The Celebrity, Complete

s and helplessness that a dog will chase chickens, or that a stream will run down hill. Women differ from chickens, however, in the fact that they find pleasure in being chased by a

for Miss Trevor from the absence of the lively conflicts she was wont to have with Farrar. These ceased e

He carried it off altogether too well, and both the studied lightness of his actions and the increase

great deal of his company. Since he was absolutely impervious to hints, and would not take no for an answer, I was helpless. When he had no engagement he would thrust himself on me. He seemed to know by intuition-for I am very sure I never told him-what my amusement was to be the mornings I did not go to the county-seat, and he would invariably turn up, properly equipped, as I was making my way with judge Short to the tennis court, or carrying my oars to the water. It was in vain that I resorted to subterfu

doing me the honor of calling me his intimate. This I could not stand, and I soberly resolved to leave Asquith

not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier. Judge Short had gone to town, and Farrar was off for a three days' cruise up the lake. I w

nd Cooke," remarked the

at such a person existed. The horses were on a brisk trot, and Mr. Cooke seemed to be getting the best out of them for the benefit of the sprinkling of people on the inn porch. Indeed, I could not but admire the dexterous turn of the wrist which se

a hearty grip, "this is the man t

re the Celebrity, but I looked up and caught Mrs

nk you, Mr. Crocker," she said simpl

ly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.

and then invited both of us to go inside with him by one of those neat and cordial paraphrases in which he was skilled. I preferred to remain with Mrs. Cooke, and

e Mohair?" I as

side it's a mixture of all the styles, and inside a hash of all the nationalities from Siamese to Spanish. Fenelon hangs the Oriental tinsels he has collected on piece

itten all over her. I could not help wondering why she gave Mr. Cooke line in the matter of household decoration, unless it was that he considered Mohair his own,

bring you back to

curious to hear about Asquith and it

ohair,-a kind of house-warming, you know. A party of Mr. Cooke's friends is coming out for

which depended on the fusion of a party of Mr. Cooke's friends and a com

this Mr.

, and only came a fortnig

set down on the wrong planet, you know," said Mrs.

hen with inspiration, "he would do splendidly to

not dance,

set back by h

do not,

ng. It must have been my expressi

soberly; "I do not like Mr. Allen any better

aid I did not lik

" said Mrs. Coo

, I discerned the Celebrity

keep his hands off the people he meets. I can feel he is goin

them, I prayed for

linked in that of the Celebrity, his attitude towards his wife was both apologetic and defiant. He had at once the air

len has consented to come

, out of the virgin forest. The sandy soil had been strengthened by a deep road-bed of clay imported from the interior, which was spread in turn with a fine gravel, which crunched under the heavy wheels. From the lodge to the house, a full mile, branches had been pruned to let the sunshine sift through in splotches, but the wild nature of the place had been skilfull

mments on the house that they won for him a lasting place in Mr. Cooke's affections, and encourag

he house. Take, for instance, that minaret business on the west; I picked that up from a mosque in Algiers. The oriel just this side is whole cloth from Haddon Hall, and the galleried porch next it from a Florentine villa. The conical capped tower I got from a French

" exclaimed t

se colors. They're my racing colors. Of course the granite's a little off, but it isn't prominent. Willis kicked h

Mrs. Cooke, "lun

those on the interior were more so. Not only did I find the coat-of-arms set forth on the chairs, fire-screens, and other prominent articles, but it was even cut into the swinging door of the butler

being in some degree a kindred spirit, was also held in check. But his wife had no sooner left the room when Mr. Cooke began on the subject uppermost in his mind. I had suspected that his

e, Crocker," Mr. Cooke began, "

said guardedly. But the r

I ought to have fifty, at least. Suppose you pick out fifty, and send me up t

e not fifty of that k

ened again instantly. He

it, old man

squithians were benighted. They had never had any one to

y to me, he continued, "You're all right, Crocker, and know enough to win a d

t about it in such a manner as to leave no doubt in my mind as to its ultimate success. He was a master hand at just such problems, and this one had a double attraction. It pleas

rom suspicion which formed one of the most admirable traits of his character. The Celebrity, being intuitively quick where women were concerned, had surmised that Mrs. Cooke did not like him; but as her interests in the affair of the cotillon coincided with those of Mr. Cook

Mohair and its appurtenances were taken as the outward and visible signs. Older people came to Asquith for simplicity and rest, and the younger ones were brought there for these things. Nearly all

kewise came back to sing Mrs. Cooke's praises. Mrs. Cooke returned the calls. She took tea on the inn veranda, and drove Mrs. Short around Mohair in her victoria. Mr. Cooke being seen only on rare and fleeting occasions, there gradually got abroad a most curious misconception of that gentleman's character, while over his personality floated a mist of legend which the Celebrity took good care not to dispel. Farrar, who despised nonsense, was ironical and non-committal when appealed to, and certainly I betrayed none of my client's attributes. Hence it came that Asquith, before the house-warming, k

d a most rigid seclusion. Would that he had disco

UME