Evening star., 1897-02-20

though his state was princeiy, and had all
the exclusiveness which attends princeli-
ness, 1t was a condition Of things not at all
to the liking of so companionable a man
as Bsrney. His magnificent plan, which
gave employment t. an amateur gardener.
had apparently miscarried, for no word
came from the girl at the school, and,
whatever attractions the tandem had for
other Inhabitants of Eastbourne 1t certain
ly seemed that Edna Sartwell did not
share them, at least sufficiently to arrange
for drive with the young man and any of
her comps Mons who dared to break the
rules of the school for the giddy whirl of
his lofty vehicle Barney cursed his luck
and also his messenger. He was sure 1t
was Marsten's fault; some clumsiness on
his part had undoubtedly spoiled every
thing. Now that Barney thought over
Marsten's demeanor when he returned he
saw-what he should have seen at the time.
from the gruffness and shortness of the
fellows answers-that he had made a mess
of it somehow and was ashamed to con-
fess his failure. Marsten had merely con-
tented himself by saying to Barney that
he had delivered the letter unseen and that
the girl had given him no message to take
back. Barney could get no satisfying par
ticulars from him regarding the incidents
of the meeting. Had he talked with her?
OF course he had 1t was necessary to
explain how he came to be there. What
had she said? She said very little. Had
she seemed angry? She did not seem any
tco well pleased. And thus Barney. with
draw the truth out of a reluctant man, who
appeared only too eager to get away and
commune with himself, and who evidently
did not appreciate the fact that 1t was the
duty of a messenger to communicate full
particulars of his embassy to his chief.
Now that Marsten had so hurriedly gone
to London-probably loath to admit his
diplomatic failure yet fearing to be sent
convinced there had been some awkward
hitch in the proceedings, which all
the more annoying as he could not discover
what 1t was, and so he set about to remedy
it with that unfailing tact Of which he
knew himself to be possessed For once
in his life Barney had to confess that he
did not know what to do. He did not care
to return to London and admit defeat even
to himself. One of his favorite boasts was
that he never knew defeat; for where--to
use his own language-he could not pull
it off hims elf, Providence seemed always
to step in and give him the necessary aid.
He began to fear that his customary ac-
curacy in detecting the interposition had
for once failed him, for he remembered he
had looked on the unexpected advent OF
Marsten as a distinct manifestation that
fortune still favored MIN; but, as day after
day passed and no answer came to the let
ter he ha6 sent, Barney began to have
doubts as to the genuineneSS of the inter
vention on his occasion. AT last, in deep
gloom, he came to the conclusion that life
under the present circumstances was not
worth living if it had to be lived in East
luctantly he determined to return to Lon
don. He ordered out his tandem for a final
exhibition, remembering that. even though
he took no pleasure in it himself, it would
be cruel to deprive tie loungers along the
parade of their usual delight in watching
the elegance of the turnout and his own
skill in handling team placed endwise.
After all, the innocent frequenters of
Eastbourne were not to blame for what
had happened, so why should they be pun
ished unnecessarily-said the ever-just Bar
ney to himself. They should be allowed to
feast their eyes for the last time on the
tandem and its master and heaven help
them when he finally departed. Barney
mounted his chariot with sigh; for, aside
from the fact that this was IN measure
a last act-and last acts always carry a
certain amount of pathos with them-it is
depressing to have 1t proven that one Is
after all under no special protection, and
to have doubt cast on former instances
which heretofore have stood unchallenged.
Barney drove his spirited horses with
perhaps less than his customary dash, a
chastened dignity taking the place of the
exuberant confidence which generally dis
tinguished him. The bracing air, the rapid
motion. the feeling of controlling destiny
that a man has when he is driving a tan
dem. all failed to raise his spirits, as might
have been expected for the very fact that
he was driving alone emphasized his dis
appointment, and made this world the ho-
low mockery it sometimes seems to the
most cheerful Of us. Yet how often has 1t
been said. In varying forms, that the dark
est hour Is just before the dawn!-and how
often will men forget that simple noe
turral fact!-a defect Of memory the more
remarkable in person like Barney, who
so frequently had had opportunity, while
on his way home from a post-mdnight
revel. Of verifying the phenomenon. Just
when his despair was at its blackest-on
the fourth drive down the parade--he was
amazed and delighted to see Edna Sartweli
coming down one of the side streets all
alone She had a newspaper in her hand
and was looking anxiously. and, as Barney
could not fail to see, furtively. up and
down the street, apparently expecting to
meet some one. yet fearing that her in
tention might be OWNED. Barney under
stood the whole situation in a flash; she
had been afraid to write or had been pre-
vented from writing, and mad stolen alone
from the school in the hope of meeting
him. Well they all did it, SO far as Bar
Eey was concerned; and, in the glow of ex-
ultation that came over him at this proof
OF success. and the assurance that, after
all, his luck-or whatever 1t Was-had not
deserted him, there was just faint. an
noying tinge of regret that she was no
more proof against his fascinations than
all the others had been. Man is but an un-
certain creature at BEST and never knows
just what he does want. A moment be-
fore it would have seemed to him that
nothing on earth could have given him
greater pleasure than sight of her, and
yet. now that ne saw ner looking for him.
he was actually sorry that she had not
been walking unconcernedly along the
pavement like those who were strangers
to him.
However. 1t must be added In Barney's
favor that this feeling of being perhaps a
trine too much sought after was but tran
STORY, and that 1t did not for a moment
interfere with his action. He pulled up his
team with a suddenness that caused the
front horse to turn round and face its
driver. threw the reins to his groom and
jumped down with grace and celerity