Evening star., 1928-04-08
The Inn Of the
Hawk and Raven
BY
George Barr
NfcCutcheon
cop>nsa' ,eas Metropolitan Newspaper Service.

. and. 10 a certain extent, annoyed by the
/ reserve. the seemingly unnecessary tac-
| iturnity of the captain of his guard. He
I took some comfort however, in the re-
1 fiection that, no doubt, this Strapping
/ Young fellow was a trifie conscious OF
/ his own insignificance In the presence OF
so important person as he, II that
| were the case, he would make a point
of putting the shy dragoon at his ease
He would show him that the great Leo
pold Matthias could be as genial and as
affable as anybody else,
So. while the men were Quartering
their horses and preparing supper. he
Strode over 10 join the captain who was
seated on log, moodily putting at Eis
pipe In order TO carry out his design
TO put the young man perfectly at ease,
he stuck his thumbs in the armholes OF
his fioreated waiStcoat. exposing the
full eXpanSe of an amiable and ingrat-
iatins paunch. set his Homburg hat
far enough back on his head to reveal
/ the outskirts of very Jolly sort of bald
spot, and assumed his most benign
smile.
We'll. captain" said he. sitting down
beside the officer. st has been COM
Portable journey so far. has it not?"
1t has been long one" said the
young man, briefly.
Il dareSay 1t is rather fatiguing to
one who is obliged TO sit in the saddle
for so long a stretch"
quite" said Capt. Starcourt
This was not getting on very well,
case of cigars.
Have one" said he.
mo. thank you. am enjoying my
pipe. If you see what mean. sir"
"Ahemi Spoken like an English
man Am mistaken in assuming that
you--er-have spent some time in Eng
land?"
I was born in England" said the
other.
Indeed You surprise me. Or
rather. you do not surprise me, know
England very we'll Many delightful
acquaintance in London. Some of my
best customers live-ahem. AS / was
saying. pipe smoking is distinctly an
English habit. l sometimes envy the
English the enjoyment they obtain from
-ahem! You will pardon me if ex-
press surprise that you. an Englishman,
should be in the GrauStark army, Quite
unususl-ah--if you see what mean
Captain-ah---"
'Starcourt is my name"
"Starcourt? All. that is English.
And now that I have had good look
at YOU / can quite believe you when
you say you are English - typically
English
MY mother was born and bred in
GrauStark. Mr.. Matthias volunteered
the other. She married an English
man. That's how it happens. you see.
You mean she was a--ah-native-
born Graustarkian?"
She is, Mr. Matthias. not was"
All, see, see. How interesting
So that IS how you come to be In our
army. see"
He waited for the implied invitation
to take effect. Capt StarcouTt took
two or three deliberate pulls at his
pipe Then he turned to Mr.. Matthias
with a smile.
MY mothers father was an officer
in the Dukes Dragons. Mr.. Matthias,
and his father before him. II is not
my fault that happened 10 have had
an English father. you know"
Not at all. not at all, agreed Mr..
Matthias. hastily. Il see. yes, indeed,
see quite clearly. An international
marriage. so 10 speak"
so to speak" said Capt. Starcourt,
ohligingly.
But. In spite OF that. Captain. you
must be an English subject. The son
of an Englishman is always an"
My father died when was very
small boy. After his death. my mother
returned to EdelweiSS She has lived
here ever since ! went TO school in
England, however. and to oxford. That
may account for the pipe. He knocked