The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-09-11

in the hcdse Certainly we could give
points to the stalls
Anna sighed. She seemed disap-
pointed.
"All the same" she murmured to
herself, Il wish that Sir John could
see u.s.
Afterward she insisted upon sup
per, and on being hostess.
Somewhere ridiculously cheap" she
said, briskly. Somewhere where there
are a great many people to be seen"
They took her to Prascati's, protest
ing firmly all the way against being
her guests. But she was firm.
After tonight" she declared, I'VE
will all share up. It is the only posi-
bic way. if you will bring me out with
you sometimes. But to-night-no. 1
must be hostess. I have the whim for
it. Mrs. White has started all the
quicksilver in me, somehow. What
dinner-and what people."
You will never stay there they
both declared, in despair.
'Oh, I am not so sure" she answered
cheerfully. "One can amuse oneself
anywhere, and if you two are nice to
me-who knows? 1 am enjoying this
evening immensely. but If l do not
hear one real laugh at supper-time 1
shall have Mysteries. What do they do
with their spirits, these people? Do
they bottle them up? They talk-their
lips seem to be moving always, but
their faces are dead"
Wherever they went Anna attracted
attention. Her unusual beauty, the
distinction of her quiet clothes and
elegant carriage, the MadOnna-like
calm of her features, broken up every
now and then by the restless fire of
her lips and eyes, seemed to turn peo-
pies heads toward her in the street,
the theater and the restaurant. And
withal she was possessed OF the most
sublime Inconsistencies. She seemed
positively ignorant Of the fact that she
was in any way distinguished from the
crowd. But when they were seated in
the restaurant she certainly gazed
about her with something akin to won
der.
But what manner of people are
these?" she asked Where do they
come from? Have they been dug out
of the country places? Are they really
Londoners?"
''Nine-tenths of them" Brendon an
swered. Perhaps more. But you
must remember that this is a cheap
place"
"Of course 1t is what 1 wanted. 1
wanted to see the small shopkeeper
and his wife, the working girls and
their beaux-the lower middle classes"
They are here" Brendon answered.
You can pick them out easily enough.
They are jumbled up with the fotsam
from the streets and they probably
feel for an hour or two that they are
leading terrible lives"
And the artists?" Anna asked
Where do they go to? What is their
quarter?''
Brendon laughed.
Il think" he said, that our artists
are like our soldiers-they loathe the
signs of their calling and come out al
ways in multi. You find the successful
ones at the smart restaurants. the me-
diocre ones at the artists clubs and the
failures on the streets. They are not
to be distinguished as in Paris. They
form no society of their own. They
take their place in the great world ac-
cording to their standing, and like all
other Englishmen they aim in their
clothing and speech and department at
the great negative manner"
Which means" Sydney remarked,
1.-The deletion of all Individuality. 1t
is good for the hairdresser."
Dear me-" Anna murmured. What
a lot am learning about my country
peoplei Now tell me, please if I am
not too inquisitive, what do you two
boys do? You work, / suppose?"
Thank you, Miss Pellissier," Bren-
don remarked. TT is a good many years
since I have been called a boy. / am
a clerk in bank, if you know what
that is"
L can guess" Anna answered. 81
suppose it is very interesting. 1t sounds
a little"
1T not only sounds. but it Is" Bren-
don interrupted. "a deadly grind"
And Sydney?"
81 sit at the next desk" Sydney an
swered. "Only, Of course, I'm Bren-
don's junior by a good bit. 1 wanted to
be an artist like David, but 1 came to
grief"
so did l." Anna declared. your
brother knocked all that out of me-
Sydney was incredulous.
David doesn't often make mistakes"
he said, but"
He made no mistake about me-"
Anna declared. "I do not believe that
have even the temperament Of an artist.
1 shall always be thankful to him for
eing-well-brutally frank to me. 1t
is such a waste Of time, isn't it, ham
mering away at something which is not
ones meter"
Brendon sighed.
There are very many of u.s." he said,
who have all our lives to be doing that
sort of thing"
IF one knows it," Anna said, there
is always means of escape"
Some of u.s." Brendon answered dry
ly, have our livings to earn"
Anna laughed, and laughed again to
herself softly. How about herself? She
had barely sufficient money in her
purse-in the world-to keep her for a
week. Yet her face was bravely enough
set toward the future. Its very difficult
ties were an inspiration.
Il really do not see," she said, why
one should not be able to earn ones
living in pleasant way"
THE pleasantest things In the world"
Brendon answered, become drudgery
when one has to do them
That is all very WELL" Anna de-
clared, but surely the things which
appeal most to one are the things one
is likely to do best"
''It is an admirable theory" Brendon
said slowly. THE pity of it is that it
so seldom works out in actual life
Theories won't work themselves
out" Anna declared lightly. IF we
don't make them prove themselves the
fault is often our own, isn't it? Please
ask for the bill, Sydney. 1 really can't
call you Mr.. Courtlaw, you know, after