Part 1 (1/2)

The Girl From His Town.

by Marie Van Vorst.

CHAPTER I-DAN BLAIR

The fact that much he said, because of his unconscionable slang, was incomprehensible did not take from the charm of his conversation as far as the d.u.c.h.ess of Breakwater was concerned. The brightness of his expression, his quick, clear look upon them, his beautiful young smile, his not too frequent laugh, his ”new gayness,” as the d.u.c.h.ess called his high spirits, his supernal youth, his _difference_, credited him with what nine-tenths of the human race lack-charm.

His tone was not too crudely western; neither did he suggest the ultra East with which they were familiar. American women went down well enough with them, but American men were unpopular, and when the visitor arrived, Lady Galorey did not even announce him to the party gathered for ”the first shoot.”

The others were in the armory when the ninth gun, a young chap, six feet of him, blond as the wheat, cleanly set up and very good to look at, came in with Lily, d.u.c.h.ess of Breakwater. Lady Galorey, his hostess, greeted them.

”Oh, here you are, are you? Lord Mersey, Sir John Fairthrope.” She mumbled the rest of the names of her companions as though she did not want them understood, then waved toward the young chap, calling him Mr.

Dan Blair, and he, as she hesitated, added:

”From Blairtown, Montana.”

”And give him a gun, will you, Gordon?” Lady Galorey spoke to her husband.

”I discovered Mr. Blair, Edie,” the d.u.c.h.ess announced, ”and he didn't even know there was a shoot on for to-day. Fancy!”

”I guess,” Dan Blair said pleasantly, ”I'll just take a gun out of this bunch,” and he chose one at random from several indicated to him by the gamekeeper. ”I get my best luck when I go it blind. Right! Thanks.

That's so, Lady Galorey, I didn't know there was to be any shooting until the d.u.c.h.ess let it out.”

To himself he thought with good-natured amus.e.m.e.nt, ”Afraid I'll spoil their game record, maybe!” and went out along with them, following the insular n.o.blemen like a ray of sun, smiling on the pretty woman who had discovered him in the grounds where he had been poking about by himself.

”Where, in Heaven's name, did you 'corral'-word of his own-the dear boy, Edith? How did he get to Osdene Park, or in fact anywhere, just as he is, fresh as from Eden?”

”Thought I'd let him take you by surprise, dearest. Where'd you find Dan?”

”Down by the garden house feeding the rabbits, on his knees like a little boy, his hands full of lettuces. I'd just come a cropper myself on the mare. She fell, I'm sorry to say, Edie, and hacked her knees quite a lot. One of those disguised ditches, you know. I was coming along leading her when I ran on your friend.”

The young d.u.c.h.ess was slender as a willow, very brunette, with a beautiful, discontented face.

”I'm going to show Dan Blair off,” Lady Galorey responded, ”going to give the debutantes a chance.”

Placidly nodding, the d.u.c.h.ess lit a cigarette and began to quote from Dan Blair's conversation: ”I fancy he won't let them 'worry him'; he's too 'busy!'”

”You mean that you're going to keep him occupied?”

The d.u.c.h.ess didn't notice this.

”_Is_ he such a catch?”

Neither of the women had walked out with the guns. The d.u.c.h.ess had a bad foot, and Lady Galorey never went anywhere she could help with her husband. She now drew her chair up to the table in the morning-room, to which they had both gone after the departure of the guns, and regarded with satisfaction a quant.i.ty of stationery and the red leather desk appointments.

”Sit down and smoke if you like, Lily; I'm going to fill out some lists.”

”No, thanks, I'm going up to my rooms and get Parkins to 'ma.s.sey' this beastly foot of mine. I must have fallen on it. But tell me first, is Mr. Blair a catch?”