The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1912-12-13


of rare benefit. In the present in
stance it more than fulfilled my ex-
pectations. Cameron, apparently at
least, forgot everything save his de
sire to out-drive, out-approach, and
output me. And when It was over,
and with sharpened appetites we
drove back to Cragholt for dinner, he
appeared stimulated by a new-found
courage
The day had passed without unto
ward event, and / felt sure that my
friend was gradually coming around
to my way of thinking. Neither OF
us mentioned the subject, but 1t must
have required to him, at intervals, as
it did to me. And as the hours went
by without a sign,- the conviction
grew that Murphy, with hands tied,
was fretting over the coup he was de-
| tered from comprising.
Mrs. Lancaster, whom l have men-
toned merely as Camerons house
keeper, but who was, in addition,
distant kinswoman and acted as a
sort of duenna to Evelyn, dined with
us that evening, and our little partie
carree seemed to me more than us
ually merry, owing doubtless to the
relaxation Of the strain which both
Cameron and l had been under for
the past week.
1t gratified me to see my host so
unfeignedly cheerful. remember
how ne laughed over Mrs. Lancaster's
recital of an incident Of the morning.
81 had no idea," she said, that An
drew" referring to the kennel master,
was married. He astonished me
when he told me he had wife and
three children. And when l told him
he did not look like married man
he seemed rather pleased than other
wise"
at is odd" Cameron returned, but
it seems always to flatter husband
to tell him he doesn't look it." And
then he laughed as though he had no
care on earth.
After dinner we had the usual
music and Evelyn sang again that
lyric Of Baudelaire's, this time In the
original French. But the melody
brought back to me in vivid vision
| our ClduCS mSGlluB III INC WOSNS NAN
all it's train Of circumstances.
When l had finished applauding,
Cameron turned to me.
do you like Baudelaire"
, 81 like his art" l answered, "and
his frank artificiality."
, "He appeals to me-" Cameron con
feased, "decadent though he Is.
: have read everything he ever wrote,
think, prose and verse. Did you ever
see my copy of his 'Fleurs du Nal
; The casket is worthy Of its contents
1t is the most exquisitely bound little
? volume l ever saw. Come, I'll show
| it to you"
l excused myself to Mrs. Lancaster
| and with pretended formality bent
t over Evelyn's hand, brushing 1t with
my lips.
! won't you be back?" she whis
3 pered.
l 81 hope So" was my answer. "But
= I can't promise"
! ooh, what a trial it is to have
/ selfish uncle!" she murmured as
3 went
2 Cameron led me through the II
r brary, across the hall. and thence in
to his study, where he dove into &
. miniature book rack reserved for hi
e favorites. After moment of fruitlesI
search he said:
o 1T isn't here How stupid! l tool
s it upstairs a week ago, remember
It is in my dressing room. Do you
n mind coming up?"
Did mind coming up? How glaC
| was to see him interested! He wa
e more like the old Cameron than h
S had been at any time In the past sew
en- days. My golf prescription hat
proved even more .efficacious than
o had dared hope.
e At the risk of being tedious
S must describe Cameron's dressing
:. room. It was not large-probably 2
o feet square-with three doors; one Oh
l. each of the three sides. That whicl
# admitted from the passageway face,
e that which opened into the bath room
!, On the left, the third door connecte
It with Cameron's bedcbamber. On tn
Il right were two windows, giving upol
It an outside balcony. Between ther
was a fireplace.
It To the left of the bath room doc
e was the entrance to huge closet
/ guarded by a heavy curtain Of oil
e rose velvet. To the right, was a sta
g tionary wash-stand, and above it
If rectangular mirror, probably ten inch
y es wide and a foot long, and yer
n curiously framed. Across from THU
d against the wall which divided tn
y room from the passage, was an emo
1t nous chiffonier, or chest of drawers
ID In the rooms center was a roun