6
fThe Man on [
the Box J
By HAROLD MacGRATH \
Author of'' The Grey Cloak," "The
Puppet Cuwu."
» * J
Copyright, 1904, The Bobbs-Mertill Company.
CHAPTER XI. —CONTINUED.
"M'sieu Zhames, Mees Annesley rides
thees morning. You will prepairra
yourself according,"—and she rattled
on in her absurd native tongue (every
oilier native tongue is absurd t > us,
jtjh know!) —
"He is charming and handsome,
With his uniform and saber;
And his fine black eyes
Look love as he tides by!"
while the chef in the kitchen glared
furiously at his omelette souffle, and
vowed terrible things to M'sieu Zhames
it he looked at Celeste more than twice
1 day
"Good morning,"said M'sieu Ehan.es,
banging up his towel. His face glowed
as (he result of the vigorous rubbing
41 had received.
"Hon jour! "—admiringly.
"Don't give me any of your long
Joors, Miss," —stolidly. "There's only
one language for me, and that's En
glish."
Merci! You Anglaises ar-? so con
ceit! Ho'v you like me to teach you
French, eh M'sieu Zhames?"
"Not for me,"—-shaking his head.
She was pretty, and under or
dinary circumstances . . . Ho did
not finish the thought, but I will for
him. Under ordinary circumstances,
M'sieu Zhames would have kissed her.
"No teach you French? Non? Ex
traorrdnaire!" She tripped away,
iaughing, while the chef tugged at his
Toyal and M'sieu Zhames whistled.
"Hang the witch!" the new groom
murmured. "Her mistress must be
very generous, or very positive of her
own charms, to keep a sprite like this
cn&id about her. I wonder if I'll run into
Karloff?" Karloff! Tbe name chilled
him, somehow. What was Karloff to
'her! Had he known that she was to
in Washington for the winter? What
irony, if fate should make him the
.groom and Karloff the bridegroom! If
Karloff loved her, he could press his
suit fraukly and openly. And, as mat
ters stood, what chance 011 earth had
be Warburton? "Chuck was right;
f'vd made a mistake, arid I am begin
ning to regret it the very first morn
ing." He snapped his fingers and pro
ceeded to the right wing, where the
horses were.
At nine o'clock he led Jane and Dick
out to the porte-cochere and waited.
He had not long to loiter, for she came
out at once, drawing on her gauntlets
.and taking in long breaths of the
morning air. She nodded briefly, but
pleasantly, and came down the steps.
Her riding-habit was of the conven
tional black, and her small, shapely
•boots were of patent-leather. She
wore no hat on her glorious head,
which showed her good sense and her
scorn for freckles and sunburn
"We shall ride north. James; the
roads are better and freer. Jane has a
horror of cars."
"yes, Miss Annesley,"—deferential-
Jy. "You will have to teach me the lay
of the land here-abouts, as I am rather
green."
"I'll see to it that you are made per
fectly acquainted with the roads. You
*lo not know Washington very well,
then?"
"No, Miss. Shall I give you a—er—
hoot up?" He blushed. i-Ie had al
most said "leg up."
She assented and raised her boot,
tHtder which he placed his palm, and
sprang into the saddle. He mounted
in his turn and waited.
' When we ride alone, James, I shall
•not object to your riding at my side;
'but when I have guests, always remem
ber to keep five yards to the rear."
"Yes, Miss." If he could have got
■rid of the idea of Karloff and the pos
sibilities which his name suggested, all
this would have appealed to him as ex
ceedingly funny.
"Forward, then!"—and she touched
Jane's flank with her crop.
The weather was perfect for riding;
■no sun, a keen breeze from the north
west, and a dust-settled road. War
'burton confessed to me afterward that
•this first ride with her was one of the
most splendid he had ever ridden.
Ho(h animals were perfect saddle
horses, such as are to be found only in
■ the south. They started up the road at
a brisk trot, and later broke into a
■canter which lasted fully a mile. How
'beautiful she was, when at length they
Mowed down into a walk! Her cheeks
were flaming, her eyes dancing and full ,
-of luster, her hair was tumbled about 1
mid tendrils fluttered down her cheeks. !
She was Diana; only he hoped that she
was not inclined to celibacy.
"Have you ever ridden with women !
•br-fore, James?"
"Several times with my major's j
daughter,"—thoughtlessly.
"Your major's daughter? Who was j
your regimental colonel?"
James bit his lips, and under lifs
•rcath disregarded William's warning
about "cussing." "Permit me, Miss
Annesley, to dedline to answer."
"Did you ride (as an attendant?"
"Yes; I was a liroopcr."
"You speak very gujd English for a
stableman."
