102 TALES OF PINK AND SILK. 



Just wait a minute, and I'll get the wool from Downer's, 

 and then we can start." 



And that's how Scrapper found a mistress. Ethel's 

 Sandhurst brother gave him the name of Scrapper, and 

 though she tried hard to call him Hector, no one else ever 

 would, and she soon began to call him Scrapper too. 



'' Colonel and Lady Adelaide Law son are entertaining a large shooting party at 

 the Manor House, which includes the Earl and Countess of Thanet, Lord Axholme, 

 Lord and Lady Attenhorough, Sir Wilfrid and Lady Hunt, Colonel Flint, Major 

 and Mrs. Lee-Metford, Mr. and Mrs. De Trop, Mr. and Mrs, Ryby Parke, 

 Captain MacGregor, Mr. Townend, ]Mr. Albert Gaite, Mrs. and the Misses Marbell 

 Arche, the Misses Belgrave, Miss and Mr. G. Longshot, and Mr. Ne'ni;on 

 Strange." 



And Mr. Newton Strange. The last name on the list 

 in the local newspaper, yet the first man in the house party. 

 Never was there so charming a man. Young Lawson had 

 met him in Cairo, found him a most delightful companion, 

 kept up the friendship on their arrival in England, introduced 

 him to his friends in town and invited him down to Bentley 

 Manor " to have a bang at the guvnor's pheasants." Here 

 Colonel Lawson received him with cordiality as his son's guest, 

 Lady Adelaide expressed herself as charmed to be his hostess 

 the men found him a capital shot, a splendid billiard player, 

 and a smart raconteur of amusing stories ; the ladies raved 

 about his singing, his handsome face and charming manners ; 

 everyone fell down and worshipped him. 



Everyone, did I say? Everyone, that is, except Miss 

 Ethel Lawson and her dog Scrapper. The former, a girl 

 in her first season, a girl without the slightest know- 

 ledge or experience of the world, declared that his manners 

 were artificial, said that she did not think that he really 

 was a gentleman, that those handsome dark eyes were 

 shifty and deceitful, and that she got the creeps when 

 he spoke to her. What could a mere child know of 

 such things ? As for Scrapper, — well, he was only a dog. 



