Cheyenne record., 1914-10-29
CHAPTER II.
The Girl and the Walter

The Girl and the Walter.
At seven o'clock, in immaculate eve
club and sailed forth to the Willard.
After studying the menu lovingly, and
having devised a dinner suitable to
the palate Of one who had followed tho
lure Of Epicurus in Vienna, Paris. and
London, he turned from the card and
lighting cigarette and slipping a cock
tail. he gazed about the room.
At one table he saw the French am
bassador and a company Of his Gallo
friends. Near by young Pembroke, Of
the British embassy. was dining girl
Holton had met. To his left sat
dark skinned. sleek-appearlng man
with close-cropped Vandyke beard. He
had been pointed out to Holtou In
Paris as a man who had plans Of Ger
man forts at Kiel for sale. The young
officer wondered what he was doing
here
Altogether the atmosphere. Holton
decided, was just as 1t should be. just
as the capital Of country should act
when the government stands on the
brink OF international war
fIolton had just dispatched his first
oyster when his attention was attract
ed by musical little laugh to table
about twenty feet away from him. A
girl, slightly above the medium height,
with slender resilient figure. was stand
Ing with her back to him. talking to
her escort. a weil.built man Of fifty
odd with iron-gray hair and beard.
and the dark features Of the Latin.
She was a beauty. Holton, connols-
seur Of femininity though he was. ad-
mittcd that without hesitation. Her
hnir 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 colored
by nature. pure coral and her teeth
flashed as she spoke.
ITS absurd. father. for you to mind.
I can wait here as well as anywhere
else-although | shan't promise not
to occupy myself by dining"
The father shrugged.
We'll" he said at length, at Is
quite necessary, Rance. and l shan't
be gone long. hut 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
rndiantly-"very slowly until you re-
turn"
Her cheeks had flushed with AMI.
nation. and the purity Of her coloring.
ns well as the whiteness Of her skin,
convinced Holton that II her father
were Spanish. or Cuban, or something
Latin. the girl unquestionably was the
daughter Of an Anglo-Saxo mother.
With gesture that amounted al
most to carelessness she had tossed
a gold mesh hand-ba on the table.
and now as she glanced over the card
It was quite concealed from her view.
Hoton returned to his oysters. not.
however. neglecting occasional glances
at the radiant creature who had been
left. as he lnwardly phrased 1t, high
and dry by her father.
~ should think" he murmured, that
ho'd be afraid someone would steal
her. IL. by George! I'd like to, you
know"
Which thought thrilled him out OF
all proportion to the amount Of good
sense 1t contained. 1t was at about
this point that Holton's gaze fell upon
the waiter attending the young woman.
He was one Of those interesting per-
sons to be seen occasionally In great
restaurants who seem to be above
their calling. There was a hidden
something, passing phases Of facial ex-
preston, a certain movement Of the
shoulders, and above all, a firm.footed
but light tread, all Of which seemed to
Holton to Indicate a man misplaced.
He felt certain Of this moment
later, when the girl again lifted the
menu and the waiter stepped to the
corner OF the table. upon which the
gold bag lay. With quick snakellke
movement his hand shot out and seized
the bag. Then. hardly lifting his fin.
gers from the table. he snapped his
~rjat inward and the bag flew under