Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-07

Poindexter ranch some day"
That's one OF Mr. Saxton's properties.
Maybe he'd trade it to you for tin
| whistle
"Is it as bad as that?' asked Saxton.
Just wait until you see it. It's pretty
bad
THE house must have been charming. -
said Miss Porter
And that's about all it was" replied her
father,
The dinner ended with a salad. This was
not an incident but an event The highest
note OF civilization Is struck when a salad
Is dressed by master of the chemistry Of
gastronomy. The clumsy and unworthy
hesitate In the performance of this sacred
rite. ana are never sure of their proper
lions; the Oil refuses intimacy with the
vinegar, and sulks and selfshly creates
little yellow isles for itself in the estranging
sea Of acid. The salt becomes indissoluble
and the paprika 10 recoverable fiotsam
me Glove OF garlic. always recalcitrant I'M
DER clumsy handling. refuses to impart the
merest hint OF its wild tang. but the visible
and tangible world reeks with it. 1t was a
JOY to John Saxton to see the dizziness with
which Evelyn Porter performed her mir
acte; he did not know much about girls
but he surmised that girl who composed
salad dressing with such certainty did many
things gracefully and well. There were no
false starts, no obs Of regret and appeal,
no questions of quantity. The light struck
gOldenly on the result as she poured it
finally upon the crisply-curling lettuce
leaves which showed discreetly over the
edge Of a deep Doulton bowl 1t seemed to
him high treason that his host should de-
cline the dressing thus produced by an art
which realized the dreams of alchemy, and
should pour vinegar from the cruet with
his own hand upon the helpless leaves.
Porter demanded cigars before the others
had finished. and smoked over his coffee He
was in hurry to leave, and at the earliest
possible moment led the way to the veran-
da. picking up his hat as he stepped blithely
along.
1t was warmer outside than in, but Por-
ter pretended that it was pleasanter out of
doors and insisted that there was always a
breeze on the hill at night. He ran on in
drawing monolOgue about the weather con-
ditfons. and how much cooler it was in
ClarksOn than at the summer places which
people foolishly sought at the expense of
home comforts He made his shy boy re-
port his experiences of the day. In address,
Ing the lad he fell into his quizzicaI man
her, but the boy understood 1t and yielded
to 1t with the same submission that his
fathers customers adopted when they
sought loan and knew that Porter must
prod them with inimaterial questions, and
irritate them with petty ironies; before he
finally scrubbed his initials in the corner
OF their notes and passed them over to the
discount clerk.
Raridan appeared at the step presently
They all rose as he came up and he said to
Saxton as he shook hands with him last:
Il see you've found the way to headauar-
and l tear-I fear-that all roads lead
down again." he added. with a doleful sigh,
and laughed. He drew out his cigarettes
and began making himself greatly at home.
He assured MI. Porter. with amiable inso-
!ence. that his veranda chairs were the most
uncomfortable ones he knew. and went to
fetch himself a better seat from the hall
Mr.. Raridan likes to be comfortable"
said Miss Porter in his absence
But he finds pleasure In making others
comfortable. tOo," Saxton ventured
oh. he's the very kndest Of men," Miss
Porter affirmed.
What a nuisance you are, Wary" said
Porter. as the young man fused about to
find place for his chair. I'VE were all
very easy here till you came. Even the
breeze has died out"
Father insists that there has been a
breeze" said Miss Porter. But it really |
has gone"
ct tn. Brute? What we ought to do, Mr..
Porter" said Raridan. who had at last set
tied himself. is to organise a company to
supply breezes. The Clarkson Breeze Com |
pany. Limited can see the name on the |
factory now. In my minds eye. We'd get |
up an ice trust first, thch brings In the Ice |
cream people and make vast fortunes out Of