Hulbert Footner

“ At this strange reply the Countess's eyebrows went higher than ever; but not to be outdone in savoir faire by the unknown, for the present she forbore asking questions.
“Nellie has already done what she could,” continued the other, “but the police are very much exasperated; it needs you to win them over. I have a cab at the door. You will not be seen.” ”

“ The lady in green had her hands full keeping the exuberant Fabien in the background, but Nellie was quite prominently in the Marquis's eye; and he seemed to be impressed with her air of quiet watchfulness over Algy. He intimated to his sister that a marriage with a good, worthy person of the country might be the saving of the young scamp, and suggested that, since the young woman was a friend of Lady Edna's, she might be invited to join them at the Springs. His sister shuddered. Indeed, she thought ten minutes was quite long enough a stay in Blackfoot for the Marquis ”

“ Induced by Lady Edna's glowing letters home, or for other reasons, her brother, the old Marquis of Ommaney, Algy's father, had suddenly decided on a flying trip through western Canada and California, and he was to stop off at Blackfoot early the next morning. Algy, like many another remittance man, was, for his misdeeds, an exile from home, and the Countess was bent on effecting a reconciliation between father and son; hence her presence at the Wigwam. The transcontinental train, as everyone knows, reaches Blackfoot at half-past four in the morning—when it is on time ”

“ Nellie suddenly put the pitcher on the bureau, and darting to Lord Algy's side put an arm around him and faced Lady Edna with stormy eyes.
“He isn't a little boy to be lectured before everybody,” she remonstrated. “He's no worse than the others! ”

“ The Honorable Bill, mindful of good manners, tugged at his firmly-fixed hat, but only succeeded in carrying away the brim. This he held against his breast with an air, blissfully. unconscious that the crown was still on his head. ”

“ The wooden building with the bell on the gable. Sergeant McPhatter is in charge. He's Scotch and very conceited. We'll wait outside. You'll have to bail out all three, because one won't leave the others. ”