The Huttig news., 1913-09-27
CHAPTER H.
The Girl and the Waiter.


 At seven o'clock, in immaculate eve ming attire. Helton set out from his club and salled forth to the Willard. After studying the menu lovingly and having devised dinner suitable to the palate of one who had followed the lure of Epicurus in Vienna. Paris. and London. he turned from the card and lighting a cigarette and slipping a cock tail he gazed about the room
 At one table he saw the Frep rh ann bassador and company of his Gallic friends. Near by young Pembroke. of the British embassy. was dining a girl Holton had met To his left sat a dark-skinned, sleek-appearing man with close-cropped Vandyke beard lie had been pointed out to Holton in Paris as man who had plans of Ger man forts at Kiel for sale. The young officer wondered what he was doing here.
 Altogether the atmosphere. Holten decided, was just as it should be. just as the capital of a country should act when the government stands on the brink of international war
 Holton had just dispatched his drst l oyster when his attention was attract ed by musical little laugh to a table about twenty feet away from him. A l girl slightly above the medium height, with slender resilient figure was stand | ing with her back to him, talking to her escort. well builtSman Of fifty odd, with irongray hair and beard, and the dark features of the Latin
 She was beauty. Holten, cennois- seur of femininity though he was. ad. mitted that without hesitation. Her hair was not the coal black hair of her race, but shining, golden deep brown, which lay upon her head in thick, waving convolutions. Her eyes were blue-gray, set off by long, dark lashes. and fine brows. which ran with delicate arches to the straight, finely modelled nose. Her lips were eoIered by nature, pure coral, and her teeth flashed as she spoke.
 It's absurd, father for you to mind l can wait here as we'll as anywhere l else-although I shan't promise not to occupy myself by dining"
 The father shrugged
 1 quite necessary, Rance. and I shan't be gone long, but if you mind I'll take you back to the hotel''
 Not at all. not all,'' she protested. Its so bright and interesting here, , and you'll return soon, anyway. No, go on, father, and I'll eat'-she smiled radiantly-"very slowly until you re- turn"
 Her cheeks had flushed with ami nation. and the purity of her coloring, as we'll as the whiteness of her skin, convinced Holton that if her father were Spanish. or Cuban. or something Latin. the girl unquestionably was the daughter of an Anglo-Saxon mother s-e
 With 8 gesture that amounted all most to carelessness, she had tossed a gold mesh hand bag on the table, and now as she glanced over the card it was quite concealed from her view.
 Holton returned to his oysters, not. however, neglecting occasional glances at the radiant creature who had been left. as he inwardIy phraeed it, high Rand dry by bea' father
 "l should think" he murmured, "that 1 'ie VI be dlfatu StiattHb NuuHu sltdt l her I-I, by George, I'd like to, you know"
 Which thought thrilled him out of III proportion to the amount of good l sense 1t contained It was at about this point that Holtons geze fell upon tue waiter attending the young woman,
 lie was one of those Interesting per sons to be seen occasionally in great restaurants who seem to he above their calling. There YVES hidden something. passing phases Of facial ex- 1 pressiou certain movement Of the shoulders. ard above all, frrufooted hut light tread, all of which seemed to Ilolton to indicate man misplaced
 He felt certain of this moment 1 later, when the girl again lifted the menu and the waiter stepped 10 the corner of the table, upon which the gold bag lay. With quick shakel.he movement his hand shot out and seized the bag Then, hardly lifting his fin gers from the table, he snapped his wrist upward and the bag few under l the lapel Of his jacket, which had been held open to receive it by the other hand Another instant and he was in front of the girl receiving her order with the utmost sang froid. i ,-> ,r 14.,-,,,,,-r~