburton made one. Monsieur
slipped 1t slowly, making a wry face,
for, true Gaul that he was. only two
kinds of stimulants appealed to his
palate, liqueurs and wines. He found
II as good as any he had ever tasted.
Yer good. "-softening. ''Zare ees
zen. one ting Eat all zee Americans can
make, zee cocktail? | am educate:
learn. Now leaf me till eight. Keep
gee collect head, and Monsieur Pierre
turned his attention to his cartridges,
James went out of doors to get a
breath of fresh aid and to collect his
thoughts. which were wool gathering.
whatever that may mean. They
needed collecting. these thoughts of
his, and labelling, for they were at all
points OF the compass. and he was at
q loss upon which to draw for support.
Here he was, in a devil of a fix. and
no possible way OF escaping except by