Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-08-05

from home, and want you for exhibit
ton purposes. Say. John. when saw
"Cinch Tight, Montana" written on the
register down there 1t increased my
seven beats! You're all
right, and guess you're about as good
an American as they make-anywhere
John Armitage"
The function for which the senator
from Montana provided an invitation
for Armitage was large affair in
honor of several new ambassadors. At
10 o'clock Senator Sanderson was In
Armitage right and left MS
Armitage and he owned adjoining
ranches in Montana. and Sanderson
called upon his neighlor to stand uD
boldly for their state before the min
ions of effete monarchies.
Mrs Sanderson had asked Armitage
to retnrn to her for Il little Montana
talk, as she put it. after the first rush
of their entrance was over, and as he
waited in the drawing room for an OPP
portunity of speaking to her lie chatted
with Franzel an attache of the Aus
TRAN embassy, to whom Sanderson had
introduced him. FranZel was gloomy
young man with monocle, and he
was waiting for a particular girl, who
happened to be the daughter of the
Spanish ambassador And, this being
his object, he had chosen his position
with care, near the door of the draw
ing room, and Armitage shared for the
moment the advantage that lay in the
Austrian's point of view. Armitage
had half expected that the Claibornes
would be present ut Il function as COM
prehensive of the higher official world
as this, and he intended asking Mrs.
Sanderson il she knew them as soon
as opportunity offered. The Austrian
was about to drop him, when suddenly
he caught sight of Shirley Claiborne
ut the far end of the broad hall. Her
head was turned partly toward him.
He saw her for an instant through the
throng. Then his eyes fell upon
Chauvenet at her side, talking with
livcliest animation. He was not more
than her own height, and his profile
presented the clean. sharp effect of a
cameo The vivid outline of his dark
face held 4Armitage's eyes. Then as
Shirley passed on through an opening
in the crowd her escort turned, hold
ing the way open for her, and Armi.
tage met the mans gaze.
1t was with an accented gravity that
Armitage nodded his head to some dec
ilaration of the melancholy attache at
this moment He had known when he
left Geneva that he had not done with
Jules Chauvenet, but the mans prompt
appearance surprised Armitage. He
ran over the names of the steamers by
which Chauvenet might easily have
sailed from either German or u
French port and reached Washington
quite as soon as himself. Chauvenet
was in Washington, at any rate, and
not only there, but socially accepted
and in the good graces of Shirley Clai-
borne.
The somber attachc was speaking of
the Japanese.
'sTheE must be crushed-crushed,"
said Franzel. The two had been con-
versing in French.
Eyes, he must be crushed" returned
Armitage absentmindedly, in English;
then, remembering himself, he repeat
ed the affirmation in French, changing
the pronoun.
Mrs. Sanderson was now free. She
was pretty, vivacious woman, much
younger than her stalwart husband-a
teaching school near one of his silver
mines.
| "Welcome once more, constituent
We're proud TO see you, l can tell you
| Our host owns some marvellous tapes
tries, and they're hun. out tonight fol
the world to see" She guided Armi
| tage toward the secretary's gallery OIL
an upper floor. Their host was almost
as famous as II connoisseur as for his
| achievements in diplomacy, and the
| gallery was Il large apartment in which
every article of furniture, as well as
the paintings, tapestries and speci
| mems of pottery, was the careful choice
l
st isn't merely an art gallery. It's
the most beautiful room in America,
murmured Mrs. Sanderson.
~ can well believe it. There's my
favorite Nibert--I wondered what had
become OF 1t"
ut isn't surprising that the secretary
is making II great reputation by his
dealings with foreign powers. It's {
poor ambassador who could not be per
suaded after an hour in this splendid
room. The ordinary affairs of lift
should not be mentioned here.
kings coronation would not be out Of
placc-in fact, there's chair in til,
corner against that Gobelin that woult
serve the situation. The old gentle
man by that cabinet is the Baron Vol
Marhof, the ambassador from Austria
Hungary. He's a brother-in-law O.
Count Won Stroebel, WHO was murdered
so horribly In railway carriage few
weeks ago"
"Ah, to be sure! | haven't seen til,
baron in years. He has changed lit
tie"
''Ihen you knew him-1n the oil
coulAry?"
Yes; used to see hlnl--when
was Il boy" remarked Armitage.
Mrs. Sanderson glanced at Armitag,
sharply. She had dined at his rancl
house in Montana and knew that Ii
lived like IL gentleman; that his house
its appointments and service We're I'LL
usual for II. western ranchman. An,
she recalled, too. that she and her hus
band had often specialized as to Armi
tage's antecedents and history withou
arriving at any conclusion in regard t
him.
The room had slowly filled, and the,
strolled about. dividing attention be
tween distinguished pcrsonages an,
the not less celebrated works of art.
"Oh. by the way. Mr.. Armitage
there's the girl have chosen for yol
to marry. suppose 1t would be jus
as well for you to meet her now
though that dark little foreigner seem
I ;,;,,