Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-08

that. 1t is not often have a pleasant
truth TO tell. l won't be deprived of the
enjoyment
Can the truth ever be pleasant. sir,,
invoiuntarIly Ioder echoed ChIlcote
Fraiae looked up, He was half a head
shorter than his companion, though ais
dignity concealed the fact. ''C'hiicote," he
said, seriously, give up cynicismi Il Ia
the trademark of failure and | do NOT
like 1t In my-friends.
Loder said nothing The quiet insight Of
me reproof It's mitigating kindness touch
ed him sharply. In that moment ia saw
the rails down which he had sent his little
car OF existence spinning. and the sight
oaunted nim The track was sleeper, the
gauge narrower, than he had guessed.
there were curves and sidings upon which
ne mad not recokoned. He turned his head
and met Fraide's glance
Don count too much on me. SIR" he
saIu, sioWiy. might disappoint you
again His voice broke of on the last
WORD, for the sound OF other voices and of
laughter came 10 them across the terrace
as group of two women and three men
passed through the open door At
glance he realized that the slighter of the
TWO women was Eve
seeing them she disengaged herself from
ter party ana came quickly forward He
saw her cheeks flush and her eyes brighten
Pleasantly as they rested on his companion.
out he noticed also that after her ftrat
cufsory glance she avoided his own direc-
ton.
AS she came toward them Fraide drew
away his hand In readiness to greet her.
Here comes my godchildr' he said. ~
with the prefix" He added the last words
IN an undertone as he reached them; then
ne responded warmly to her smile
nat! ne said. Turning the terrace
into the Garden of Eden In JanuaryI We
cannot allow this
Eve laughed. Blame Lady SARAH. she
said We met at lunch and she carried me
where
They both laughed, and Loder Joined. a
| little uncertainty. He had yet to learn
that the devotion OF Fraide and his wife
was long-standng jest In their particular
AT the sound of his tardy laugh Eve
turned to him. II hope l didn't rob YOU of
an sleep last night" she said: Il caught
Fraide, and invaded 1t most courageous
ly. believe We talked till g.
,o Aga,n . Loder noticed how quickly she
edge reused his self-assertion.
Il had an excellent night" he said. do
/ look as If hadn't slept?"
Somewhat slowly and reluctantly Eve
looked back. No" she said. truthfully
and with faint surprise that to Loder
| seemed the first genuine emotion she had
l ever saw you look so WELL She was
quite unconscious and very charming as
she made the admission. 1t struck Loder
that her eoloring of hair and eyes gained
by their setting of somber river and SOM
Der stone
Fraide smiled at her affectionately. then
looked at Loder. "Chilcote has got a new
| lease OF nerves, Eve, he said quietly.
And I-believe-I have got hench-
man. But see my wife reckoning to
me. must have a word with her before
she fits away. May l be excused?" He
made a courteous gesture of apology, then
smiled at Eve.
She looked after him as he moved away.
l sometimes wonder what / should do IL
anything were to happen to the Fraides."
she said little wistfully. Then almost
impulsiveness You heard what he said.
she went In different voice. Am I
really to congratulate your
The change of tone stung Loder unac-
in me?" he asked.
Without answering she walked slowly
by the parapet, laid her hand on the stone
work. Still in silence she looked out across
the river.
Loder had followed closely. Again her
aloofness seemed a challenge. VIII you
always disbelieve in me?" he repeated.
At last she looked up at him slowly.
"Have you ever given me cause to be-
neve?" she asked. in a quiet voice
To this truth he found no answer. though
the subdued incredulity nettled him afresh.
Prompted to further effort. he spoke
again. Patience is necessary with every
person and every circumstance" he said.
We've all got to wait and see"
She did not lower her gaze as he spoke
and there seemed to him something dis
concerning in the clear, candid blue of her
eyes. With a sudden dread of her next
words he moved forward and laid his hand
beside hers the parapet.
Patience is needed for every one,' no
repeated. quickly. Sometimes man Ia
like bit of wreckage; he drifts till some
force stronger than himself gets In his way
and stops him. He looked again at her
face. He scarcely knew what he was say
ing: he only felt that he was a man in an
egregiously false position, trying stupidity
to justify himself. Don't you believe that
fotsam can sometimes be washed ashoref'
he asked.
High above them Big Ben chimed the
hour.
Eve raised her head. 1t almost seemed
TO him that he could see her answer trem-
bling on her lips; then the voice of Lady
them.
"Eve!" she called. "EveI We must fly. It's
absolutely three o'clock