"I have not always been a stable
man."
"I dare say. I should give a good
deal to know what you have been.
Come, James, tell me what the trou
ble was. I have influence; I might help
you."
"1 am past help;"—which was true
enough, only the real significance of
his words passed over her head. "I
thank you for your kindness."
If she was piqued, she made no sign.
"James, were you once a gentleman,
in the sense of being well-born?"
"Miss Annesley, you would not be
lieve me if I told you who I am and
what I have been."
"Are you a deserter?" —looking him
squarely in the eye. She saw the color
as It crept under his tan.
"I have my honorable di -charge,"—
briefly.
"I shall ask you to let me see it.
Have you ever committed a dishonor
able act? I have a right to know."
"I have committed one dishonorable
act, Miss Annesley. I shall always re
gret it."
She gave him a penetrating glance.
"Very well; keep your secret."
And there was no more questioning
on that ride; there was not even casual
talk, such as a mistress might make
to her servant. There was only the
clock, clock of hoofs and the clink of
bit metal. Warburton did not know
whether he was glad or sorry.
She dismounted without her groom's
assistance, which somewhat disap
"l HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN A STA
BLE MAN."
pointed that worthy gentleman. If
she was angry, to his eye there was
no visible evidence of it. . As he took
the bridles in hand, she addressed him;
though in doing so, she did not look at
him, gave h?- attention to her gaunt
lets, which she pulled slowly from her
aching fingers.
"This afternoou I shall put you in
care of Pierre, the cook. I am giving
a small dinner on Monday evening,
and I shall have to call on you to serve
the courses. Later I shall seek a butler,
but for the present you will have to
act in that capacity."
He wasn't sure; it might have been
a flash of sunlight from behind a
cloud. If it was a smile, he would
have given much to know what; had
caused it.
He tramped off to the stables. A
butler! Well, so be it. He could orcly
reasonably object when she called,
upon him to act in the capacity of !
a chambermaid. He wondered wliy he
had no desire to laugh.
CHAPTER Xri.
A TICKLISH BUSINESS.
Pierre was fierce and fat and 40, but
he could cook the most wonderful
roasts and ragouts that Warburton
ever tasted; and he could take a hand
ful of vegetables and an insignificant i
bone and make a soup that would have j
tickled the jaded palate of a Lucullus
Warburton presented himself at the
kitchen door.
"Ah!" said Pierre, striking a dra-i
matic pose, a ladle in one hand and a j
pan in the other. "So you are zee new ■
groom? Good! We make a butler 1
out of you? Bah! Do you know zee !
difference between a broth and a soup?
Eh?"
The new groom gravely admitted
that he did.
"Hear to me!" —and Pierre struck I
his chest with a ladle. "I teach you j
how to sairve; I, Pierre Flageot, will j
teach a hostler to be a butler! Bah!" |
"That is what I am sent here for."
"Here to me! If zay haf oysters
zay are placed on zee table before zee
guests enter. Via? Then zee soup.
You sairve one deesh at a time. You |
do not carry all zee deeslies at once. I
And you take zee deesh, so!" —illus- |
trating. "Then you wait till zay push
aside zee soup deesh. Then you carry
zem away. V'la?"
Warburton signified that he under
stood.
"I carve zee meats," went on the
amiable Pierre. "You haf nozzing to
do wiz zee meats. You rest zee deesh
on zee flat of zee hand, so! Always I
sairve to zee right uf zee guests. Vatch
zat zay do not'move while you sairve.
You spill zee soup and I keel you! To
spill zee soup ees a crime. Now, take
hold uf thees soup deesh."
Warburton took it clumsily by the i
rim. Pierre snatched it away with a I
volley of French oaths. William said I
that there was to be no "cussing," but I
Pierre seemed to be an immune and !
not included in this jrder.
"Idiot! Imbecile! Non, non! Thees
way. You would put zee thumb in zee '
soup. Zare! You haf catch zat. Come
to zee dining-hall. I show you. I ex
plain."
The new groom was compelled to put
fgrth all his energies to keep his face j
Straight. If he laughed, he was lost.
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, JULY 5, 1906.
I If only his old mates could see liim
I now. The fop of Troop A playing at
butler! Certainly he would have to
| write Chuck about it —(which hp most
| certainly never did). Still, the ordeal
in the dining-room was a severe one.
j Nothing he attempted was done satis
factorily. Pierre, having in mind
Celeste's frivolity and this man's good
looks, made the task doubly hard, lie
I hissed "Idiot!" and "Imbecile!" and
i "Jackass!" as many times as there
are knives and forks and spoons at a
, course dinner. It was when they caine
, to the wines that Pierre became molli
fied. He was forced to acknowledge
I that the new groom needed no instruc
tions as to the varying temperatures
of calets and burgundies. Warbur-
I ton longed to get out into the open and
yell.' It was very funny. He managed,
• however, on third rehearsal, to acquit
; himself with some credit. They re
turned to the kitchen again where they
found Celeste nibbling crackers and
cheese. She smiled.
