The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-04-21
CHATTER VI.


Lord John Roxton and turned
down yigo st. together and thru
the dingy portals OF tho famous AR
lstocratic rookory. A. tho end Of
long drah passage my new acquaipt-
anec pushed open "A door and turn
ed on an electric switch. A mum.
Der OF lamps shining thru tinted
shades bathed the whole great room
before us in rudy radiance,
Standing In the doorway and glanc-
ing round me. / had a general Inn
preston Of extraordinary comfort
and elegance combined with an
atmosphere of masculine vlrillty
Everywhere there were mingled the
luxury OF tho wealthy man OF taste
and the careless untdineas OF the
bachelor. Rich furs and strange ir-
descent mats from some Oriental
bazaar were scattered upon tho
floor. Pictures and prints which
even my Impractical eyes could
recognize as being OF great price
and rarity hung thick upon the
walls. Sketches OF boxers OF ballet
girls. and OF racchoraes Rlternated
with seusuoua Fragunard. a
martial Gtrardei. and dreamy
Turner. But amid these varied or
naments there were scattered the
trophies which brought back strong
" TO my recollection the fact that
Lord John Roxton Was one OF the
great all around sportsmen and
athletes Of hts day. a dark blue
car crossed with a cherry pink one
above his mantsl piece spoke OF the
old oSonlan and Leandcr man. while
the fnils and boxing gloves above
and below them were the tools OF
man who had won supremacy with
each. Like dndo round tho room
was the jutting limo Of splendid
heavy game heads. the best Of their
Sort from every quarter OF the
world. with tho raro whito rhlno-
ceros OF the I.Rdo Enciayc droop-
Ing its supercilious lip above them
all
In the center OF the rich red car.
net was black and gold FOULS
Quinze table. lovely antique. now
sacrilegiously dcBecrated with marks
OF glasses and the scars OF cigar
stumpA On " stood silver tray
OF smokablca and a Furnished spirit
stand. from which and an adjacent
s!phon my silent host proceeded 10
charge two high glasses Having
indicated an armchair 20 me and
placed my refreshment near il. he
handed me a long. smooth Havana.
Then, seating himself opposite 20
me, he looked at me long and
fixedly with his strange. twlnkllng.
reckless oyes-cyes OF a cold light
blue. the color % a glacier lake.
Thru the thin haze % my cigar
smoke I noted tho details OF a face
which was already familiar 10 me
from many photographic strong
ly-curyed nose. the hollow. worn
cheeks. tho dark. rudy hair. thin
az the top. the crisp. virilc NOUS
tachc. ths small. aggressive tuft
upon his projecting chin. Something
there was Of Napoleon III, some.
thing OF Don Quixote. and yet again
something which was the essence Of
the English country gentleman, the
keen. alert, opcn-alr lover Of dogs
and OF horses His skin Was Of a
rich flower pot red from sun and
wind. His eyebrows we're tufted
and ovorhanging. which gave thoss
naturally cold eyes an almost fero-
cious aspect, an impression which
was increased by his strong and
furrowed brow. In figure he was
spare, but very strongly built-ln-
deed, he had often proved that
there we're few men in England
capable Of such sustained cxeruous
His height was a little over six
feet, but he seemed shorter on &C
count OF a peculiar rounding OF the |
shoulders Such was the famous
Lord John Ruxton as he sat op- /
posite TO me, biting hard upon his
cigar and watching me steadily in |
a long and embarrassing silence.
Ito BE Continued)