Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-26

HtrRr Holt $50
Molly Randolph to Her Father (Con-
tinued).
We mad finished dinner. and Jimmy was
paying the bill q couldn't help seeing that
it was of enormous length, when the
scrapng of chairs behind US advertlSeo
that new party had arrived at the tapie
back of ours A noisy, loud-talking party
IT was-all men, by the voices, ana one
of these voices sounded remotely famlllar.
The owner of 1t seemed to be teliing an
amusing story. which had been lntertuptea u
by entering the restaurant and taxing
seats well, she simply jumped at IL
like a trout at mayfiy." the man was say
ing as 1 sat wondering where IA hearo I'm. ).
bit of a beast to impose on yam
kee innocence But alrs fair IN love
and motor cars. This was the
most COMPOUNDED thing ever desi se1a
And the girl was deuced pretty . ~
The word "mOtor-car brought II an
back. and in a flash crossed Europe from
the restaurant in Monte Carlo to the viii age
hotel at Gotham. / looked around ana INTO
the face of Mr.. Cecil-Lanstown.
Aunt Mary looked. too. for the bill was
paid and we were getting up to go. Our
eyes met in the midst of his sentence the
man half rose. but dropped down again
with silly smile. and / gave him one OF
those elaborate glances that begin with a
persons boots and work slowly up TO the
necktie Just as we were sweeping past
Aunt Mary said in a loud aside to me. Did
YOU ever see such a creature? AND look
him for a duke 1 think he heard.
In the Casino gardens we saw the moon
rise out of the sea. and never shall l for
get the glory of 1t. But just the very beauty
of everything made me feel sad. so stupla
of me. 1 really don't think l can be well
lately. l must take a tonic or nerve pill
We went back to Nice for the night, and
next morning we drove to Mentone." where
I decided l would rather stay for long
time than anywhere else on the Riviera IL
is Just the sweetest. dearest little picture
place with the natural. country peaceful
ness that others lack, and yet there's all
the gaety and life of town. We drove to
it along the upper road, which is almost
startlingly magnificent. l asked Brown TO
go slowly, so that we might sip the scenery
instead of boiling it.. Though the Napier
could have gone romping up the steep road
out of Nice to the observatory, and on 10
quaint La Turbie. l chose pace OF SIX or
seven miles an hour, often stopping al pic
.turesque corners to drink in sapphire
draughts of sea and sky. Coming this way
from Nice to Mentone we skipped Monte
Carlo altogether, only looking down from
La Turbie on it's roofs, on the glittering
Casino and the gloomy, rock-set castle Of
Monaco.
And, oh. by the way, Jimmy wasn't with
US on that drive nor has he Joined us yet,
though he threatens to Qf that word isn't
too ungracious) little farther on in Italy.
He stayed behind in Nice to take care of
Lord Lane. Aunt Mary thinks that shows
such sweet disposition: but m not sure.
believe that Monte Is marquis. .,-
We stopped near Mentone. at Cap Martin,
which, of course. you don't know. as it's
rather new. And 1t was lovely there. up
high on hill, among sweet-smelling pines.
1t was pleasant to be along with Aunt
Mary again, and l was nicer to her than 1
have been, I'm afraid, since Pau and
Jimmy. 1 should have loved to stay long
while (and it would be jolly to come back
for the carnival though 1 don't suppose
we shalD, but there was such thrill in
restless. Italy. Italy! 1 heard the name
ringing in my ears like the horns Of elf
land"
Now we are in it-Italy, mean. not elf
land, though 1t seems much the same to
unsophisticated me for mystery and color;
and 1t Is good to have warm-hearted Christ
mas for our first day. The one Earring note
in the Italian entrance music was at the
frontier. think wrote you how, when we
landed at Dieppe from England. about a
hundred years ago, had to pay deposit
to the custom house for the right to take
my car into France. That money / should
have got back at Mentone on leaving the
country if the late-lamented Dragon had
still been in existence. but as 1t vanished
in smoke and flame the money has vanish
ed, too. Brown, however (or, rather,
Browns master), paid a similar deposit on
the Napier, and passing the French Gus
tom house on the outskirts of Mentone
the Lightning Conductor asked my per-
mission to stop, that he might present Mr..
Winston's papers and get the money back
to send to England
SO far, so good; but it was dusk when we
left the Cap Martin Gas we'd spent the day
In exploring Mentone), and the custom
house people have detained US some time;
X was dark, cloudy and windy when we
moved on again toward Italy. douanier
mounted by Browns side q was with Aunt
Mary In the tonneaU to conduct us to the
a yhnra L..
and in few yards farther we We're in Italy
Maybe you remember that the frontier is
marked by wild chasm. cleft in the high
mountains which hurl themselves down to
splendid chasm is the Pont st. Louis, and
through the very middle of the stone bridge
runs the invisible frontier line
L thought l saw a sentry box on the
Italian side, but 1t was too dark to be
sure; and one has to go a good wayup
the steep mountain road before one reaches
the office of the douane Here Brown pull
ed up, as two slouching men in blue gray
overcoats, with rifles slung over their
backs. came forward to meet us Our
lightning Conductor Is always very courte-
Gus in dealing with foreign officials He
says 1t "smooths things" and now. seeing
that the men intended to stop us, he DO
htely expressed the wish to pass. Offering
to pay whatever deposit was demanded
Though have only the smallest smatterfne
OF Italian, l could understand pretty well
pass. Brown argued the matter; he pro-
duced passport. which the two men in
spected by the light of lantern They
appeared impressed. but still refused us
passage. saying that the office was closed
for the night. that the chief had gone.
and that there. was no one who could make
out the necessary papers. But it is mon
strous" cried Brown. rs this italian hos
pitality? Do you suggest that the ladies'
should remain here on the road till morn
mgr The douaners shrugged their
shoulders. There are plenty of good no.
tells In Mentone.' said one Go back
there"
NO, said Brown, Il will not go back.
w mere does the chief of the bureau Iiye?''
The douaniers refused to tell. DClear lv
,hey did not want ''wigging' for letting
lcose an imperious Englishman upon their
chief. reposing after his dinner. Ry this
time an Interested crowd OF ten or twelve
persons had assembled. their shadow
forms seeming to rise out of the ground.
T. hearu voice in French whisper
INTO my ear, II am of France
and all these Italians are pigs The
e e de douane lives in Mortola, the
urst village up the road and before
+, could look round to thank him. the friend