Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-05-08
The Blue Circle
By ELIZABETH JORDAN

the lid Of each in turn, finding
cereal In one, scrambled eggs and ba-
con In another, and kidneys In third.
He helped himself to eggs and bacon
and returned to the table, where James
poured his coffee, lifted the cover OF
the muffin dish, and set plate of
orange marmalade within convenient
reach.
Anything else, sir?"
Nothing, thanks. I'll help myself"
James faded away as unobtrusiveIy
as mist before the sun. His manner
and service had been perfect. But,
Notwithstanding Renshaw's seeming
absorption in his breakfast, the secre-
tary had been conscious Of one thing /:
not once, while James remained in the
room, had the footman removed his
eyes from him. They were young
eyes-round and clear and rather boy
ish. They were discreet eyes, which
dropped humbly before superior and
which could not meet directly the all
seeing gaze Of jerks. But they were
observant eyes, nevertheless, and un-
doubtedLy they had taken In every de-
tail of the new mans dress, manner,
and general appearance.
Even as the reflection came to Rem
shaw, the explanation came with it.
Some one, probably Annie, judging by
} the flutter Of that telltale garment,
oPk y, IN 4
listened at the side door Of the living
room when he, Renshaw, had made
his unusual proposition. That person
had overheard his entire conversation
with Campbell, and had grasped the
terms under which Renshaw had been
taken on. Those terms were sufficient
ly novel to intrigue any mind, and the
gossip they afforded must be nothing
short of heaven-sent blessing to a
group of servants in country house
that was miles from anywhere.
He drank the last of his coffee. His
appetite had improved with his spirits,
and he had eaten a surprising amount
of eggs and bacon.
Evidently the CampbeIIs breakfasted
late. It was half after eight when he
seft the dining room, and none of the
family had yet appeared. He went out
for stroll in the grounds. There
were suggestions of big estate here
wide, unexplored spaces at the right
and left and in the rear. He followed
some Of them-to f1ower-gardens
whose sweet alyssum and dying
chrysanthemums were their sole re
naming blooms, to vegetable-gardens
near the rear of the house, and, finally
to the discovery Of secret vailed
garden far off at the left, whose en-
trance was down flight of stone
steps.
He descended the STEPS with sen.
sation Of expectancy. He liked secret
gardens. They had been fad of his
In that remote period when he had
depths of 1t, bending over an old sun.
dial and trying to make out its almost
obllterated inscription, when a small
hand crept confidingIy into his. He
started, then flushed and stared half
resentfully, half-curiously, at the own
er Of the hand.
1t was very tiny owner almost g
baby. 1t could not have been much
more than thirty months old 1t wore
a blue bunny suit" Of coat, trousers
cap and legglngs, and the cap was
drawn so far over Its face and ears
that only pair Of wide gray eyes, q
dot of nose, and button Of mouth
were visible. AS Renshaw stared, the
mouth widened into a smile that re-
vealed two deep dimples.
"HelIo!" exclaimed Renshaw, In
natural surprise.
do mOr'ing!"
The conversation languished, and
the lady, unembarrassed by the fact,
filed the pause by lifting her feet and
swinging on the gentlemans hand.
Renshaw stiffened to meet the strain,
and then, after some hesitation, enter
ing the spirit of the game, exerted his
strength and lifted her high above the
ground. She yelped in ecstasy, and
he put her down. With arms up
stretched and violently waving, she
danced on the path before him.
"'Den."
He did 1t again, this time lifting her
higher.
"We-wee dump" she remarked at
last.
He did not understand She pointed
to the sun-dial and entered upon a
brisk pantomime, which he regarded
with an interest deep but unintelllgent.
She waved both arms increasingly, al
most with violence. She bounded into
the air like q rubber ball. She
whirled in dizzy circles. She appeared
to tie herself into knots. And as she
did these things she repeated over and
over In DaSSiOnato accprtS har Ori DIN 81 ]