Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-03-03

optId pflHd-ConuaS, VINO would not
sing In opera till February. a cabinet
officer and his wife, Col. Annesley and
his daughter. You viii note the .cosmo.
politan character OF these distin-
guished persons. Perhaps in no other
city in America could they be brought
together at an informal dinner such as
this one was. There was no question
of precedence or any such nonsense.
Everybody knew everybody else. with
one exception Col. Raleigh was a com
parative stranger. But ne was a like
able old fellow, fun OF stories OF the
wild. iree 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 sinsularly just and merci-
full.
They had either drunk the cocktail
or had set il aside untouched. and had
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 10
drop the silver ladle Only the girl
saw this mishap. She laughed: and
Raleigh believed that he had told his
story in an exceptionally taking man
ner My butler quietly procured another
ladle. and proceeded coony enough.
must confess, however, that his cool
ness was the result OF a physical ef-
fort The soup Quivered and trem-
bled outraseously. and more than once
he felt the heat of the liquid on his
thumb. This moment his face was
pale, that moment 90 was red. But.
as remarked. few obse rived him,
Why should they? Everybody had
something to say to everybody else:
and butler was only q mach inc any
way. Yet three persons occasionally
looked i'm his direction, his late colonel.
Mrs. Chadwick and the girl. each from
a different angle OF vision. There was
a scowl on the colouers face. puzzle
ment on Mrs. Chadw'ck's. aud I 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 handsome butleri"
Karlon. who sat next 10 her. twisted
his mustache and shrugged. lie had
seen handsome peasants before. They
did not interest him. Tie glanced across
he table at the girl. and was much an
moved that she. too. was gazing at the
butler. who had successfully completed
he distribution Of the soup and who
now stood with folded arms by the
iideboard. Glow I should have liked
10 see himD
When the butler took away the SOUP
plates. Col. Raleigh turned 20 his host.
George. where the deuce did you
pick up that butler?"
Annesley looked vaguely across the |
liable at his old comrade He had been
FAR away I'm thought. lie had eaten
nothing. /
"What?" he asked.
Il asked You where the deuce you
got that butler OF yours" i
"Oh, Betty found him somewhere.
Dur own butler is away on a vacation.
had not noticed him. Why?"
Well II he doesn't look Ike a
,ub lieutenant OF mine, was born
without recollection OF faces"
IAN orderly of yours. lieutenant.
lid you say?" asked Betty, with smol-
iering fires in her eyes.
Yes"
THAT is strange" she unused.
yes; very strange. lie was a dare
ievil II there ever was one"
"Ahi"
Eyes; best bump OF location In the
and the steadiest nerve
iropping his voice.
The girl leaned on her lovely arms
md observed him interestedly.
"A whole company got lost In a
You know that on the
prairie a snowstorm means that only
l compass can tell YOU where you are;
md there wasn't one IN the troop
/ bad piece Of carelessness on the cap
aims part. Well, this cub said he'd
ind the way back. and the captain
wisely let him take the boys In hand"
GO on" said the girl.
An+ClCSAtur tn
II am a soldiers daughter. and love
he recital Of brave deeds"
well, he did &c. Four hours later
hey were thawed out in the barracks
itchen. Another hour and not one Of |
hem would have lived to tell the tale.
The whisky they poured into my
.ub-"
did he drink" she interrupted.
Drink? Why the next day he was
;oing to lick the men who had poured
he stuff down his throat A toddy
'nce in a while, that was all he ever
ook. And how he loved "A fight. He
had the tenacity OF a bulldog: once
lie set his mind on getting something
he never let up till he got it."
The girl trifed thoughtfully with
ose II
Was he ever in an Indian fght?"
he asked. casually.
only scraps and the like He went |
nto the reservation alone one day and |
rrested a chief who had murdered a
heep-herder. II was a volunteer job,