Charlevoix county herald., 1911-12-09
CHAPTER I.-Contlnued.


On the day of the shoot at Osdene.
Dan dropped sixty birds. He tried
very hard not to be too pleased
"Gosh," he thought to himself, those
birds fell as though they were trained
all right, and the other sports were
mad, could see it," He then fell to
whistling softly the air he had heard
Lady Galorey play the night before
from the new success at the Gaiety
and finished 1t as his toilet completed
itself. He took up gardenia from his
dressing table and fastened 1t In his
coat. stopping on the stairs on the
way down to look over into the hall
where the men in their black clothes
and the women in their shining
dresses waited before going into the
dining-room. The lights fell on white
arms and necks. on jewels and on fine
proud heads. Dan Blair had been in
San Francisco and in New York, on
short journeys, however, which his
father, the year before, had directed
him to take, but he had never seen a
SHOW" like this.
He came slowly down the broad
stairway of the Osdene Park House.
the last guest. In the corner, where,
behind her, piece of fourteenth CEN
tury tap4stry cut green and pink
square against the rich black oak pan
cling. the Duchess of Breakwater sat
waiting. She wore a dress of golden
tulle which was simply a sheath to
her slender body, and from her neck
hung long rope of diamonds caught
at the end by small black fan; there
was wreath of diamonds like shining
water drops linked together in her
hair. She was the grandest lady at
Osdene, and renowned in more than
one sense Of the word. AS Dan saw
her smile at him and rise, he thought
"She Is none too sorry that | made
that record. but hope to heaven she
won't say anything to me about it."
And the duchess did not speak of it.
Telling him that he was to take her
in to dinner, she laid first her fan on
his arm and then her hand. And Dan,
one of those fortunate creatures who
are born men of the world when they
get into it, gave her his arm with
much grace, and as he leaned down
toward her he thought to himself:
well, It's lucky for me I have my
head on tight; few more of those
goo-goo eyes Of hers and 1t would be
as we'll for me to light out for the
woods"
Dan liked best at Osdene Park his
chin-chins with Gordon Galorey. The
young man was unflatteringly frank in
his choice of companions. When the
duchess looked about for him to ride
with her, walk with her, to find the
secluded corners, to talk, to play with
him, she was likely to discover Dan
had gone off with Lord Galorey. and
to come upon them later, sitting en-
veloped in smoke, a stand of drinks
by their side.
To Galorey, who had no heir or
child, the boys presence proved the
happiest thing that had come to him
for a long time. He talked a great
deal to Dan about the old man. Ca
lorey was poor, and the fact of for
tune Of ten million pounds possessed
by this one boy was continually before
his mind like an obsession. 1t was like
looking pwn into a gold mine. Ga
lorey tried often to broach the sub
ject Of money, but Dan kept off, At
length Galorey asked boldly:
What are you going to do with it?"
On this occasion they were walking
over from the lower park back to the
house. a couple of terriers at their
Ibeels.
do with what?" Blair asked inno-
Gently. He was looking at the trees.
He was comparing their grayish green
trunks and their foliage with the Cali
fornia redwoods. A little taken aback,
Lord Galorey laughed.
why, that colossal fortune of
yours"
And Blair answered unhesitatingly:
"Oh, spend 1t on some girl sooner or
later"
Galorey fairly staggered Then he
took 1t humorously.
MY dear chap, never saw a sweet
er, bigger man than your father. If he
had bedp my father, dare say I might
have puNed off different yard OF
hemp, but must confess that think
he has left you too much money"
We'll, there are a lot of fellows
who are ready to look after It for me-"
Blair answered coolly. Before his
companion could redden. he contin-
usd: 'Yau see. dad took care OF me