The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-02-23

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BUCKINGHAM sPRANo UP TO
WE LEONE THE BELATE Z
GUEST.
had sent message that sho was un
avoldahly detained for some LITTLE
time at home. and that. II on this
account Il should happen that she
must deny herself tho honor OF at.
ting down 10 supper ~ his graco's
table. az least she would reach Wall
ingford House In time for the read
ins with which his graeo was 70
delight the company.
IL was In part fiction. There was
nothing TO de,aln Mlss Faruuharsou
beyond revival OF her uneasy iniui
tons. which warned her against the
Increase OF Intimacy that would At,
tend her inclusion In the dukes sup,
per.party. Tho play. however. was
another affair. Therefore. she would
find supper az an end and tho read
ing about 90 begin.
His grace found her message vcxa.
tious. and he would have postponed
supper until her arrival but that his
guests did not permit him to have
his own way In the matter. As thu
truth was that there was no first nc;
IN existence. for the duke had not
yet written a line Of IL and probably
never would. and that supper was 20
2 frrtsffa strm r.rkaf. .-s.~t.wItra,s IL
follows that this would be protracted.
and that however late abe came she
was likely stiii to find the party at
table.
They were n very merry company.
and as time passed they grew ncr.
rier. There was Etheredge. OF
course. the real promoter Of tho
whole affair. and this elegant. talent.
ed iibcrtine who was uitirnately--and
al a stiIl early nge-to kin himself
with drinking. was doing the fullest
justice to the reputation which the
the winecup had already earned him
There was scdlcy. that other giftsd
I profllgate. whose slim. graceful per.
son gave little Indication Of the
FOSTERING soul within. Young Roch.
ester should have been OF tho party.
Z but he was AT that moment Ia the
tower. whittier no had been sent az
consequence OF his utterly foolish
and unnecessary attempt 10 abduct
Miss Alailet two nights ago. But Sir
Harry stanhopc filled his vacant
place-or. AZ least. halffiiled II. for
whilst Rochester was both wit and
llbertlne. young stanhope was a lib
crtaine only. And. OF course. there
was Sir Thomas Agile. that boon com.
panlon OF Sedlcy's. and two other
gentlemen whose names have nci
survived. The ladies' were Of less
distinguished lineage. There was the
ravlshlngiy fair little Anne Seymour
from the Dukes House. her white
shoulders displayed In q decolletage
that outraged even tho daring fash.
ion Of the day. There was Mol
Davis from the Kings House seated
on the dukes left. with Ethercdgc
/ Immediately below her and entirely
cngrossing her. and there was that
dark. statuesque, iusolcnteyed Jane
Howden. lnnguidly spreading her
nets for Sir Charles Sedley. who
showed himself willing and eager 70
be taken In them. a fourth lady on
ogle's left was making desperate but
futile attempts 10 draw Sir Thomas
attention from Miss Seymour.
Supper was done. and stili they
kept the table. over their wine. walt.
ing for that belated guest whose seat
continued vacant.
Above that empty place Eat the
duke--a dazzling figure in suit OF
shimmering white satin with dia.
mond buttons that looked like drops
OF water.
Alone OF all that company he did
not abuse tho wine. Again and again
he waved away the yclvet.footcd
Iackeys that approached to pour for
him.
From the chilly heights OF his own
unusual sobriety he found them
gross and tircsome, their laughter
Jared on him.. He strained his cars
to catch somo rumble OF wheels In
the courtyard.
SedIey in a maudlln voico began
TO sing a very questionable song OF
his own writing, whilst Miss Howdcn
made comedy OF pretending TO NJ.
Icnce him. He was still singing II
when Stanhopc sprang up and
mounted his chair. holding alofi a
dainty shoe OF which he had stripped
Miss Seymour. and calling loudly for
wine. Pretty little Anne would have
snatched back her footgcar but that
she was restrained by Ogle. who not
only held her firmly. but had pulled
her into his lap. where she writhed
and screamed and giggled all in one.
+ Solemnly. as II It were the most
ordinary and natural OF things. a
lackey poured wine into tho shoe, as
stanhope babe him. And stanhopc,
standing above them. gay and
flushed, proposed toast, the terms
OF which I have no intention Of 70
peating.
He was midway thru when the
twin doors behind the duke were
thrown open by a chamberlain, whose
voice rang soiemnly above the gen.
eral din.
( Miss Sylvia Farquharson, may II
please your srana"