Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-04

very red. lust bit of my Irish emotional
ism, you will call it; but it S not that it's plain
| sense: l want a promise out of you. IT any
body's to 60 to Jail, it's to be me-
The manager smiled. II can't improve on
your name for it, " he said. i will see you at
dinner"
CHAPTER II.
CMITH'S appointment with the great Chris
~ topher Beaumont was for six o'clock the
next afternoon at the Royal Victoria Hotel,
which meant, if one allowed any margin at all
for delays, an early start from Horse Island.
But the Orpheus, the companys big seagOlng
tug, made unusually good time, and when she
steamed into Georgetown HarbOr Smith found
that he had good two hours to spare.
He found awaiting him on the wharf a big
black orderly, with a thick white note. Smith
recognized the stationery as coming from Gov
eminent House, and the writing as that of
Lieutenant Westbury, the Governors A. d. c.
The note stated that having made out the
Orpheus coming into the harbor his Excellency
and Lady Citation would be glad to have Smith,
if he happened to be abroad, come down for
tea on the beach below Old Fort at four o'clock
that afternoon.
Smith had done all the thinking he wanted
to do over his approaching interview with
Beaumont, and was glad of the opportunity
this invitation afforded him passing the in
tervening hours. So he hailed one of the nom
descript little vehicles that serve for cabs in
Georgetown, and clattered away up the West
Promenade to Old Fort.
1t was natural that Smith should look for
ward to a good time at the Governors tea
party. Everybody in Georgetown, from Sir
Evelyn Citation down to the black boys that
haunted the quays, everybody, with just one
exception, liked Smith extraordinarily we'll,
and on his occasional visits to Georgetown did
all they could to make him feel at home.
The one exception was Sir Malcolm Nc
Dougal the Chief Justice. He dislked Smith,
partly because he was an American and partly
hac # h,<, h.a6
of the managers most ardent admirers, namely,
| the Governors fifteen year old daughter Bea
| trice. She had referred to Smith once in Sir
Malcolm's presence as The King of Horse
Island"
"Of course you are wrong to call him that"
said Sir Malcolm rather heavily. 1T is true
that this syndicate by which he is employed
owns all the land on Horse Island; but Mr..
Smith has no more sovereignty there than he
| has here in Georgetown. The powers of gov
eminent on the island vested in Mr.. Allen
| the local magistrate. Mr.. Smiths pretensions,"
he added, have always seemed to me to be
little ridiculous
"Mr Smith never makes any pretensions,"
retorted the girl. That's his Distinguishing
characteristic in these parts. But everybody
| that lives on Horse Island, including Mr.. Allen,
does exactly as he says"
| Sir Malcolm had to make war on somebody
after that, and as Miss Beatrice was not
practicable adversary his wrath fell on the
| innocent head of Smith.
REACH teas were popular at Georgetown,
especially when the invitation came from
Government House. The Citations had way
| of entertaining which made one forget that
their invitations were in the nature of COM
mand. Everybody was here to-day, and every
body was having a good time.
Arriving, Smith dismissed his cab and made
his way across the lawn to where Lady Chatton
was receiving her guests.
Il thought the Orpheus looked as though
she had you aboard" she said as she greeted
him.
THE Orpheus!" exclaimed stout man of
intensely British appearance who was stand
ing by How very extraordinary He was
a visiting cousin, something, of the Gov
ernors.
The name, you mean?" asked Lady Chat
| ton. "Oh, well, of course- 1t was Mr..
O'Brien's idea, wasn't it"
You see, she's just tug" added Smith,
combining explanation with apology. and
he thought that would be a good name for
| her."
Then, as the cousin went away, looking a bit
! perpexed, he turned back to his hostess.