Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-28
THE IVAN
ON THE BOX.
By
HAROLD MAC GRATH
eoeys.oHr. 800 5, ,rs Zoe. .es..a.ee

corps. because the phrase secret service"
always puts into my mind a picture of the
wfld-eyed, bearded anarchist, whom / most
heartily detest.
What this remarkable diplomatic free
lance did in Washington was honestly done
in the interests of his country. Russ
understands honor In the rough, but he
lacks all those delicate shadings which
words in the vocabularies of the Gaul and
Saxon. And while 1 do not uphold him
in what he did, cannot place much blame
at the counts door. Doubtless, In his
place, and given his cast of mind, l might
have done exactly as he did. Russia never
asks how thing is done, but why * is
not done. All, these Aspasias. these Circes,
these Calypsos, these Cleopatras, with their
blue, their gray, their amber eyes! ] have
my doubts concerning Jonah, but, being a
man, am fully convinced as to the his"
tory of Eve. And yet, the woman in this
case was absolutely innocent of any guile.
a rajah's sapphire may be called guile.
Pardon me this long parenthesis BY this
time. no doubt. Mr.. Robert has entered the
restaurant. We shall follow him rather
than this aimless train of thought.
Mr.. Roberts appetite, for healthy
young man was strangely Injurious. He
searched the menu from top to bottom,
and then from bottom to top; nothing ex-
cited his palate. Whenever persons en-
tered he would glance up eagerly, only to
feel his heart sink lower and lower. I
don't know how many times he was dis
appointed. The waiter ahemmed politely.
WarburtOn, in order to have an excuse to
remain. at length hit upon a partridge
and pint of Chablis.
Nine o'clock. Was it possible that the
colonel and his daughter were dining in
their rooms? Perish the possibility, And
he looked in vain for the count. A quar-
ter past o. Mr.. Roberts anxiety was be-
coming almost uncomfortable. Nine-thirty.
He was about to surrender in despair.
%,,s< L.
and he was on the point of demolishing
1t, when, behold! they came. The colonel
entered first. then his daughter. her hand
-arm-of-the-count! War
feelings at that moment: but knowing
him as I do I can put together a very
respectable picture of the chagrin and
CONSERVATION that sat on his counte-
nance.
ITO think of being nearly six days
aboard" Mr.. Robert once bawIed at me,
wrathfully, and not to know that the
Russian chap knew herr 1t was almost
incredible that such thing should hap
PEN
The three sat down at a table seven
times removed from Warburton's. He
could see only an adorable profile and the
colonefs handsome, but care-worn face.
The count sat with his back turned. In
that black evening gown she was simply
beyond the power of adjecttves. What
shoulders, what an Incompatible throat
Mr.. Roberts bird grew cold; the bouquet
from his glass tainted and died away.
How her face lighted when she laughed
and she laughed frequently! What de-
licious curve ran from her lips to her
young bosom! But never once did she
look in his direction. Who invented mir
rors, the Egyptians? 1 cannot say. There
were mirrors in the room, but Mr.. Rob-
ert did not realize 1t. He has since con-
fessed to me that he hadn't the slightest
idea how much his bird and bottle cost
OF such is loves young dream! do 1
worry you with all these repettious de-
tails? am sorry.)
At 10 o'clock Miss Annesley rose, and the
count escorted her to the elevator return
ing almost Immediately. He and the colonel
drew their heads together. From time to
time the count shrugged or the colonel
shook his head. Again and again the Rus
sian dipped the end of his cigar into his
coffee cup, which he frequently replenished.
But for Mr.. Robert the gold had turned to
gilt. the gorgeous to the gaudy. She was
gone. The imagination moves as swiftly
as light, leaping from one castle in air to
another, and still another Mr.. Robert was
the architect of some fine ones, may safely
assure you. And he didn't mind in the
least that they tumbled down as rapidly as
they builded: only, the incentive was gone.
What the colonel had to say to the count
or the count to the colonel, was of no in
terest to him; so he made an orderly re-
treat.
l am not so old as not to appreciate his
sleeplessness that night. Some beds are
hard, even when made of the softest down.
In the morning he telephoned to the Hol-
land House. The Annesleys, he was IN
formed had departed for parts unknown.
The count had left directions to forward
any possible mail to the Russian embassy,
Washington. Signs in the doloroso; the
morning papers and numerous cigars; a
whisky and soda; a game of Indifferent bill
lizards with an affable stranger; another
whisky and soda, and gradual reclamation
of Mr. Roberts interest in worldly AFFAIRS
She was gone.
CTo be continued tomorrow