Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-29

toward the butts. Baumgartner closed hi.
eyes fired both barrels-the first inten-
tionally, the second from sheer nervous.
ness-and a cloud Of feathers. out OF
which fell all that was left of legs. wings
and body. showed how a gallant moor
cock had met his fate.
There's a clean hit for you, Sandy
cried the little man, delightedly. Its all
knack l knew l could do it, once 1 got
the hang of it."
Man. but We stoppit him. replied
Sandy, who doled out encouragement with
sour grin. The shattered carcass lay
in full view on tuft of heather. Two
ounces of shot had riddled it at dis
lance of ten feet
Il suppose the second barrel was hardly
necessary" said Baumgartner, more criti-
cally.
Its best to max sure" said the sar-
In. as the sayin' is, mebbe yen be drop
pin ithers. Mr.. Baumgartner.'
He held forth the spare gun as a hint.
Grouse were plentiful at Lochmerig, and
three other men in the line Of shelters
were busy. Baumgartner forthwith ex-
celled himself: Just as novice at Monte
Carlo may achieve several winning cOups
in succession. SO did fortune favor one
whom nature had not designed as a
sportsman. He shot with blind conf
dence and brought down half a dozen
birds while they came sailing over the
crest of the hill before a strong breeze
that brought them to close range. That
he rendered them for the most part I'M
eatable did not trouble him in the least
Sport was merely Staying to him: his only
trophies previously were some tame
pigeons secured for practice.
So Baumgartner was we'll content. AS
he trudged down the brae to LOchmerig
Lodge. discoursing learnedly to his COM
panion anent the stopping" qualities of
his eighty-guinea pair of guns. his eyes
roved over the beauties Of loch and glen;
and the day-dream that it would be we'll
to pass the remainder of his days in this
quiet haven cast it's spell on his soul.
Rich as he was, he owned no home except
garish mansion in New York His
career had been meteoric, full of lurid
energy Beginning with the lust of
money. he had followed the beaten track
of his order. and became obsessed with
the lust Of power. Yet his ambition
needed squirting. Already the tremen-
procured him the condescending patron
age of an emperor were revealing their
dangers. Here, in Scotland, surrounded
by subservient friends and well trained
servants, he longed for rest. Hardship
was proving a subtle rival to West Afri-
can adventure.
Moreover. he was married, and Mrs.
Baumgartner was endowed with will of
her own and a tongue to bear witness
thereto. She was learning to appreciate
the easy tolerance of English society.
which proved itself rar more accessible
than the four hundred of New York. Men
and women of recognized social rank and
pleasant manners were quite willing to
shoot over the Lochmerig moOrs. play
bridge in the lodge. cruise on the Sans
Souci. and generally live and amuse them
selves at the millionaire's expense. Mrs.
Baumgartner was shrewd enough to see
that the gain of big slice of British ter
ritory in West Africa would offer poor
compensation for the loss Of the new
career which was opening up an alluring
vista to her daZzled gaze. For once, there
fore. discord threatened in the household.
In her daughter. too. she found. "a power
full ally A month of close companionShip
with Evelyn Dane had completely changed
the life theories of a spoiled and affected
girl of eighteen. Too young as yet to be
jealous of Evelyn's greater attractions,
Beryl Baumgartner was alert enough to
see that vulgar pertness was ludicrousiy
regard. Luckily. she became enthusi-
astically attached to Evelyn from the first
hour The wonderful faculty of hero
worship had survived the precocity of
too-indulgent rearing. 1t was stronger
copy her new friend and at once she be-
gan to improve.
IT was. therefore. a very dark cloud that
lowered over the Baumgartner sky when
a family coach which brought visitors
from the -miles-distant railway de-
posted at the hospitable door of Loeb
merig Lodge. at one and the same mo-
ment, Mrs. Lang. Miguel Figuero and
Count Won Rippenbach AS it happened.
the three already knew each other slight
ly. They had met in Madeira during the
previous winter Figuero then acted as
bear-leader to the count before he started
on the hunting trip in the Tuburi hinter-
ai1I~ I, n
retary's knowledge
1t was a surprise to both men when