Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-30

old red wall OF Hampton Court before
lie spoke again.
And they gave you nothing for
thesef My dear Bunny. they're capt.
tai: not only qua verses. but for crys-
tailizing your subject and putting it in
a nutshell. Certainly you've taught me
more about il than | knew before. But
is it really worth f5o.OO0-a single
pearl:"
"A hundred. | believe. But that
wouldn't scan"
"A hundred thousand pounds. said
Rafties with his eyes shut. And again
/ made certain what was coming. but
again / was mistaken. If it's worth
all that" he cried at last. there would
he no getting rid of il at all. Its not
like u diamond that you can subdivide.
But | beg your pardon, Bunny. | was
forgetting"
And we said no more about the en-
peror's gift. for pride thrives on an
empty pocket, and no privation would
have drawn from me the proposal
which l had expected Rallies to make
My expectation had been half u hope,
though | only knew it now. But
neither did we touch again on what
Rallies profesSed to have forgotten
my "apostaSy," my lapse into virtue,
as he had been pleased TO call il. We
were both Il little silent. Il little con-
strained. each preoccupied with his
own thoughts. 1t was months since
we had met. and rs L saw him of
toward IL o'clock that Sunday night |
fancicd it was for more months that
we were saying goodby.
But as we waited for the train / saw
those clear eyes peering nj me under
the station lamps, and when l met
their glance Ratfies shook his head.
You don't look well on it, Bunny"
said he Il never did believe i'll this
Thames valley. You want change of
air"
/ wished l might get it.
What you really want is sea voy-
age"
And a winter at st. MoritZ. or do
you recommend Cannes or Cairo: It's
all very well. y. j., but You forget
what | told you about my funds"
II forget nothing. l merely don't
want to hurt your feelings. But look
here-a sea voyage you shall have.
Well spend July in the Mediterra-
mean"
'But you're playing cricket
Hang the cricket
We'll, l thought you meant it,
"Of course | meant it. Will you
Gomez
Like u shot-if you 60"
And | shook his hand and waved
mine in farewell, with the perfectly
good humored conviction that l should
hear no more of the matter. IL was
passing thought, no more, no less.
soon wished il were more. That week
found me wishing myself out of Eng
land for good and all. l WAS making
nothing. | could but subSist on the
difference between the rent l paid for
my fiat and the rent at which / had
sublet it, furnished, for the season,
and the season was near its end, and
creditors awaited me in town. Was it
possible TO he entirely honest? l had
run no bills when | had money in my
pocket. and the more downright dis
honesty seemed to me the less ignoble.
But from Rallies of course | heard
nothing more. \ week went by, and
half another week. Then late on the
second Wednesday night l found Il
telegram from him at my lodgings
after seeking him vainly in town and
dining with desperation at the solitary
club TO which l still belonged.
Arrange TO leave Waterloo by North
German Lloyd special he wired. ''9:25
a. III. Monday next; will meet you
Southampton aboard Uhlan with tick
cts; am writing
And write he did, Il light hearted
letter enough, but full of serious solicit
tude for me and for my health and
prospects, letter almost touching in
the light of our past relations, in the
twilight Of their complete rupture. He
said that he had booked two berths to
Naples; that we We're bound for Capri.
which was clearly the island of the
lotus eaters; that we would bask there
together land for awhile forget" 1t
was a charming letter. l had never
seen Italy; the privilege of initiation
should be his. No mistake was great
er than To deem it an impossible coun-
try for the summer. The bay of Naples
was never so divine. and he wrote of
fairy lands fOrlOrn," as though the
poetry spraug unbidden to his pen. To
come back To earth and prose. l might
think ii unpatriotic of him to choose Il
German boat, but on no other line did
you receive such attention and accom-
mediation for your money. There was
a hint of better reasons. Rallies wrote.
as he had telegraphed. from Bremen.
and l gathered that the personal use
of some little influence with the au-
thorities there had resulted In ma
terial reduction in our fares
Imagine my excitement and delight.
managed to pay what owed 1T
Thames Ditton, to squeeze Il small edi-
tor for a very small check ana my
tailors for one more flannel suit. |
remember that i broke my last SOW
ereign TO get n box of Sullivan's Gig
arettes for Raffies to smoke on the