Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-30

The one next to you" replied Brock,
recovering from his confusion. II hear
perfectly well with tie other one"
YES" drawled Freddie, with a wink.
so I've observed" After a reflective
silence the young man ventured the in
teresting conclusion, She's q stunning
girl. all right" Brock looked politely
askance. BY Jove, I'm glad she isn't
my slster-in-law"
II suppose I'm expected to ask why"
frigidly.
Certainly. Because if she was I
couldn't. Do you get the points" He
crossed his legs and looked insupporta-
I bly, sure Of himself
They reached Munich late in the aft
ernoon and went at once to the Hotel
Nler Jahretzeiten, where they were to
find the Odeil-Carneys.
Mr.. Odeli-Carney was a middle aged
Englishman of the extremely unini-
tiative type. He was tall and narrow
and distant. far beyond what is COM
monty accepted as blase Indeed. he
was especially slow Of speech. even for
an Englishman, quite as if it were an
everlasting question with him whether
it was worth while to speak at all
One had the feeling when listening to
Mr.. Odell-Carney that he was being
favored beyond words. 1t took him so
| long 10 say anything that if one were
but moderately bright he could finish
the sentence mentally some little time
in advance of the speaker and thus be
prepared TO properly appreciate that
which otherwise might have puzzled
/ him considerably. 1t could not be said,
however, that Mr.. OdelI-Carney was
ponderOus. He was merely the erfcc-
tual result of delay. Perhaps it is safe
TO agree with those who knew him
best; they maintained that Odell-C Car
ney was Il pose. nothing more.
His wife was quite the opposite in
nearly every particular except height
and angularity. She was bony and
red faced and Opiniohated. a few
sailOw years, with n rapid. profligate
nobleman had brought her. iA widow
hood, to fine sense of appreciation of
the slow going though tiresomcly I'M
practical men Of the 0dell-Carney
! type. II mattercd little that he made
( poor investment OF the money she had
/ sequestered from his lordship. He had
/ kept her in the foreground by associat-
Ing himself with every big venture that
interested the financial smart set Not
Withstanding the fact that he never
wa known to have any money. he was
looked upon as n finaucier of the high
est order. which IS saying n great deal
in these unfeeling days OF pounds and
shiIllngs.
or course Mrs Odell-Carney was
dressed rs all ranGy. long limbed Eng
iishwomen are prone to dress-after a
model peculiarly not her own. She
looked ridiculOusly ungraceful along
side the smart. chic American women.
and yet not one Of them but would
have given her boots TO be able to array
herself as one Of these. There was no
denying the sqct that Mrs. Odell-Car-
neg was Irregular tiptopper," as Mr..
Rodney was only too eager to say.
She had tho air of a born leader-that
is to say, she could be gracious when
occasion demanded. without being pat
ronizing.
In due course Of time the Medcrofts
and Miss Fowler were presented 10 the
distinguished couple. This function
was necessarily delayed until Odell-
Carney had time TO so into the details
Of n particularly annoying episode of
the afternoon. He was telling the sto-
ry TO his friend Rodney, and Of course
everything was at a standstill until he
got through.
1t seems that Mr.. Odell-Carney felt
the need Of nap at 3 o'clock. He
gave strict injunctions that there was
10 be no noise in the halls while he
slept and then went into his room and
stretched out Any one who has stop
ped at the Hotel Four Seasons will
have no difficulty in recalling the cleo
tric hall bells which serve to attract
the chambermaids TO given spots II
one needs the chambermaid he press
es the button in his room and a lit.
tie bell in the hall tinkles fuTiouSly
until she responds and shuts it of
In that waT one is sure that she has
heard and is coming, a most admirable
bit OF German ingenuity. II she hap,
pens 10 be taking her lunch at the
time, the bell goes on ringing until she
returns. 1t is a faithful bell Coming
back TO Odell-Carney. the maid on bis
floor WIS making up a room in close
proximity when a most annoying thins
happened TO her. \ porter VINO nae
reason TO dislike her came along ant
turned her key from the outside. lock
!. ing her in the room. She couldn't &c
out, and she had been warned agains
making a sound that might disturb
the English guest With rare intelli
gence, she did not scream or make a.
Outcry. but wisely proceeded TO pres
the button for chambermaid The
she evidently sat down to wait t
make tie story short. she rang be
own call bell for two hours, no othe
: maid condescending 10 notice the cal
3 which speaks volumes for the almos
] martial 5: item OF the hotel The be