Evening star., 1909-06-14
CHAPTER XII.
Into an Unknown Land.

The red-haired man was fighting.
He had always been fighting But to-
night he must WELD weapons whereof he
had no experience: unskilled, must meet
deft opponents on their own ground. The
thought thrilled him with the joy of the
born fighter.
The hour for the Standish dinner was
seven; that the meal might be we'll over
before the guests to the musical should
begin to arrive. Caleb rang the Standish
bell at twenty minutes before seven. The
manservant who admitted him managed
to convey from behind totally mask-like
race that there was something amiss
with the arrival. Glancing into the draw
ing room as he followed a maid to the
mems dressing room upstairs Caleb saw
1t was quite devoid of guests. In fact,
a servant was lighting the lamps there
The dressing room. too, was deserted.
Conover was vaguely puzzled. Surely
the invitation had fixed the hour for Z?
And he was nearly twenty minutes ahead
of time. At functions such as he was
wont TO attend people always began to
drop In nearly half an hour beforehand.
So fearful had he been tonight of break
Ing some unknown social rule that he
had allowed full twenty minutes lee
way. Yet he was very palpably the first
TO arrive. This perplexed and shamed
him. II even shook his iron self-confi-
dence. He caught himself hoping that
none of the Standishes knew he was there.
The man who had with cool derision
faced hostile legislatures. investigation
committees and actually physical danger
felt his nerve turning into nerves
tray of cigarettes lay on the chif-
fonier. Caleb had never smoked a cigar
ette. He wondered if etiquette commanded
that he should do SO now. He weighed
the matter judicially as he took off his
coat and gloves, then decided that the
cigarettes had indisputedly been put there
TO be smoked. Gingerly, he lighted one
The aromatic mild flavor of the smoke
dlsgusted him. He had always despised
men who chose cigarettes in preference
to cigars. Now he regarded such smokers
as idotic rather than decadent. Yet he
puffed dutifully at the abhorred paper
cubes and pondered on the proba bility of
his being called upon to repeat the per-
formance later In the dining room. He
had heard of people smoking cigarettes
with dinner. Or. rather. hadn't he seen
pictures OF such scene? Yes, surely.
A picture on a calendar in the general
passenger agents office But the smokers
in the picture were women. And one of
them had her feet on the table. Caleb
mentally apologized TO his present host
esses and dismissed the theme.
When dinner was at Z why shouldn'
people come on time? Was there a joke
in IL somewhere? A joke on himself?
Anything just now seemed possible What
was the use of smoking this measly cigar
dropped ii iuto bronze dish. went over
to the cheval glass and surveyed himself
from head TO foot. Then he turned. and,
looking over one shoulder. sought to see
how his dress coat fitted in the back. The
twisting of his body caused a huge CEN
trail wrinkle TO spring out between his
shoulders, wrinkles diverging from II.
Also there was a spear of stiff red hair
in the very center of his we'll brushed
head that had escaped from the combined
lures of pomade and water. Conover
crossed to the chiffonier, picked up one
OF pair of military brushes and attacked
the rebellious lock with vigor.
There was no water in sight How did
these people expect a man TO brush his
hair without water? No pomade either
Not even brilliantine. Could il be tha,
folk of the Standish class did not use
such aids? Or did they keep them locked
up? Caleb's eyes swept the room and its
quiet furnishings appraisngly. 1t did no,
represent at all his idea of luxury No,
bow, not tidy. not fancy screen OF
lambrequin in sight. Yet there was an
indefnabe something about the place that
met his approval. He fell to walking
back and forth. uneasily: pausing every
now and then in front of the cheval glass
Amzi Game, who had come early In the
futile hopes OF a word alone with Lefty
before the dinner, found him thus en-
ployed. Conover swung around on his
friend with a grunt of relief.
Hello he said. his heavy voice &C.
tually cordial. Il begun TO think it was
Judgment day an that / was the first one
resurrected How'd / looko All right.
Nothin' wrong in this get-up. is there?''
THE glass of fashion and the mold oi