The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-01-22
CHAPTER Y
His Excellcncy 0rmuT Khan

The city clocks were Ginning tho
hour OF 10 on the following morn.
ing when q page from the Savoy ap.
preached the shop OF Mr. Jarvis. boot
maker. which n situated at no great
distance from tho hotel The impu.
dent face OF the small boy wore an
expression OF scrio.comic fright as no
pushed open the door and entered the
shop.
Jarvis. the booimaker. belonged 10
a rapidly disappearing class OF Brit
iah trndesmen. Ho truekiod 20 no
ono. but took an artistic pride In his
own handlwork. criticism from d lay.
man merely provoking a acornfui
anger which had lost Jarvis many
good customers.
Yes. STR" Jarvis was saying 10 a
patron. cts a welcome sight 10 sec n
real Englishman walk into my shop
nowadays. London isn't London. air.
since tho war, and the Strand win
never be the Strand again" lie turn.
ed TO HIS assistant. who stood beside
him. booijack in hand III he sends
them back again. ho directed. tell
him 20 so 70 one OF the French firms
Ia Regent 81 who cater 10 dainty
ladies'" Ito pc l,lvely snorted with
Indignation. whilo tho page. listen.
Ing. whistied and looked down at the
parcel which no carried.
An unwclcome customer. JarvIn7-
inquired the voice ~ tho man Ia tho
fitting room.
quite unwclcome." said Jarvis II
don't want him. ! have more work
than | know how TO turn out. wish
no would so elsewhere. wish"
lilo paused lie md seen the page
boy. Tho latter. having undone his
parcel. was holding out a pair Of ele-
CANT. fawn.eo,ored shoes.
Great Moecsf' ibrcnthcd Jarvis.
Hes had the check to send them
back again
lila excellence began tho page.
when Jarvis anatchcd tho shoes from
his hand and hurled them TO the
other end OF the shop. Ills white
beard positively brisilcd.
so positively ferocIous was his
aspect that tho boy. with upralEed
arm. backed hastily out into tho
street. Safety won: ''Blimoyi' ex.
claimed the youth. Hes tho warm
goods. no ls.''
He paused for several moments.
staring In kind Of stupefied nd.
miration ut tho closed door OF Mr..
Jarvis establishment. 10 whistled
again. softly. md then began TO run
for tho formidable Mr.. Jarvis sud.
denly opened the door. iii. boyf'
he called TO tho page. The page hest.
tatcd. CHANGING hack doubtfully. 'Tcll
his cxceilcncy that win send round
In about half an hour TO remeasurc
his foot"
The boy departed, grinning. and n
little more than hnlf an hour later
respsctable.lookins man presented
himself AZ Savoy Court. inquiring OF
the attendant near the elevator for
the apartments OF his exccllency,"
| followed by an unIntelligiblc word
which presumably represented 'or.
muz Khan" The visitor wore a well.
brushed but threadbare tweed suit,
altho his soft collar WIS by no means
clean. He had short. reddish.brown
beard, and very thick. curling hair
OF tho Same hue protruded from be.
meath a bowler hat which had seen
long service.
Like Mr.. jarvis. he was bcspcc-
tacled, and his teeth were much dis.
coiored and apparently broken in
| front, as is usual with cobblers. His
hands. too. were toll-stained and his
nails very black. He carried card.
board box. He seemed to be extreme.
~ nervous. and this nervousness pal.
pebly increased when the impudent
page, who was standing in tho lobby.
giggled on hearing his inquiry.
"shut up. Chivers." snapped the
hall porter. ''Ring the bell" lie
glanced at the cobbler. Second
floor" he said, tersely. and resumed
his study OF newspaper which he
had been reading.
The representative OF Mr.. Jarvis
was carried up to tho second floor
and the lift man. having indicated at
which door he should knock, descend.
cd again.
There was n short interval. and
then the door was opened by a man
who looked like Hindu. He wore
correct morning dress and thru gold