The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-08-20

that I'm not English"
80 you did. SO you did! I'd forgot
ten that you're SO sensitive about it."
and Sanderson's eyes regarded Armi-
tage fntently for moment. as though
he were trying to recall some previous
discussion of the young mans nativity
Il offer you free swing at the bar.
senator. May summon a Montana
!. cocktail? You taught me the ingredi.
ents once-three dashes orange bitters.
two dashes acid phosphate. half fig
ger of whisky and half jigger of Ital.
ian vermuth. You undermined the
constitutions OF half Montana with
that mess"
Sanderson reached for his hat with
sudden detection
The sprinkling cart for me-! I've
got a nerve specialist engaged by the
year to keep me out Of sanitariums. See
here. want you to go with us tonight
to the secretary Of states push Not
many of the Montana boys get this far
from home, and want you for exhibi-
[ ton purposes. Say, John. when I saw
"Cinch Tight, Montana" written on the
register down there 1t increased my
| circulation seven beats! You're all
right. and I 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 a large affair in
honor of several new ambassadors. At
10 o'clock Senator Sanderson was in.
Producing Armitage right and left as
one Of his representative constituents.
Armitage and he owned adjoining
ranches in Montana, and Sanderson
called upon his neighbor to stand up
boldly for their state before the min
ions of effete monarchies.
Mrs. Sanderson had asked Armitage
to return to her for little Montana
talk. as she put 1t, after the first rush
Of their entrance was over. and as he
waited in the drawing room for an op-
portunity Of speaking to her he chatted
with Franzel, an attache of the Aus
trian embassy. to whom Sanderson had
introduced him. Franzel was gloomy
young man with monocle, and he
was waiting for 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
ho6 hol fa1 hot 10
would be present at function as CON-
prehensive of the higher official world
as this. and he intended asking Mrs.
Sanderson if she knew them as soon
as opportunity offered. The Austrian
attache proved tiresome, and Armitage
was about to drop him. when suddenly
he caught sight of Shirley Claiborne
at the far end Of the broad hail. 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
liveliest 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 Armitage'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
laration 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 a
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 attache was speaking of
the japanese. .
'They 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
college graduate whom he had found
teaching school near one of his silver
mines.
welcome once more, constituent!
We're proud to see you. can tell you.
Our host owns some marvellous tapes
tries, and they're hung out tonight for
the world to see." She guided Armi-
tage toward the secretary's gallery on
an upper floor. Their host was almost
as famous as connoisseur as for his
achievements in diplomacy, and the
gallery was large apartment in which
every article Of furniture, as well as
the paintings, tapestries and speci-
mems Of pottery, was the careful choice
Of thoroughly cultivated taste.
1T isn't merely an art gallery. It's
the most beautiful room in America"
murmured Mrs. Sanderson.
4 81 can well believe it. There's my
favorite vibert-I wondered what had