The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-09-11
Continued from page 81

register down there 1t increased my
circulation seven beats You're all
right, and / guess you're about as good
an American as they make-anywhere
John Armitagew
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 Armltage 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 q little Montana
talk, as she put 1t, after the first rush
OF their entrance was over, and rs he
waited in the drawing room for an op-
portunity OF speaking to her he chatted
with Framed, an attache of the Aus
TRAN embassy, to whom Sanderson had
introduced him. FranZel was q gloomy
young man with a 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
had half expected that the Claibornes
would be present at function as COM
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
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.
It 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 theSteamers by
which Chauvenet might easily have
sailed from either a German or
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 a 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!
Our host owns some marvellous tapes
tries, and they're hung out tonight for
the world to see." She guided Armi-
tage toward the secretarys gallery on
an upper floor. Their host was almost
as famous as a 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.
'It isn't merely an art gallery. It's
the most beautiful room in America"
Mrs. Sanderson.
II can well believe it. There's my
favorite Vibert-I wondered what had
become of it."
ut isn't surprising that the secretary
is making a great reputation by his
dealings with foreign powers. It's q
Door ambassador who could not be per-
suaded after an hour in this splendid
room. The ordinary affairs of life
should not be mentioned here. A
kings coronation would not be out of
place-in fact, there's a chair in the
corner against that Gobelin that would
serve the situation. The old gentle
man by that cabinet is the Baron Won
Marhof, the ambassador from Austria
Hungary. He's a brother-in-law Of
Count Won Stroebel, who was murdered
so horribly in a railway carriage few
weeks ago."
"Ah, to be sure! l haven't seen the
baron in years. He has changed lit
tle."
"Then you knew HMM the old
Eyes; l used to see hlm-when l
was q boy" remarked Armitage.
Mrs. Sanderson glanced ut Armitage
sharply. She had dined at his ranch
house in Montana and knew that he
1t.