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

lader Hunter was not one Of that par
ty and might wander at will TO any
part of the dining room. Presently he
did begin to wander. stopping to talk
with another group Of people. then
with another. and so on. always on
his way somewhere else.
A polite waiter had slipped q menu
into the hand of Loveland. who re-
garded the decorated square Of card
board as II II were fetish to preserve
him from evil. But If he had deigned
to let his eye follow CadwaIlader Hun
ter he would have seen that each
group Of people glanced with furtive
curiosity at him; stared. whispered.
stared again and afterward signaled
each other from table TO table.
Cadwallader Hunter prided himself
on knowing all the people who were
worth knowing wherever he went He
had dined early because he had been
minded to show himself rather late at
the first performance Of new comedy
by the brilliant young playwright. Sid
ney Cremer. but now he found himself
appearing on the stage and acting al
most leading part In drama hun
dred times more exciting than he could
see at any theater. He went straight
from the restaurant to the long row OF
desks in the hotel office for heart to
heart talk with the clerk he had inter
viewed In the morning. Then. having
made the impression and obtained the
assurance he desired. he searched for
other acquaintances in that vast deco
rative corridor Of marble. facetiously
known MS Peacock alley"
Meanwhile Loveland ordered his din
ner, though not quite as carefully as
he would had 1t not been for the dis
agreeable little incident which he tried
to forget as II It were but one more
In the series of pin pricks. As he had
no money at present to pay for 1t he
thought he might as well drown his
vexations In champagne and asked Tor
a bottle of the brand he liked best
without even inquiring the New York
conception Of Its price.
AS the waiter would have gone on
with the order Val called him back
on q sudden thought do you know
the names of the people at the table
where stopped?
Eyes. SIR" replied the man. They
are very we'll known here. We often
have them dining and lunching. Mr..
Coolidge is a millionaire. He and his
daughter are just back from Europe.
and Mrs. and Miss Milton too"
Eyes, yes" said Loveland inpatient
ly. II know all that. But the others"
"Oh, the smooth shaved gentleman
with the black hair and prominent
eyes-he's Mr.. Milton. Mrs. Millions
husband-rather gay sort OF gentle
man, sir. The story Is he and Mrs.
Milton don't get along very pleasantly.
There'll be plenty here tonight will be
interested seeing them together just
after her coming home with the young
lady. Ard the other gentleman. sir
the good looking young one with the
dark mustache-that's one OF our
greatest New York swells. Mr.. Henry
van Cotter. He"-
THANK you-that will do" broke
In Loveland. suddenly annoyed by the
servants knowing loquacity: The
name of Henry van Cotter had In
such connection stirred a dim sense
of discomfort within him. This Van
Cotter was one Of Harborough's
friends. Val had left Jim's letter and
visiting card this afternoon at a
huge palace Of an apartment house"
where Mr.. van Cotter had fat.
At last he saw his waiter coming
back and was about to ask irritably
whether the man thought 1t was to-
morrow's breakfast he'd ordered when
q sealed envelope Of the hotel paper
was laid on the table In place Of the
expected oysters. -