The Celebrity, Complete

breezes of the north the red and the tan came into her cheeks, those boon companions of the open who are best won by the water-win

to-date edition of the Boston Blue Book, questioned the Celebrity on this vital point after the searching manner warranted by the gravity of the subject, he was unable to acquit himself satisfactorily. When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the father of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper. In the eyes of Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke the apotheosis of the Celebrity was complete. The people of Asquith were not only willing to attend the house-warming, but had been

eful. So we packed up and went. We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner. He could not be induced to remain permanently at Mohair because Miss Trevor was at Asquith, but he appropriated a Hempstead cart from the Mohair stables and made the trip sometimes twice in a day. The fact that Mrs. Cooke treated him with unqualified disapproval did not dam

in many ways to help in the arrangements, especially Farrar, who had charge

areful study of the species which I could not afford to give. Likewise the life of any one of the Ten was the life of all, and might be truthfully represented by a single year, since each year was exactly like the preceding. The ordinary year, as is well-known, begins on the first of January. But theirs was not the ordinary year, nor the Church year, nor the fiscal year. Theirs began in the Fall with the New York Horse Show. And I am of the

lofts, where Mr. Cooke had set up a mysterious L-shaped box, in one arm of which a badger was placed by a groom, while my client's Sarah, a terrier, was sent into the other arm to invite the badger out. His objections exceeded the highest hopes; he dug his claws into the wo

ed Sarah licking the accessible furrows in her face; "I never st

per windows of the ball-room; these were flung open, for the night was warm. At one end of the room the musicians, imported from Minneapolis by Mr. Cooke, were striking the first discordant notes of the tuning, while at the other the Celebrity and my cli

etter from my niece, Miss Thorn, which he has carried in his pocket since Monday. We expected her two weeks ago, and had given her up. But it seems she was

, for it was then after nine. We passed on the way the van of the guests from Asquith. As we reached the lodg

at more than one paused to look back over their shoulders as they reached the door. Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, with something of the stately pose which Richter has given

nie?" she said. "Di

ed Jennie, abashed but pl

was that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Cooke was there to meet her. Of course we made an absolute failur

she said; "they are ha

et. Neither of us had much presence of mind as we climbed into the wagon, and, what was even stranger, could not account for

uld have taken you away from

swered clumsily, "and

lad to come," F

at we got along famously. She had at once the air of good fellowship and the dignity of a woman, and she seemed to understand Farrar and me perfectly. Not once did she take us over our heads, though she might have done so with ease, and we knew this and were thankful. We began to t

she said; "but if I had not by chance gone through your u

dancing until that moment. But Miss Thorn

y to choose from. I should like nothing better than to look on with these two.

," we hastened

ooke s

n, Marian," she said as th

in the figures just then. We each took out a cigar and lighted a match

ke smoke," said Farrar,

s not,"

le

ill get along with

e answered in his usual

en?" I added

all alike,"

llery, her shoulders wrapped in a gray cape trimmed with fur. She

be sensible," said sh

ty words with some Presbyterian matron from Asquith, now to congratulate Mr. Trevor on the appearance of his daughter. Lined against the opposite wall were the Celebrity and his ten red-coated followers, just rising for the figure. It was very plain that Miss Trevor w

he lost the step without apparent cause, his expression changed, and for the moment he seemed to be utterly confused. But only for the moment; in a trice he had caught the time again and swept Mis

ed upon

remarked, "le

he exclaimed,

Allen who is lea

ed with difficulty. For Miss Thorn had displayed, purposely or not, a reticence which my short acquaintance with her compelled me to respect; and, besides, I was boun

would cross my mind as the Celebrity himself would cross my view, the girl on his arm reduced to adoration. I followed him narrowly when in sight. Miss Thorn was watching him, too, her eyes half closed, as though in t

as finished, when Miss Thorn seated herse

her. "It is hard luck you should be doomed to spend

s was natural in a person preoccupied. T

with force, "I have never in my life

f the Celebrity was thrust into the light between u

orn, that's too bad. I came up to ask you to reconsider your determinatio

Miss Thorn, quietly, "bu

y, and there was that in his manner of addressing her, without an

llen, then, Mis

exclaimed, wheeling on me

y put in impatiently; "Miss Thorn

use I am tired from travelling, and my brain refuses to work. But

the chair beside her and asked

iss Thorn, as Crocker has done," he said. "Crocker knew me in

ed herself and made a

have taken another man's name. And y

ump

will make any difference to him. It's only a whim of mine, and with me there's no accounting for a w

fication out of this," she said dryly. "W

ly at A

ranger things to

ity smiled

find me here incognito. But it is delicious, I assure you

l," said M

wishes he had never written a book, and a longing to be sought after for his own sake and to be judged on his own merits. And then it is a great relief to feel

ttle odd, Mr. Crocker," she continued, appealing to me, "that a man should take

with a kind of grim pleasure, "but you must rememb

gns of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the o

concealing your identity?" asked Miss Thorn, cutting h

us mirth in her eye as she took her place in the window. Below in the ball-room sat M

l girl he is dancing

old

s books?" she ask

of t

have

not mentioned ag