The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1914-01-23
CHAPTER II.
The Girl and the Waiter.


At seven o'clock, In immaculate eve
ming attire, Holton set out from his
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 the
lure of Epicurus in Vienna, Paris, and
London, he turned from the card and
lighting cigarette and slipping cock
tail, he gazed about the room.
At one table he saw the French am
bassador and company of his Gallo
friends. Near by young Pembroke, Of
the British embassy, was dining girl
Holton had met. To his left sat a
dark-skinned, sleek-appearing man
with close-cropped Vandyke beard. He
had been pointed out to Holton 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.
Holton 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 well-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-
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 of 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.
TITS absurd, father, for you to mind.
l can walt here as well as anywhere
else-although l shan't promise not
to occupy myself by dining"
The father shrugged.
WELL" he said at length, at is
quite necessary, Rance, and shan't
be gone long, but If you mind I'll take
you back to the hotel"
mot at all, not ALL" she protested.
TITS 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 ant
nation, and the purity of her coloring,
as well as the wilderness of her skin,
convinced Ho1ton that If her father
were Spanish, or Cuban, or something
Latin, tho girl unquestionably was the
daughter Of an Anglo-Saxon mother.
With a gesture that amounted al
most to careIessness, she had tossed
a gold mesh handbag on the table,
and now as she glanced over the card
1t 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 inwardly phrased it, high
and dry by her father.
n should think" he murmured, that
he'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 It 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 a 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 snakeIike
movement his hand shot out and seized
the bag. Then, hardly lifting his I'm
gers from the table, he snapped his
uu~lok ,,ougara au6 the hoe aom .audop