Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-11-18

Il WILL GIVE UP THE formed MIN lclly.
ROOMS WHEN IN you can go, and
READY" will give up
the rooms when Pm ready"
That's all right as long as It's inside
half an hour" returned the other. still
with unruff1ed politeness. But have
to stay till you do give them up"
"Confound you! DO you think I'll
set the place on fire the minute your
back is turned?'
"Not so much that as-there are 9TH
er things you might do
"What other things? Really should
like to know, for the sake Of curiosi-
ty."
"Well, if you're bound to get 1t out
of me. I've got to stay and see you
don't remove any articles Of value"
"By Jove! So that's Tiny own or
yours?"
"Whats yours is ours at present, and
what's ours is our own, as the bride
said to the bridegroom"
Val could almost have laughed.
though not at the joke. He, the Mar
uuis of Loveland. an officer In the
Grenadier guards. was to be watched
lest he should steal the hotel soap or
sneak off with his own toothbrush!
He went white and red and white
again. If by word he could have
tumbled the whole hotel down in an
earthquake he would have been willing
to be caught under the ruins. He had
a wild. boyish conviction that by sub
iecting himself now to the EXTREMIST
Inconvenience he could by and by
cause the hotel management poignant
remorse. Yes. he could take them at
their word. He would walk out OF
| the house just as he was. leaving
| everything he had behind him. He
| would not even take his overcOat, and
| if he were struck down with pneu-
| monia so much the worse for these
insolent people.
His cap. his only head covering. as
he had forgotten bowler on board
ship. lay on table. and he held 1t out
for the enemy's inspection. you say
all that Is mine is yours" he sneered.
This may have cost 6 or shillings
when it was new. Now 1t would fetch
2 at most. l will pay you for 1t. Half
a crown is the least have. Pray KEEP
| the change"
He laid coin, his last large coin.
| down on the table where the cap had
been and without another word walk
ed nonchaIantly out Of the room. Be
low in the great hall through which he
had to pass on his way out OF the no
tel lights glared and dazzled. and the
| talk and laughter Of many persons
| sounded in his ears. Loveland pushed
/ on blindly. conscious Of himself as the
| one real entity in q crowd Of will-o'-
the-wisps and wicked lure lights. his
sole concern with the people In the
hateful, glaring picture was that they
should suspect nothing of his feelings.
He walked with his head up and some
thing that he meant for smile on MS
lips, nor was it an affectation that he
appeared to recognize no one. though
| Cadwallader Hunter. who had been
waiting to see this exit. believed 1t 70
be.
The night was warm for November
in New York. Still. there was decided
crispness in the air which Loveland
felt as he went out.
The streets were brilliant with light
and half New York appeared to be
abroad, although the theaters had been
in full swing for nearly an hour. But
all the women wore clOaks and the
men overcoats. Loveland. in his din
| ner Jacket and wide eXpanse of shirt
front, his pumps and silk stockings
his cloth travelling cap nulled over bis
eyes, would have been noticeable even
IL his height and good looks had moi
made him q marked figure. Every
body who passed stared. and more
than a few glanced back at him. Here
and there some pretty woman laughed
at a Joking comment whispered by bel
escort, and when his first hot rage be-
gan to cool it was uncomfortably
borne in upon Loveland that he was
the observed Of many observers.
Here he was, on winters night
foreigner in strange city. walking
the streets without aa oyercoat and