The Washington times., 1911-10-19
CHAPTER v.
I Take q Leap In the Dark.

AeAV - Ivy - s->~ ~~esAs q.
HAD seldom enjoyed meal as en-
joyed that nights dinner at the
i Masaniello. No. that the food had
any marked traits in common with
the ambrosia, o. l,,na,ane the ane'en's ou' w
Sebaste always sat at Doris Todds
left. rhe Englishman who had occupied
the place at her right han gone on 10
Rome hy the aItrrno"n r,,T wacsnt s,a rs IR niIis
Gregg's Infinite aina<ement. ana nttts
to my own, found myself pre-emptiig
the place Of honor at the right hand of
the pret!iest girl IN the o.n roSn ~ ,,,a-
ness. Remembering. 1 suppose. my
confession OF bashtul jnexpericnce con.
corning women, she was even KIND
enough to welcome me to my new place
and to be extremely pleasant 10 me
throughout the meal
Sebaste did not seem especially happy
ever the new arrangement; out II dM
my heart good to note the new cordial
Zines ne had occasion to address me.
Some of his stperiiuous civility actu-
ally seemed to overflow far enough to
include Billy. ! could see, he was pu1-
xled as to 0regg's status & IN the matter. ,
my feiiUw-traveler with quite his for
mer contemptuous superiority.
Billy was equally puzzled over the
counts difident cvertnres% % ana met me!
q farmer who had already bought ex-
perience at u high price might bestow
en- q green-goods man.
Amos Todd. at the opposite end.
teumed unctuous approval at the clever
sallies and anecdotes OF the little DARK
brown French Comtesse de Tournon,
and now and then condescended to roll
a ponderous witticism down the table
In the direction OF us younger folk.
Altogether, 1t was an amusing meal.
Only once did sight breakers ahead.
That was when Sebaste broke into
the Jolly tete-a-tete Miss Todd and
were having to ask II she had en-
joyed her afternoon among the curio
shops, and what she had bought.
She plunged into a long technical
description of the antiques she had
been lured into purchasing and went
oI,, on to tel tell cS,.,s e our homeward drive
1T was the oldest adventure!" she
said. I'VE met the Duke Of Ferata
what a jam there is on the Riviera
In the late Sss, rudeiy In
some chance word my ignorance OF
the reason for my sudden rise in pop
ularity. II wonder there are not
more accidents. What with all those
"oh! Mr.. Gregg" broke in the Com.
tesse de Tournon. adopting Sebaste's
new-found air Of civiiity toward Billy,
was that the Croker who owns New
"owned, ma'am. Not owns" cor
has been pulled of since the Hall
handed Croker lemon and made him
wise that he was dead"
"a lemon'-'wise that he was
slight French accent tinged with be-
wilderment. ''I don't quite compre-
hend. Is It idiotic English you speak.
Or"
,nssp "NG. Es% ms,nW;" w. responded Billy. "l
The calm pride with which he said
It. coupled with the countess look OF
hopeless amaze. and his ignorance OF
having said anything out Of the ordi-
nary. was too much for Doris Todd
day We laughed heartily in unison
and again I felt reluctantly drawn
into closer fellowship with her be.
cause Of the laugh.
all the countess efforts at acquiring
knowledge of American collouuiallsm.
failed TO arouse him. Sebaste, evtdentl,
more and r1ore puzzled. also grew medi
tatiyely silent; AMI except for Amos
Todd's platitudes. DcIis and I had al
the talk to ourselves.
Really. It was hourly growing harder
for me to realize that she was Todd,
daughter. knew I was In no danger
OF allowing myself to srcw unduly IN
terested In anv scion Of such stock: and
In the meantime I was beginning to fint
q strange pleasure in listening to hel
voice and In looking into those big. hon
est-seemin2 eyes Of hers.
Dinner over. ! strolled. as was m,
wont. into the smoking room for q post
prandial wrestle with one of those vile
Neapolitan cigars. Billy. who usually
accompanied me. was still In the sulks
and had wandered awav somewhere.
I purposely chose seat in q remote