"Ha!" The vowel was given a pro
longed roll. "So, Mademoiselle, you
haf to come and look on eh?"
"Is there any objection, Monsieur?"
; retorted Celeste in her native tongue,
I making handsome eyes at Warburton,
who was greatly amused.
"Ha! if he was hideous, would you
be putting on those ribbons I gave you
to wear on Sundays?" snarled Pierre.
"I shall throw them away, Monsieur
Flageot, if you dare to talk to me like
that. Ho is handsome and you are
jealous, and 1 am glad. You behaved
horribly to that coarse Nanan last
Sunday. Because she scrubs the steps
of the French embassy you consider
her above me, me!"
"You are crazy!" roared Pierre.
"You introduced me to her so that you
might make eyes at that abominable
valet of the secretary!"
Celeste flounced (whatever means of
locomotion that is) abruptly from the
kitchen. Pierre turned savagely to his
protege.
Go! And eef you look at her, idiot,
I haf revenge myself Oh, I am calm!
Hah! Goto zee stables, cattle!" And
he rattled his pans at a great rate.
Warburton was glad enough to es
cape.
"I have brought discord into the
land, it would seem."
But his trials were not over. The
worst ordeal was yet to come. At five,
orders were given to harness the coach
liorses to the coupe and have them at
the steps promptly at eigUt-thirty.
Miss Annesley had signified her inten
tion of making a call in the city. War
burton had not the slightest, suspicion
of the destination. He didn't care
i where it was. It would be dark and he
would pass unrecognized. He gave
the order no more thought. Promptly
at. eight-thirty he drove up to the steps.
A moment later she issued forth, ac
companied by a gentleman in evening
1 dress. It was too dark for Warburton
j to distinguish his features.
"I am very sorry, Count, to leave
j you; but you understand perfectly. It
| is an old school friend of mine Whom
| I haven't seen in a long time; one
I of the best girl friends I have ever
| known. I promised to dine with her
j to-night, but I broke that promise and
agreed to spend the evening."
'Do not disturb yourself on my ac
j count." replied the man in broken
English, which was rather pleasant to
the ear. "Your excellent father and I
can pass the evening very well."
Karloff! Warburton's chin sank in
to his collar and his hands trembled.
This man Kaiioif had very penetrating
eyes, even in the dark.
"But I shall miss the music which
I promised myself. Ah, if you only
knew how adorable you are when you
play the violin! I become lost, I for
get the world and its sordidness. I
forget everything but that mysterious
voice which you alone know how to
! arouse from that little box of wood.
| You are a great artist, and if you were
before the public, the world would go
mad over you—as I have."
j So she played the violin, thought the
| unhappy man on the box of the coupe,
j "Count, you know that is taboo;
' you must not talk to me like that,"—
• with a nervous glance at the groom.
"The groom embarrasses you?" The
count laughed. "Well, it is only a
groom, an animal which does not
understand these things."
"Besides. I do not play nearly so
! well as you would have me believe," —
! steering him to safer channels.
"Whatever you undertake, Mademoi
! selle, becomes at once an art." —gal-
[ lantly, "Good-night!"—and the count
I saluted her hand as he helped her into
the coupe.
How M'sieti Zhames would have
liked to jump down and pommel Mon
sieur le Comte! Several wicked
thoughts surged through our jehu's
brain, but to execute any one of them
in her presence was impossible.
"Good-night, Count. I shall see you
at dinner on Monday."
She would, eh? And her new butler
would be on duty that same evening?
Without a doubt. M'sleu Zhames
vowed under his breath that if he got
a good chance he would make the
count, look ridiculous. Not even a
king can retain his dignity while a
stream of hot soup is trickling down
his spinal column. Warburton smiled.
He was mentally acting like a school
boy disappointed in love. His own
keen sense of the humorous came to
his rescue.
"James, to the city. No. Scott
Circle, and hurry." The door closed.
Scott Circle? Warburton's spine
wrinkled. Heaven help him, he was
driving Miss Annesley to his own
brother's house! What the devil was
getting Into fate anyhow? He swore
softly all the way to the Connecticut
avenue extension. He made three mis
takes before he strnck Sixteenth
street. Reaching Scott Circle finally,
he had no difficulty in recognizing tilt
house. He drew up at the stepping
stone, alighted and opened the door.
