Evening star., 1911-06-04


but pick up water at this gait"
He put us off at our landing, waved us
adieu, and was soon out of sight again round
the bend in the shore. | stood listening to
the hum of the receding engine until it was
just pulsebeat in the air.
IL like the sound of an engine, l apollo
gized to Laura. "I1l know the sound of that
one next time. Do you think he would let
me run the boat sometime?"
sim sure he would" Laura replied. "Are
you fond of boat? You might mention it
Pretty, isn't it? We don't call it yacht.
After all, there's nothing so pretty as sail
boat"
Chapter x.
RY the end of the week Lone Oak was like
the old riddle, "House full, yard full"
People were everywhere, and day by day
new motors appeared with more. We pre-
sented the appearance of a modish, pros
porous summer hotel, some of the guests all
season, some only for week.
His Grace arrived with flourish, preceded
by fifteen trunks, his secretary, his two
Wallets, and the butler,-the chauffeur
brought him,-and followed by a dozen
we all learned to bow and kotow with the
proper shade of American dignity, and with
just that shade of Difference due to a Duke
who could trace his ancestors back to the
eleventh century.
l never SO much regretted my lack of
knowledge on "How to Behave to Duke
l, myself, resolved to lay in books on the
subject as soon as l could get to town; but
all the other women went scurrying to novels
about Dukes. Lydia Abercrombie even
memorized some bits of conversation. There
was only one irreverent member of our
ousehold,-Hap. He called his Grace @Old
Sport to his face and "His Nobs" behind his
back and, with young Americans disdain
for ceremony and gold lace, cordially de-
spised him.
In the confusion attendant upon the ar
rival of so many and the continually shifting
crowds, | simply couldn't remember every
body, and whether they we're husbands and
wives, or sisters and brothers, and so on
through the combinations of relationship.
| bought little red notebook and jotted
them all down,-like the list you send to a
grocer. er.-and every night Laura would come
in and 60 over it to see if had everything
correct The entries were in alphabetical
order after this fashion:
ABERCROMBIE.-M Mother. two daughters.
Father week ends and holidays. Millions and
family Mother thin; talk fat to her. Daughters
Doth pretty: Lydia gOOQ tennis, Dr1QRe, LOT
othy sings, looks good at piano. Father wants
to be next Governor.
AYER.-Father, mother. and Charlie More
millions and family. Father a corker. golf
Mother stout, keep off. Good bridge Charlie
a silly dear. All of them adjustable pegs.
BLISS.-(See eligibles)
CUTLER.-Widow, beautiful Most ac-
complished woman l ever met Excellent
French. Golf. good bridge. Knew the Duke
abroad
That was one page, and my notes covered
twenty. had the eligibles in department
of their own, which l didn't turn over for
Laura's inspection, because of some re-
marks l had entered in the line of my duty
concerning her future; and an attractive
list of girls, one of whom | was trying to set
tie upon for Hap in the line of my duty con-
corning his future. Two looked suitable for
John Crowninshield, although l hadn't been
engaged to settle his future: Jane Bliss,
who was pretty and sensible, sounds like
a paradox, and Lydia Abercrombie, who,
next to 10 and Laura, was the dandiest girl
ever met But he never looked twice at
any woman in his life, and was just dear
to all of them. 1t broke my heart to see him
drifting.
l classed my golf fiends, bridge 6ends, and
so on for quick consultation, and studied it
as hard as 10 ever did her Practical Econ
omy. l seeped in so much about everything
from everybody, and everybody from every