Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-15
A King in Khaki
Continued tronrpage 10

if you could read that note, Sir Evelyn, you'd
see why l can't"
Sir Evelyn tugged thoughtfully at his mus
tache. "The girl, then, doesn't know what
her father isl" he observed. 81 see. She be-
of thing?"
And she's quite right" said Smith, "as far
all of that. He's sympathetic in the best
sense, altogether charming the sort of man,
the sort of father, that any daughter would
fairly idolize. And the rest of him is what
have told you. It's all plain sailing. The tug
is here; the Santiago is in Georgetown. | was
amusing myself with this little nightmare be-
fore you came into the room.'
He fell silent, and the Governor, noting the
profound abstraction in his eyes, forbore fur
Their question or comment.
ager murrnur, half to himself, little later. Il
tried once to make them look at each other,
and failed" The next moment his good hand
came down on the desk with bang.
by the gods! I've got it'll" he said. He
deserves it! 1t is exactly the thing he does de-
serve, and he'll get it! Come! l am going to
New York;"
CHAPTER XIII.
THE steamer on which the Beaumonts en-
l. barked at.kingston was due in New Iork
the morning of the day before the one fixed by
the charter for the annual stockholders meet
ing of the Tropical Products Company. But
the ship was punctually its usual number of
hours late, and it was seven o'clock in the
evening before they locked. 1t was eight
when their automobile stopped at the carriage
door of the big stone palace that frowned across
the avenue at the park, and it ten or after
when they quilted the dinner table for the
library.
Here Christabel found little stack of mail
awaiting her. A perfect mountain of it for her
father had been attacked and hungrily carried
off to his own quarters by Valentine immedl-
ate1y on their arrival. He was still disposing
of it. with incredible speed and inhuman in
fallibility, between the bites of a sandwich.
Valentine, at least, was glad to be home.
He had had enough of tropical islands, and gaso-
lene motors and truculent young men who
threatened to throw him out of windows.
But down in the library Christab bel laid down
the first of her notes, half read.
1t seems strange to me- she observed,
catching her fathers eye, THAT so little
while ago l was taking all this sort of thing
for granted"
She indicated the stack of notes with a
rather contemptuous hand. "Oh, dinners,
dances, and morning musicales, and rides IN
the park. You know what l mean. The life
we have just been having glimpse OF is SO
different. l wonder if Mr.. Smith would like
"Oh, well, '" her father protested, not many
of the men you know give their exclusive
attention to-" he waved his hand toward the
much despised little heap of envelops,-"t to
that sort Of thing"
NO." Christabe1 admitted indifferently;
but they might about as we'll
Il suppose" said her father. you are likely
to have a chance to see how well Mr. Smith
likes it. There will be nothing more for him
to do at Horse Island after tomorrow. So he
will probably pack up his pirate treasure, or
his share of it at least, and come to New York
on the first boat
Father" she asked, "you do think it was
all right, don't you, for me to tell him where
that treasure was?"
"Yes, l don't see any harm in it. Some
young men would take it as rather pointed
attention. though" he concluded.
Hes not like that" she said confidently.
He understands things. That's really the
wonderful thing about him: the way he doesn't
have to have things explained. He knows
what's in your mind better than you do YOUR
self, sometimes
Yours, you meant" asked her father. with
a curious look at her.
She colored little, but answered easily
enough, "Yes, that was what meant, of course.