Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-28
THE GAMBLER
KATHERINE CECIL THURSTON,
by Thuton. A served)
THURSTON,

! Asshlin you've met yet James," he said
| ''Shake hands with him. Clo.' he added,
| In different voice. Hes symbol, if you
only knew it He stands for the great glory
| we must all leave behind us-the glory of
| youth" His voice sank suddenly to a
lower key and he raised his glass. Go on.
| childr' he added, more quickly. Shake
hands with him-tell him he's welcome
! But Clodaghs flow Of speech had been 81
fenced. With a suggestion Of the shyness
| that marked her sister, she came round the
| table as Milbanke rose.
She made no remark she proffered her
| hand, and she did not smile as Nance had
done. Instead. her bright eyes scanned his
face with quick. questioning interest.
| In return he looked at her clear skin, her
i level eyebrows and proudly held head. and
his awkwardness vanished as he took the
slight, muscular hand still cold from the
How d you DOR he said. I've been
| hearing Of you
| Again Clodagh colored and glanced at her
/ father.
| What were you telling him, father?'
| she asked with native curiosity.
Once more Asshlin laughed loudly.
| Listen to her. James," he said, banter
ingly Her conscience Is troubling her.
She knows that It's hard to speak well of
| her Isn't that It, scamp? Confess now"
! Clodagh had again passed around the
| table, and. having thrown her whip and
cap into a chair, had seated herself without
ceremony in the vacant place that awaited
| her.
| Indeed 1t isn't" she replied. with i'm
= mense unconcern. Then an instant later
she repeated her question.
What was 1t, father? Can't you tell
| me?"
Asshlin lifted his glass and studied the
| light through his sherry.
"Ah, now, listen to her, James," he ex-
| claimed again, delightedly. And women
will tell you they aren't inquisitive"'
/ Clodagh flushed.
| The little sister, seeing the flush, was sud
| denly moved assert herself
"'Twasn't anything. Clo." she said,
quickly. HE only said you We're a scala
wag." Then, all eyes turned in her direc-
ton, she subsidized abruptly into confused
! silence.
There you are again, James! Look at
| the way they stick together! poor man
| hasn't the ghost of chance when two of
them join forces. One Of them ought to
! have been a boy-if only for the sake of
equality" He shook his head and laughed
afresh, while Burke deposited the last plate
upon the table, and dinner began in earnest.
| That dinner, like his drive from Muskeere.
was an experience to Milbanke. More than
| once his eyes travelled involuntarily from
| the candle-lit table, with its suggestion of
| walls where the fire cast long shafts Of
| ruddy light and long tongues Of shadow
| upon Asshlin's ancestors. painted in gar
ments OF silk and lace. that had once found
| a setting in this same somber room. There
was something strangely analogous in these
dead men and women and their living rep
reSentat1VeS. Inc Thought ToCuTFeQ 10 nlIIl
| again and again as he yielded to the pleas
| ant influences Of good wine AID wholesome
food pressed upon him with unceasing hos
| pitality. It was not the first time he had
pandered to his taste for past things by
| comparing a man with his forefathers, but
the result had never proved quite SO profit
| able. In their uncommon setting, Asshlin
and his children would have appealed to the
most unobservant as uncommon types;
/ viewed by the eyes Of a student, they be-
came something more-they became types
Of an uncommon race, or an uncommon
class.
With the spur Of the old fascination and
| the goad of the newborn misgiving, he
glanced again and yet again from his host
hard. handsome features to the pictures.
from the pictures to the warm-coiored faces
Of the children. The study was absorbing.
1t supplied him with an agreeable under
current OF interest while the ham and tur-
key were removed and Asshlin with much
dexterity distributed portions of an i'm
mense apple pie deluged in cream: 1t still
occupied his mind when-a whole cheese
having been placed upon the table and par
TALLY partaken of-Burke proceeded to re-
move the cloth.
At the moment that the polished surface of
the table was laid bare his glance. tenn