"I shall be gone perhaps an hour and
a half, .James. You may drive around,
but return sharply at ten-thirty." Bet
ty ran up the steps and rang the bell.
Our jehu did not wait to see the'
door open, but drove away, liekety
clip. I do not know what a mile lick
ety-elip is generally made in, but I am
rather certain (hat the civil law de
mands $25.00 for the same. The
s;ods were with him this time and no
one called him to halt. When he had
gone far away from Scott Circle as
he dared go, his eye was attracted by
a genial cigar sign. He hailed a boy
to hold the horses and went inside. He
bought a dozen cigars and lit one,
He didn't even take the trouble to sec
if he could get the cigars for nothing,
there being a penny-in-the-slot ma
chine in one corner of the shop. lam
sure that, if he had noticed it, it would
have enticed him, for the spirit of
chance was well-grounded In him, a«
it is in all army men. But he hurried
out, threw the boy a dime, and drove
away. For an hour and 20 minutes
he drove and smoked and pondered.
So she played the violin! played it
wonderfully as the count had declared.
He was passionately fond of music. In
London, in Paris, in Berlin, in Vienna,
he had been an untiring, unfailing
patron of the opera. Some night ht
resolved to listen at the window, pro
viding the window was open. Yes,
a hundred times Chuck was right. Any
other girl, and this jest might have
passed capitally: but he wanted the
respect of this particular woman, and
he had carelessly closed the doors to
her regard. She might tolerate him,
that would be all. She would look up
on him as a hobbledehoy.
He approached the curb again in
front of the house, and gazed wistfully
at the lighted windows. Here was
another great opportunity gone. How
he longed to dash into the house, con
fess, and have done with it!
[To Be Continued.]
Set the Hurt* Fre».
The late Lady Florence Dixie not
only wrote and spoke against cruelty
to animals, but practiced what she
preached. Some years ago she was in
the inclosure at New Market, together
with another lady, conversing with the
king, then, of course, Prince of Wales,
when suddenly an excited shout arose
from the crowd. Some men had
started a hare, and immediately a
gang of roughs rushed away in chase
of tb ( > terrified animal. Sticks and
stones were flung at the poor crea
ture, until eventually It was captured
by a great navvy. The interest of the
fashionable crowd quickly died out, but
not the anger of Lady Florence.
Leaving the prince's side, she went
over to the man who was leading her
horse about, and jumping on the ani
mal's back rode over to the mob.
Forcing her horse up to the navvy
she suddenly made a snatch, rescued
the trembling beast, and then gal
loped away to a distant plantation,
where she dismounted and set the
hare free.
With or Without.
A fastidious man undertook to trans
mit instructions through the waiter to
the cook. He wanted an oyster stew.
These were his instructions:
"Now, waiter, kindly tell the cook
I don't want the oysters and the milk
merely mixed and heated. I want the
milk carefully boiled first. The oys
ters should then be added without
the liquor. The liquor should not 1)6
putin until the seasoning is added.
Be very particular to get good, rich
milk, and nothing but the best gilt
edge butter. As for the oysters, I
want Cape Cod salts. No ordinary
stock oysters for me. Do you under
stand?"
"I think so, sir," replied the waiter,
"but do you want the oysters with or
without?"
"With or without what?" asked th«
customer.
"Pearls, sir."
l>o Not I.tiiitt Yotir Ability.
Poverty and failure are self-invited.
The disaster people dread often comes
to them. Worry and anxiety enfeeble
their force of mind and so blunt their
creative and productive faculties that
they are unable to exercise them prop
erly. Fear of failure, cr lack of faith
in one's ability, is one of the most po
tent causes of failure, Many people
of splendid powers have attained only
mediocre success, and some are total
failures, because they set bounds to
their achievement, beyond which they
did not ailow themselves to think that
they could pass. They put limitations
to their ability; they cast stumbling
blocks in their way, by aiming only at
mediocrity or predicting failure for
themselves, talking their wares down
instead of up. disparaging their busi
ness, and belittling their powers.—
Success Magazine.
<1 !I4'M t i<> II Of S|IOO(l,
The automobile crank was talking
about his huge racing car.
"One day in August," he said, "I took
a run out info the country, and some
how got lost. On toward dusk I found
myself at. the meeting point of four
rross roads and unable to tell which
road would.lead me back home.
"So I pulled up ar.d waited, and
soon a boy driving a cow appeared.
" 'My lad,' I said, 'I want to get in
"The little fellow stared at my 110-
liorse-power car, and tnen he taid
almly:
" 'Well, just follow this cow an' ye'U
jet thar.' "
H jgffgLgrg jyg gjfs gps
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