Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-23
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By
C.N& A.M.WIlllAISON

every breath OF air reilgiOusly excluded.
I thought that without being fussy I
might draw the general attention to my
SELF I announced wrist, and demanded
| surgeon lest had cracked bone. Brown
turned almost Immediately with a long
race, and the intelligence that LIE Beausset
had neither surgeon nor resident doctor.
there was no vehicle, not even a bicycle,
Of day, but he would make all haste to
Toulon and send back q competent man.
The worst OF it was there might be delay,
| as 1t was about ten miles to TOulon Half
way between LIE Beausset and the big town
was small one called Ollioules, and there,
| u appeared. one could take an electric
| tram into Toulon: but it was a long way
Tor doctor to come. and 1t might be sew
eraI hours before he could arrive.
| Then ~ go to Toulon with you." said
| l. don't feel as II could stand much
the pain. and I can have my wrist attend
ed to the minute I get there"
Instantly Aunt Mary burst into a cata-
s sa OF objections; and only damned the
word. because. like Marjorie Fleming, I
was "mcst unusual calm; 1 did not give
a single damn? by suggesting that, once
IN m, Iouion. l might send back comfort
| hotel for us all for The night
| wen. can't and won't stay here alone,
despte nat ali pro my dear aunt and
! fraternity and equality in my treatment
OF poor Brown. she was willing to let me
20 uncns peroned save by him, for the sake
81 retaiElng Jimmy Payne's protecting pres
enee herself. As for Jimmy. it was easy
! 20 see that he didn't like the idea at ali:
put he had Jared himself a good deal in
nus eccentric fall, and evidently funked
tiousiy every step Of the way to LIE Beaus-
set. Brown was afraid that I wasn't nm
30 30 .ne walk, but I assured him it would
r pe much less uncomfortable than indefinite
4 no
that was right After all our delay It
was only half-past when we set off and
moui1 scarcely have been thoroughly dark
II 1t hadn't been for the clouds which had
neen boiling up from the west all over
| the sky. ''e'
had no idea what kind of walk we
p pele IN Tor when we started, neither had
brown Tor he had never been over exact
! ~ .nis part OF the world either walking
VI Ieo driving, but only in the train We hadn't
w uvHn gone long when We plunged down
US INTO deep and winding mountain
gorge, the kind of cut-throat place where
you'd expect brigands to grow on black
perry bushes. Oh, but 1t was dark. with
U,uy now and then a fitful CLEAN of moon
isnt cutting Its way through a rent in the
lnhy clouds! Hardly had the words brig
anus cfept into my mind with an accom-
paEinent or heart-beats something like the
pink! pink! pink! villain entrance-music
on the stage, when two indistinct forms
doomed out Of the blackness before us. A
perpendicular wall of rock shot I'D from
some unseen depth below, roared torrent
winch drowned my voice when l whispered
TO Brown, so l clutched his coat sleeve in
stead of speaking
The two men were chattering loudly in
Italian All, Italian brigands, worse and
worse? thought l; but Brown said Good
evening to them boldly, and they an
swered as mildly pair of lambs falling
behind to let US pass 1 skipped along,
expecting at any instant to feel a knife in
my back. but the blade did not penetrate
any part more vital than my imagination,
though the pair hung on our footsteps till
we emerged from the mountain defle into
the town of Ollioules.
1 never knew what attractive object
an electric tram could be. until l saw one
| there awaiting our convenience. glittering
with hosptable light. We jumped in, and
were flashed into Toulon in no time, stop
ping close to the best hotel. We found
that they could accommodate our party, but
! Brown quite took the upper hand; wouldn't
allow me to stop and talk. had me swept
off to a very nice room. and said that not
only would he see about a surgeon for me,
but would arrange for carriage to drive
back for Aunt Mary and Jimmy.
Till got into the electric car at olli-
dulles 1 hadn't noticed in the dark that
Brown was carrying anything. But he put
down on the car seat quite heavy bag OF
mine and sort of big dressing case of his
own, which is his only baggage on the au-
tomobile why did you lug all that?"
exclaimed ''Oh l thought you might need
something before the others arrived SAD
he. land 1 didn't like to trouble them TO
and 1 was glad to have my bag-without
waiting But just think of the state of
that poor fellows muscles!
1t was a quarter to seven When got
into my rooms at the hotel, and ten min
utes later the doctor arrived II he mad
had bad news to give me ABOUT my wti s.
l shouldn't have written the tale OF TINS
adventure so frankly; but l can leave
good impression on your mind In the emu
by telling you that alrs well with your
lone fair daughter" It's spran, no
worse and the stuff which the clever man
or escribed has soothed the pain wonder
fully. I'm so thankful it's my left wrist,
not the right; and so ought you to be, OF
you would have to do without Ietts.si ~. no
is the time when I miss my maid out
Iaar little femme de chambre OF the hotel
helped me dress. and 1t Is Wonderful no"
we'll Won can get on with only one hand.
Now I've something else 10 oreah u Sou'
Dad. e,,, o,d oil tho
The hotel was rather fun, ana an the
nri,ate sitting rooms were gone, otherwise
might have had dinner ah aesIai in ob he'd
room Still l didn't quite like the Idea OF
sailing into a big sale a manager alone,
with a bound-up wrist, and perhaps making
an exhibition of myself cutting up meat IN
a one-handed way. So before Brown went
to call the doctor l just said to him cas-
ually that it would be an accommodation II
he would dine In the sane manger WIN
me this once He looked surprised, and
seemed to hesitate a little before he said
that he would do so with pleasure, If !
thought 1t best. I was almost sorry I'd
asked, but wouldn't go back; and, any
how, what else could I have done? He is
extraordinarily gentlemanly in his looks
and manner and never takes the least adj
vantage; so 1 hope you'll agree with me
that of two evils / chose the less. And
when 1 made the arrangement l supposed
Aunt Mary and Jimmy would be arriving
before bedtime, so that l should only be
a lone, unprotected female for few hours.
But we hadn't been in the hotel five min
utes before 1t came on to rain again, a per-
feet deluge this time, with thunder and
lightning; and while the nice femme de
cbambre was helping me into ducky little
lace waist which was in the bag Brown had
carried, to my great surprise a telegram
was brought to my door. At first thought
there must be mistake but it really was
for me- Brown had mentioned the name
of the best hotel in Toulon. where we would
try to get rooms. before he and 1 left the
others at lie Beausset; and the telegram
was from Aunt Mary. Don't send car
riage. Prefer stay here to driving in such
storm. Feel sure you are safe without u.s."
I knew the carriage was already ordered,
but thinking it might rot have started, /
scrubbed a line in pencil to Brown. and