Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-04-02
CHAPTER Y.
CHAPTER V.
 ~ oNSTERNATION fell upon Ep- pings when it occurred to Mir Devine, along about o'clock, O to inform him that guests

Beg pardon, sir. but it is impossible, sir. We are not prepared. There's only a small flet in the house, sir, and not duck-not q single duck
 "Have squab, then"
 But, sir. we haven't'- f ooh. don't go on telling me what you haven't got. Hash up anything. Make some sandwiches if you cant do bet ter. Only don't come to me with your troubles. I'm no chef But I'm going to have some friends here tonight. and shall expect you to feed them. That's what you're here for, isn't it?'
 "Ye-e-e-es. sir. At what hour, sir?" "Eight-thlrty, sharp"
 And how-how many plates, sir?"
 q don't know. Ten or fifteen or twenty. Better make 1t twenty, and then you can discard"
 "I'l do my best, sir"
 "That's the way to talk, Eppngs."
 Having made these offhand prepara- tions. Mir. Devine sat himself down on the veranda. He heard step and looked up to see before him the aris- tocratic figure of the Countess Vecchi's father. Mir. Hewington seemed some what agitated.
 You must pardon me, sir, for q seeming impertinence." he began. but I have just learned by accident that you contemplate giving a party here tonight. Is it fact?"
 Mir nnVinn un1laI fn friends, dozen or so."
 "Ah! Friends of yours" Mir Hew- ington gave the words a significant emphasis. '"Then would it not beer -prudent-perhaps discreet is the bet ter wOrd-for my daughter to go else where for the night-to the hotel in . the village perhaps?"
 There was twinkle in the Cherub's blue eyes as te responded, Afraid of rough house, are youy'
 My daughter. sir, is not exactly ac- t. customed to--er-the kind of persons who night
 'Oh, l see. Well, suit yourself about it-suit yourself. But it isn't at all necessary. l shall try to keep them quiet There are to be only a few neighbors-the Walloways and"-
 'The Wallowaysr'
 Yes. and the Wilburs and the Mill ler-Tremways and old Bishop Horton and a stray baron or two"
 Bishop Horton! Is Bishop Horton coming? Coming here?"
 "Why, yes. The bishops a friend of mine. Know him. do you?'
 "We were college classmates, Mir. Devine,' said Mir. Hewington.
 ''rhat so! l never went to college with the bishop. but I've crossed the ocean with him twice, and once held his hat while he made speech"
 Extraordinary" said Mir. Hewing- ton.
 Think so? It may seem D little queer to you. but the bishop doesn't appear to look at it that way. Come down and meet him and the rest of the folks, won't you? We're to have little supper about half past s. And, say, bring the countess-that is, unless you're afraid of the crowd"
 This last was violation of para graph in the Cherubs own code of ethics, paragraph which read, "When the other fellows down and out don't rub it in" But the words had escaped before he knew 1t. Fortunately Mr. Hewington did not seem to notice the allusion, for he retired repeating in an undertone: 'The Walloways! Bishop h.
 And sure enough, early in the even- ing the big rooms of the great house began to echo with the lively chatter of many guests. There was the portly Mrs. Walloway, whose dinner dances are always such brilliant affairs; there were the naughty Wilburs, the hyphen- ated Tremways and a half dozen oth- CTS without whose names and pie lures the sunday supplements would be incomplete.
 They were somewhat disposed to look curiously upon MT. Cherub De- vine at first, but when the bishop had patted him affectionately on the ShOul- der and the baron had effusively em- braced him the atmosphere thawed perceptlbly.
 The one person who was least at his ease was young Mir Walloway. For awhile he was stiffer than ever, and he had the air of one who expects some thing very embarrassing to happen.
 But the Cherub was undisturbed. Thus far he had gained his point. Whether Nick Walloway had been in fluenced by that suggestion of future business or whether he had acted pure ly from motives of good fellowship he cared not The thing had been done. The program which the Cherub had so hastily outlined that morning was being carried out Moreover, his guests appeared to be enjoying the novelty.
 In the course of half an hour even Nick Walloway seemed to have be- come reassured that nothing untoward was about to happen. As a matter of fact, Mir. Devine was acquitting him self creditably.
 Isn't he ugiQue? So charmingly naiyeT' whispered Mrs. Miller-Trem-