The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-08-28
"Ah, my dear Shirlcu and Dick"

a chair for him and took his hat. Ar
thur Singleton was an American,
though he had lived abroad so long as
to have lost his identity with any par
ticular city or state of his native land.
He had been an attache of the Ameri-
can embassy at London for many
years. Administrations changed and
ambassadors came and went, but Sin
gleton was never molested. 1t was said
that he kept his position on the score
of his wide acquaintance, he knew ev-
cry one, and he was a great peddler Of
gossip, particularly about people in
high station.
The children of Hilton Claiborne
were not to be overlooked. He would
impress himself upon them, as was his
way, for he was sincerely social by in
stinct and would go far to do a kind
ness for people he really liked.
'Ah me! You have arrived oppor-
timely, Miss Claiborne. There's mys-
terry in the air-the great Stroebel is
hereunder this very roof and in a
dreadfully bad humor. He is q dan
gerous mana very dangerous man,
but failing fast. Poor Austria! Count
Ferdinand Won Stroebel cab have no
successor. He's only q sort of hold
over from the nineteenth century, and
with him and his emperor out of the
way-what? For my part see only
dark days ahead" And he concluded
with little sigh that implied crum-
bling thrones and falling dynasties.
The reader of the Neue Freie Presse
preparing to leave his table, tore from
the newspaper an article that seemed
to have attracted him, placed 1t in his
cardcase and walked toward the door.
The eyes of Arthur Singleton lighted
in recognition. and the attache mutter
ing an apology to the Claibornes, adj
dressed the young gentleman cor
daily.
"Why, Armitage, Of all men, and he
rose, still facing the Claibornes with
an air of embracing the young Ameri-
cans in his greetings. He never liked
to lose an auditor. and he would in no
circumstances miss chance to display
the wide circumference of his acquaint-
ance.
"Shirley-Miss Claiborne-allow me
to present Mr.. Armitage." The young
army officer and Armitage then shook
hands, and the three men stood for
moment, detained, it seemed, by the
old attache, who had no engagement
for the next hour or two and resented
the idea of being left alone. =.
"One always meets Armitage!' de-
clared Singleton "He knows our
America as we'll as we do-and very
well indeed-for an Englishman."
Armitage bowed gravely.
you make 1t necessary for me to
disavow any allegiance to the powers
that rule Great Britain. I'm really
fair sort of American. have some.
times told New York people all about
Colorado, Montana, New Mexico.'
His voice and manner were those of
a gentleman. His color, as Shirley
Claiborne now observed, was that Of
an outdoors man. She was familiar
with 1t in soldiers and sailors and
knew that 1t testified to a vigorous and
wholesome life.
"Of course you're not Englishv' ex-
claimed Singleton. annoyed as he re-
membered, or thougst he did, that Ar
mitage had on some other occasion
made the same protest.
'T'm really getting sensitive about
it." said Armitage, more to the Clai-
bornes than to Singleton. "But must
we all be from somewhere? Is 1t so
melancholy a plight to be man with
out country"
The mockery in his tone was belied
by the good humor in his face. His
eyes caught Shirley's passingly, anc
she smiled at him. 1t seemed a natu-
raj, a perfectly inevitable thing to do.
She liked the kind tolerance with
which he suffered the babble Of Arthur
Singleton, whom some one had called
an iternational bore. The young mans
dignity was only an expression Of self
respect. His appreciation of the exact
proprieties resulting from this casual
introduction to herself and her brothe.
was perfect. He was already with
drawing. A walter had followed him
9Th his discarded newspaper. and Al