Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-22
CHAPTER XI,-Continued.

CHAPTER X1.-Continued.
Meanwhile Loveland ordered his dinner,
| though not quite as carefully as he would
had 1t not been for the disagreeable little
| incident, which he tried to forget as II 1t
were but one more in the series Of pin
| pricks. AS he had no money-at present
to pay for II, he thought he might as
| well drown his vexations in champagne,
and asked for bottle of the brand he
liked best. without even inquiring the
New York conception Of its price.
AS the waiter would have gone off with
the order. Val called him back on a sud-
den thought. do you know the names
Of the people at the table where I stop
ped?'
Yes. SIR" replied the man. 'They are
| very we'll known here. We often have
| them dining and lunching. Mr.. Coolidge
is millionaire. He and his daughter
are just back from Europe, and Mrs. and
Miss Milton. too
| Eyes. yes" said Loveland. impatiently.
II know all that. But the others?"
| "Oh, the smooth-shaved gentleman with
| the black hair and prominent eyes. he's
Mr.. Milton, Mrs. Milton's husband, rather
a gay sort of gentleman. 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 to-
gether just after her coming home with
the young lady. And the other gentle
man, sir. the good-looking young one with
| the dark mustache. that's one of our
THANK you. That will do" broke in
| Loveland. suddenly annoyed by the ser
wants knowing loquacity. The name Of
Henry van Cotter had. in such connec-
| ton. 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.
The waiter, thus checked, trotted away
| with the order for dinner, and was SO
| long in returning that Val (who did not
see him stopped and harangued by a
grave-faced superior) wondered and grew
| impatient. Other people were served
while he still sat idle. He was not
hungry, for an angry tingling In his
| veins had burnt up his appetite FOR din
ner. as his keenness for luncheon had
kept waiting, as II he were a person Of
| no Importance.
| At last he saw his waiter coming back.
| and was about to ask irritably whether
| breakfast he'd ordered, when a sealed en-
velope OF the hotel paper was laid on the
| table in place Of the expected oysters.
The servant discreetly retired out Of
sight behind his lordship's chair. like a
| little boy who has lit squib and awaits
the explosion: and Loveland tore open the
envelope, which, very oddly, he thought.
was not addressed.
| He had q vague expectation that the
| contents would prove to be a note from
Cadwallader Hunter, and the reality came
upon him as a complete surprise.
Sir" he read, in neat tipping, 1.-The
management of the hotel presents its
| compliments. and informs you that the
quit VII vx-in hn rAd
| from this evening. also that they regret
| they have no other room to place at your
disposal. They. therefore. inclose your
account up to date and request the favor
| of immediate payment. Should you wish
for dinner and wine. they would be
obliged II you would kindly pay in ad-
vance. The bill for same las ordered by
you) is Enclosed separately from the other
| account"
| Now. surely, he would at last wake up
from this wild nightmare, and find HIM
self at home in England or still on the
| ship. Nothing had seemed real since he
landed and could not be real. Foxham
| could not have stolen his clothes; the
| New York bank could not have refused
| to give him money; Cadwallader Hunter
could not have induced Henry van Cot
ter. the Coolidges and Millions to cut him;
and. above all, the hotel he honored with
his patronage could not have flung In his
| face this monstrous insult.
Nevertheless. there was the bill staring
up at him as he stared down at It:
Private parlor, bedroom and bath. .. $751;
Luncheon served a la carte in parlor. SO
Wine ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 600
Cabegram sent to London and Southern
Hire of automobile three hours. ......... l5.0l
Total. .......................; 122. 90
Dinner, as ordered. and to be paid in
| advance .-.......----. -.....-....-... s.oo
tSnaiopdgne ......-...... lo-oo
L hop Enn hot
he said or did in the persistent night
mare from which he could not wake
called the waiter to him, from ambush
behind his chair.
down. not to meet the angry blaze turned
dangerously upon him. He knew that
something was wrong, very wrong, in
deed, but II was not his affair, except
that he was consumed with honest curl
osity, and he did not wish grievances tC
be visited on him.
There must be some mistake here, u
said Loveland, folding up the paper. and
replacing the three sheets in the envelope
with fingers that were not quite steady
This can't be for me. You see. there's
no name on the thing. You've brought
1t to the wrong person
MOO, SIR" returned the servant. 81
was told to bring II to you. If there's a
mistake, sir, 1t isn't me who's made it."
Very we'll, then, somebody else has, u
insisted Loveland. IT tell you this can,
possibly be meant for me. Give the en-
velope back to whoever gave 1t TO you
and ask him to hand it to the manager
saying that In error 1t was delivered to
Lord Loveland.'
Yes. sir" The waiter obediently tool
charge of the offensive envelope. and am
bled away with II. to confer at a distance
with the person from whom 1t had beer
received five minutes ago. There were 8
few gestures, few shrugs, and then the
two approached Lord Loveland's table to.
gether.
Its quite right. SIR" murmured the
newcomer. 1.-The letter Is for you. sir
There's no mistake" AS II by way OF
reminder he gently laid the envelope
down on the table. in the place where
those iced blue points never would be
now.
Deadly white under his brown tan, a.
rose without a word. crumpling the en-
velope in hand that itched to clutch
some ono nv the throat and finging down