Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-12
THE GAMBLER
KATHERINE CECIL THURSTON,
.s7 ~
Copyright b. TAsrssa 4 rserveAy
UTERINE CECIL THURSTON,

i iSIC, ana, tednluE over the 0aluSIr606 Oh
the terrace, paused for q moment to study
the picture afresh.
But as she stood there, unconscious OF
| everything but the wonderful. noiseless pa
geant passing ceaselessly through the pur-
pie twilight, more than one glance strayed
| In her own direction. And two at least
| among the hotel visitors changed their
| lounging attitudes for the purpose Of OBJ
| serving her more closely.
The tw0-both men-were simultaneously
| and nOtfceably attracted. The elder. who
| by his extremely fastidious and studied ap-
pearance might almost have belonged to
a man of nearly seventy years old; the
younger was his Junior by forty-ffve years.
| But-so leveling a thing is spontaneous ad-
!; miration-the expression upon the two
faces as they leaned suddenly forward, was
| strikingly similar.
The old man held gold-rimmed eyeglass
| close to his eye: the younger meditatively
removed his cigarette from his mouth. But
| at this critical moment of their close OBJ
servation, Milbanke reappeared, and, NOV
| ing stiffly across the terrace, touched Clo-
| dagh's arm.
| my dear" he said, "our rooms are ready
| If you go up stairs l will find Barnard.
| will not dress for dinner tonight. 1t Is
| after o'clock
| Clodagh turned. her face glowing with
| the enthusiasm that filled her mind.
| "All right" she said. But I think I'll
| just change into something cool. It won't
take me ten minutes
Without waiting for his assent she turned
| quickly and walked across the terrace to
| the vestbule of the hotel
AS she passed the two men in the lounge
| chairs the elder again lifted his eyeglass,
| while the younger, leaning forward, stared
| at her with that superb lack Of embarrass-
| ment or reserve that the young Englishman
| can at times assume.
by Jove! he said very softly, as the two
His companion turned to him with a thin,
somewhat shaky, laugh that belied his care
fully preserved appearance.
| Attractive, eh?" he said.
| The other replaced his cigarette in his
] mouth.
What nationality is she?" he asked. after
| moments pause. I'D feel inclined to say
italian myself. but the old fathers SO un-
| compromisingly Saxon"
Again the older man laughed-a laugh
| that expressed unfathomable worldly wis
| dom.
"Fatherr' he said. satirically. .'Fathers
don't shuttle round their womenfolk like
that. They are husband and wife"
Husband and wife, The other smiled.
But the older man pursed up his lips.
You'll find I'm right" he said. "she
walked three steps ahead Of him, to avoid
seeing him-and she did it unconsciously.
Proof conclusive!'
The young man laughed.
Doesn't carry conviction uncle" he said.
! 'iu bet you flyer you're wrong. VIII you
take me on?"
His companion smiled languidly.
AS you like, he responded.
The young man nodded; then he looked
down lazily at his flannel suit.
~ suppose It's time to change" he said,
reluctantly. Awful bore being conven-
tional abroad. See you at dinner
With another careless nod he lounged of
| In the direction of the hall.
Exactly quarter Of an hour later Clo-
dagh emerged from her bed room, looking
fresh and cool in dress Of rose-colored
gauze that, though cut high in the neck and
possessing sleeves that reached the wrist,
was yet very light and diaphanous in effect.
She opened her door. and, mindful of the
the corridor. But scarcely had she taken a
step in the direction Of the stairs than a
door exactly opposite to her own was opened
with equal haste. and the young English
Seeing her, he halted involuntarily, and for
second their eyes met
The glance was momentary; there was
not word spoken; but irresisttbly the color
| rushed into Clodagh's face. It took her but
an instant to regain her composure and to
pass down the empty corridor with an added
touch OF hauteur; but long after she had
gained the stairs her heart was beating
with new excitement. The glance that
the stranger had given her had been almost
tll-bred in Its absolute directness, but i'll or
well bred there had been no mistaking the
| unqualified admiration 1t conveyed The
personality Of the man had escaped her at
tention: the fact that his hair was smooth.
his face attractive and his figure unusually
tail' slight and graceful had made no i'm
preston upon her. All she was conscious
of-all that set her pulses throbbing and her
cheeks fushing-was the suddenly awaken
ed knowledge that. within herself, she pos
sessed some subtle and previously unreal
lied power that could compel a mans re-
gard.
She descended the stairs with a new SEN
sation of elasticity and citation, and at its
versation with a suave, elderly man
AS she came within speaking distance the
two turned toward her.
my dear" Milbanke said quickly. "allow
me to introduce Mr.. David Barnard. Bar
nard. this is my-my wife,"
Ciodagh looked up curiously, and met the
horfd face, bland smile and observant eyes
of Barnard-a man who for nearly a ouar-
ter OF century had managed to prosper In
his profession and at the same time to re-
tain prominent place In fashionable So
ciety AS their glances met she held out her
hand.
How d'you do Mr. Barnard?" she said
Il believe I've been longing to know you
ever since heard you laugh one day two
years ago."
She spoke warmly-impulsively- as
Denis Asshlin might have spoken. Involun-
tarily Milbanke glanced at her with a spe-
cies Of surprise. In that moment she was
neither the frank, fearless child he had first
known nor the self-cOntained, unfathomabIe
girl who had since become his daily COM
panion. In the crowded. cosmopolitan at
mosphere of the hotel she seemed suddenly
Barnard took her outstretched hand and
bowed over It impressively.
1T is very charming of you to say that
Mrs. Milbanke." he murmured. But Pm
afraid James has told me that you come
from Ireland!' Clodagh laughed.
He'll also tell you that lived quite forty
miles from the Barney stone!"
She looked up, her face brimmine with anil
nation. Then suddenly and involuntarily
she colored. The young Englishman of the
terrace was coming slowly down the stairs. .
He descended nonchalantly and as he
reached the hall he deliberately paused in
front of the little group.
"Hollo, Barny!' he said, easily. Been
playing much bridge this afternoons"
Barnard looked round with his tactfully
affable smile.
Haven't had one rubber" he said.
"No?"
NO"
There was pause-a seemingly unnecces-
sary and pointless pause-in which Barnard
looked suavely at the newcomer the new
conner looked at Clodagh, and Clodagh
looked fixedly out over MHbanke's head
Then at last. and suddenly, the older man
seemed to realize that something was ex-
pected of him. With gay gesture he met
aphorically swept the silence aside.
MRS. Milbanke." he said, affably will
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