The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-12-27


dsne Park Hops dressed for aIrnsF
without nj aid ola LeleL When
Lord Ghlorey had asked him where
his man seryant VAS Dan hid
grinned- -GoshII gouldnt have Que
OF those yohnnies hanging around mea
never did hAYei can pot on my
stockings all right! There was a chap
on the boat l came over in who let his
man put on bis stockings, Can YOU
beat that?" Blair had laughed again.
Il think u anybody tickled my feet
that way would be likely to kick him
In the eye
Dressing In his room he whistled IN
der his breath a song from a newly
popular comic opera: and be lntoned
With a clear young voice a line Of the
words:
"Shonld;you.EqtoMandalay
Ont through his high window. II he
had looked. he would have seen the
misty sweep OF the park under the
faint moorrlse and fine shadows that
the leaves made In the yelled light
but he did not look out. He was
dressing for dinner without a valet
and giving a great deal OF care to his
toilet; for the first time he was TO
dine In the house OF a nobleman and
In the presence OF duchess; not that
1t meant a great deal to him-he
thought It was funny"
In Oar, Blair's twenty-five years OF
utterly happy days his one grief had
been the death Of his father. AS soon
as the old man had died Dan had gone
OF into the Rockies with his guides
and not shown up" for months. When
he came back to Blairtown, ms he er-
pressed II, "he packed his grip and
beat II while his shoes were good" for
the one place he could remember his
father had suggested for him to 90.
Blairtown was very much impressed
when the heir came in from the Rock.
les with "a big kill" and the orphans
ease did not seem especially dis.
turbed. But no one in the town knew
how the boys heart ached for the old
man. When Dan was SIX years old
his father had literally picked him W
by the nape OF the neck and thrown
him INTO the water like a pup and
watched him swIm. At eight he sent
the boy on with a gun to rough camp
Then he took Dan doFn In the mine.
with the men. His education had beer
won In Blafrtown. at a school called
public, but which In reality, was moth
Ing more than o pioneer district
school.
On Sundays Dan dressed up ant
went with his father to church twice
a day and In the week days his fathel
took him TO the prayer meetings. snt
at sixteen Dan went to college in Call
fornil- He had Just completed hi,
course when old Blair died. Then h,
Inherited Hfty million dollars.
On the day OF the shoot at osdene
Dan dropped sixty birds. He trie,
very hard not to be too pleased
Gosh" he thought TO himself, .thos,
birds. fell as though they were tralne,
all right, and the other sports wer'
mad. l could see It." He then fell L
whistling softly the air he had hear,
Lady Galorey play the night befor
from the new success at the GaIet!
and finished It as his toilet complete,
Itself. He took up a gardenla from BIZ
dressing table and fastened It in hi
coat. stopping on the stairs on th
way down TO look over into the ha.
where the men in their black clothe
and the women in their shinin
dresses waited before going into tn
dlning.room. The lights fell on whit
arms and necks, on Jewels and on fin
proud heads. Dan Blair had been |
!, San Francisco and In New York, o
short journeys, however. which h
father, the year before. had directe
, him to take. but he had never seen
show" like this.
: He came slowly down the broa
stairway Of the osdene Park Hous
the last guest. In the corner, wher
behind her, a piece Of fourteenth ce!
I fury Tapestry cut a green and pin
: square against the rich black oak pa
r cling, the Duchess OF Breakwater 8,
n - 81 90 - ~ ~. ~ -