Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-27
CHAPTER I.
The Prince and the Chariot.


the whittier keys hestating accompani-
ment to a voice, once tenor, now a
breath.
"Ah. Roberto
A fit of coughing interrupted the singer;
one hand yet continued to play irresolutely,
as If waiting for the vocal melody, but
bravura and recitativo were gone beyond
recall; the fingers ceased their hopeless
stunning and rested, at a loss, on an
unresolved chord
Some one laughed
"Oh. papa. you are too droll!'
A small hand held back the frayed, SOM
Der drapery of the doorway, girlish fig
ure stood framed by the dark walnut. A
morning toilet of mauve-colored fabric
caught the sheen of suhlight; 'voluminous
as one of the gowns of Lely, it swathed,
yet chung not to, the slender form, Be
meath headdress of chenille and bead
network brown curls gently swept the
white brow.
The performer arose half-petulant look
on his thin. refined face
And you. my child, are too forward"
he said.
II couldn't help II, papa."
Another laugh and the frame lost its
picture. the volumnous skirt rustled as
the speaker entered the room.
Besides. it too absurd" she added
absurd"
Not you. but the butcher"
He stared at her. In the full light. the
dominant characteristics of his face were
pitlessly revealed: weakness and pride; ar
tistic effemnaCy. mixed with n certain hau-
teur; a man of dilettantism, perhaps. but
the dilettantism of the old school that in
cluded pre-Ra phaelite pictures. arias, ca
denZas and the Sapphic stanzas addressed
TO our foremothers' gloves ringlets.
The butcher" he repeated incredulously.
She nodded. Yes; our neighbor; our
bosom friend the butcher, He called-at
the front door" And she held up card
Mr.. Thomas jenkins. Esquire, He asked
for mamma and when the maid said mann
ma was out, he went out and slammed the
front door. It's about the bill, l suppose.
papa. Shall | put the card on the tray
with mamma 5 other callers? Fancy their
CONSERVATION. sandwiched with Mr.. Thorn
jenkins, dealer in tenderloins.' -hourish-
ing the bit of pasteboard.
Put the card in the fire, Elinor,' he
said abscntly We shall trade with Jen-
kius no more
HE cut US soff a fortnight ago." she
laughed.
With this the speaker relapsed into 81
lence and a chair, sitting little yawn as
she sank back into the ca pa cous depths,
and patting down retlectively her gown
which outfiOwed with that prodigal waste
OF material characteristic OF those Gays
of silks, satins. pop ms and passamenteres.
So she seemed buried. overwhelmed be-
meath the multitude of delicate flowers
woven in the pattern of her dress. Her
face looked out from liacs the tip of
foot. very small. pceped from beneath the
flowery vestment. and impatiently tapped
n faded carpet that had once been quite
grand. but which was now only mournful
reminder of gorgeous roses and rocco
wreaths; the more mournful alas because
I1if nj INN
with age and the partial obliteration of
their pristine brightness.
bills. bills Bills y tap of the foot
with each word.
The old gentleman just perceptibly shrug-
ged his shoulders, as If to say: We'll, my
dear, what of it?'
From Thomas Jenkins Esquire; from
Brown Jones and Robinson from Madam
Upstart and Mademoiselle Parvenu-papa,
is there anybody we don't over
Another faint shrug of the shoulders an
angrier tap of the foot.
yesterday | bought a habit. Send that
TO Miss Elinor Rossiter,' | said to the clerk.
What did he reply? Miss Rossiter, Oh,
certainly, And won't you look at this
couture? Won't you take this ruff? No:
that's the way he would have answered
the other women. He didn't urge poor me,
but hesitated. wrote the address in mel
ancholy manner. and babe me a thought
full good day. And-with flashing eyes
the habit hasn't come yet, Papa. why
don't yCu-tX things with the shopkeepers
and other tradespeople?'
quite right, my dear, quite right" spoke
up a deep voice. and, with the words, the
speaker, bearing the weight of her pres
ence to lend emphasis to her approval,
swept into the room.
a woman of decided emphasis herself;
chin that was emphasized by being double;
a face that was emphasized by the height
OF her hair; a figure that was emphasized
with avOirdupois the whole sum total
1..f,,
stupendous dress which stood out like a
bell, an expansive pardessus of black silk,
an exaggerated underskirt vastly trim
med and adorned; ridiculous, perhaps, yet
with circumference mighty. to repel all
INVASION both formidable and discomfort
ing to the masculine mind,
quite right repeated Mrs. Rossiter, ma
jestically.
Mr.. Rossiter's shrus gave way to words;
Miss Rossiters queries might be dismissed
with gesture. but Mrs. Rossiter was not
lightly 10 be set aside.
Certainly, madam; exactly murmured
Mr.. Rossiter. vaguely.
There's Charles, the coachman." went
on Mrs. Rosster. He had the impudence
TO come to me for his wages-and when 1
told him to apply to the proper authority,
muttered something about much good 1t
would do him.
Miss Rossiter. When | asked her to be
quick about dressing my hair for the mad
rigal concert, she said something about
slow pay
II was thinking. my dear said Mr.. Ros-
sitter, passing his white hand languidly
through his white hair, I'VE might dis
pense with Charles services and dispose of
the horses
'What!-sel my horses! Walk
''Why not?'-gently.
Edwin, you're fool
This time Mr.. Rossiter did shrug his
shoulders but whether in mild expostula-
ton, incredulous dissent or implied contra
dlction not made clear. At that mo-
mcnt he more concerned with the
fact that the truth must come out, sooner
or later Sooner. 'by Mrs. Rossiters pres
eut temper. The disagreeable, bare. bald
truth!
Mr.. Rossiter preferred to drift through
life's troubled seas; with him. ii was bet
ter to hold back the truth than speak il
ungraciOusly." Virtues that plagued you!
-fe, Inlirmities, without the thorn. were
the more easily entertained, Unconscious
w. in his policy Of the art of living with
the least trouble to himself. he modified
the old proverb, and Peace if possible. but
truth at any rate. became with Mr.. Ros-
sitter Truth If possible, but peace at any
rate
You know. my dear" he at length said.
I'VE have for some years been encroaching
on my capital. Instead of combining our
selves 20 the income-we spent double. Pro-