Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-08-08

w. 1 %s1s %s0iiy 'o ss,
rious and com
~ eN" 49, ".sg PEELED respect
0No'''S' Claihurne nod
dcd and threw away his cigar that he
might give his whole attention 70 what
Armitage might have 20 say.
a man does not like 20 have his sis
ter forming the acquaintance OF per-
sons who are not properly vouched FOR.
Except FOR Singleton you know moth
ing Of me, and Singleton knows very
little Of me indeed"
Claiborne nodded. He felt the color
creeping into his cheeks consciously as
Armitage touched upon this matter
Il speak 90 you as do because It IS
your right 20 know who and what I
am, for ] am not on the King Edward
10y accident. but by intention. and / am
going 20 Washington because your sis
ter lives there"
Claiborne smiled IN spite OF himself.
But my dear SIR. this is most ex-
traOrdinaryi / don't know that care
70 hear any more. BY listening !
seem 20 be encouraging you TO follow
almost preposterous"
And Dick Claiborne frowned severe
~. but Armitage stnl met his eyes
grayely.
Its only decent FOR a man 90 give
his references when it's natural for
them TO be required. was educated
at Trinity college. Toronto. I spent a
year az the Harvard law school. And
/ am not a beggar utterly. / own a
ranch in Montana that actually pays
and thousand acres OF the best wheat
land In Nebraska. At the Bronx Loan
and Trust company IN New York
have securities 20 considerable
amount am perfectly willing that
any one who is at all interested should
inquire OF the trust company officers
as 20 my standing with them. II /
were asked 70 state my occupation,
should have 20 say that ] am a cattle
herder-what you call a cowboy.
can make my living in the practice Of
the business almost anywhere from
New Mexico north 20 the Canadian
line. ] fatter myself that I am pretty
good al it." aud John Armitage smiled
and took a cigarette from box on the
table and lighted it
Dick Claiborne was greatly interested
IN what Armitage had said, and he
struggled between an inclination 10 en-
courage further confidence and a feel
Ing that he should, for Shlrlay's sake.
make II clear TO this young stranger
that IL was OF no consequence to any
member Of the Claiborne family who
he was or what might be the extent or
his lands OF the unimpeachable char
acter or his investm ents. But Il was
not so easy to turn aside a fellow who
was so big OF frame and lpparently so
sane and 50 steady Of pu rpOse IS this
Armitage. And there was, 100 the
further consideration that while Ar
mitage was volunteering gratuitous in
formation and assuming an interest in
his affairs by the Claibornes that was
wholly unJustiied, there was also the
other side OF the matter: that his ex-
plantations proceeded from motives Of
delicacy that were praiseworthy. Dick
was puzzled and piqued besides TO find
that his resources as a big protecting
brother were so soon exhausted. What
Armitage was asking was the right
to seek his sister Shirley's hand In
marriage, and the thing was absurd.
Moreover who was John Armitage?
The question startled Claiborne into
a realization OF the fact that Armitage
had volunteered considerable informa-
ton without at all answering this cues
ton. Dick Claiborne was a human
being and curious.
Pardon me-" he asked, ''but are you
an Englishmanl
i am not" answered Armitage. 81
have been SO long IN America that 1
feel as much at home there as any
where-but ! am neither English nor
American by birth. i am, on the other
HAND
He hesitated for the barest second.
and Claiborne was sensible OF an In
classification OF interest. Now at last
there was to be a revelation that
amounted to something.
ION the other hand" Armitage re-
peated. II was born at FontainebIeau.
where my parents lived for only a few
months. but do not consider that that
TACT makes me a Frenchman. My
mother is dead My father delivery
recently. / have been in America
enough 10 know that a foreigner is
often under suspicion-particularly Il