The Washington herald., 1906-10-28
CHAPTER V.
"Kins" PIunmer.


Meanwhile the evening was proving OF
10 less interest TO Harley than "a
Churchill. although in q quite different
way. He had noticed, when they parted
at the hotel door the apparent sadness
or, rather. the touch Of the pathetic ir
( the manner of Miss Morgan. and De OBJ
served it again when they were all re.
united az the hotel table Heretofore she
had been light. ironical. and bearing q
full share in the talk, but now she merely
replied when spoken To directly and hcl
tone had tho tinge Of melancholy Mr.
and Mrs. Gr5ySOn looked az her more
than once. as # they We're about 20 refer
70 some particular subject. but always
they RETAINED: instead. they sought by
light talk 20 divert attention from her
and they succeeded IN every case bat
that of Harley.
II was not "a long dinner. and as they
returned to the ladies' parlor they were
welcomed By a loud, Joyous cry. and out
o. the dark of the room "a big man pro-
Jected himself TO greet them. Ills frs;
words were for Miss Morgan, whom he
affectionately called Little Girl" and
whom he seized by the hands and kissed
on the forehead. il was q loud voice
but round. full, and mellow. and Harley
judged that il came from a big nature as
well as a big body.
When the man stepped into the light
Harley saw that he was over six feet
tall ana with "A width according His
broad face was covered with short. iron
gray beard. and his head was matched
with hair equally thick and Of the same
gray shade. In years he might have been
fifty. and il was Harley's first impression
Miss MOrgans fatheT-it came 20 him
with a rather queer feeling that it had
never occurred to him TO ask about her
parents, whether they were living or
dead. and what kind Of people they were
or had been.
The stranger shook hands with Mr. and
Mrs. Grayson. and expressed vocalIy the
pleasure that his eyes also conveyed.
Harley and Hobart were the only others
present, and. turning 20 them. Mr. Gray
son introduced the stranger, Mr.. William
Plummer-"King Plummer. you know"
Then Harley remembered vaguely. and
he began to place Mr.. Plummer He
recalled illusions in the press to one
William PlummeT, otherwise ''King"
Plummer. who lived IN the far North
west, and who. having amassed millions
In Tanching and mining, had also become
a great power in the political world,
hence his term King" which was more
fitting in his case than in that Of many
real kings He had developed remark
able skill in politics. and. as the phrase
went, held Idaho. his own State, in the
hollow of his hand. and in q close cleo
tion could certainly swing Montana and
Wyoming as he wished, and perhaps Utah
and Washington, too.
Harlev's interest instantly became keen.
and he cid not take his eyes off "King"
Plummer. Clearly he was a man of
power; he fairly radiated it. not merely
physically, but mentally. His gestures.
his voice. every movement indicated a
vast reserve strength. This was one Of
the great men whose development the
rough field of the new West had per-
nitted.
Harley was not alone interested in
King Plummer. but also in the kiss
that he had put upon the white forehead
Of Sylvia Morgan and his boisterOus JOY
at seeing her Since he was not her IA
Their. it was likely that he was her uncle
not by blood, as Jimmy Grayson was, but
as the husband Of an aunt perhaps Yes,
this must be it, he concluded, and the kiss
seemed more reasonable.
When king Plummer was introduced
10 Harley and Hobart, he shook hands
with them most cordially, but as keen a
man as Harley could see that he regarded
them as mere youths or kids, as the
king" himself would have said. There
was nothing depreciatory in this beyond
the difference between age and great
achievement and youth which had not yet
had the time to fulfill its promise, and
Harley, because Of it, felt no decrease Of