The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-18
IN obtnsc angle with tho end OF the

an obtnse angle with tho end OF the
large sltting-room.
"Nill you smoke, stokes?" Spence
sald Md
"rhnnls you, I'll have a cigarettc;" the
young man replied. can't stand cigars,
and I've left my pipe at the Clergy
House, 5Iis I'd
They looked for cigarettes in the silver
box lined with cedar which stood on the
irantel-shclf but some one had smoked
them all and tile box was empty.
Never mind. Spence said; 1--WE been
meaning to run out and get late
Westminster and I'll buy some csa
rettes, too. There's n shop at the Hol-
born end Of the Lane, next to the shop
where the oysters come from. and It
won't be shut yet.
several packets Of cigarettes II, his
hand. ave brought ivirginian,. he
said; II know you can't stand Egyptian.
mono OF US can. and if these arc cheap,
they're good, too
Till eleven o'clock Stokes played TO
atilenl-C hopin's wild music OF melan-
choly and ilre-nnd as tho hour struck
z he went home.
Gortre and Spence sat and talked casli-
ally after he had gone, about the music
they had heard. the cartoon In the even
ing paper, anything that came.
Basil had not been smoking during the,
evening. He had been too intent upon
the nocturnes. and now he felt a want
of tobacco. One Of tho packets OF ciga-
rcttes lay by him on the table lie
pulled ZIP the flaps and took one. With
out thinking what he vas doing he
drew q little photograph, highly finished
and very clear, from the tiny cardboard
case. -
He glanced at it casualIv.
The thing was one of those pictures
of blirlesque actresses which are given
away with this kind of tobacco. a tail
girl with short skirts and u large picture
hat was shown In q coquettish attitude
that WAS meant to be fullrof invitation.
Basil looked ut 1t steadily with n Gu.
.rions expression on his face. Then lie.
took "a large reading-glnss from the ta-
bio and examined 1t again. nagnifying
tito many times its original size.
He scrutinizcd 1t with great care. 1t
was the portrait of lthe strange girl
who came to st. Nfary's.
Basil had told spence of this woman,
and now he passed the photograph to
Harold. that is the girl who comes to
church and looks so unhappy. She Is
an actress. of course. The name Is un-
derneath-Miss Gertrude Hunt. Who is
Miss Gertrude Hunt?"
spence LOOK INC HOW
qucer.i he said, ITO find your unknown
like this. Gertrude Hunt? WHY she is
wcll-known musical comedy girl, sings
and dances nj the Regent. You know.
There are all fhe usual stories about the
lady, but possibly they are nil lies. I'm
sure / don't know. Two ichuckcd that
sort of society long ago. Are you sure
it's the same person.?
"Oh. quite sure. or course, this shows
the girl IN n different dress and SO on,
but It's she without doubt. I am
glad she comes to church. 1t Is not
what one expects from what one hears
of that class of woman, and It's what
one generally finds in the parish"
He sighed. thinking of the many chill
ing experiences of the last few months
in the vice-haunted streets and squares
of Bloomsbury.
..weli,' said Spence. Compartments
with that type are generally failures.
s and sometimes dangerous ito the expert
,nenter. You remember Anatole Frances
That's? But this damsel Is no Th ma
certainly and you aren't bit ike
Paphuntius. Il hope you will be able to
do some good. Personally, anything of
the sort would be quite impossible to
me. Good might, old man. I'm going to
turn in. I've hard days work to-mor-
row. Sleep WE'LL
He went out OF the room with a
yawn.
When he was left alone. with his little
mystery solved in so commonplace a
fashion. Basil was conscious of Curl
GUS disappointment. It was an anti
climax.
He had no narrow objection to the
theatre. Now and then he had been to
see famous actors in great plays. His
occasional visits to the theatres of Irv-
ing or Wyndhnm had given him pleasure.
nevertheless he had always felt a slight
Instructive dislike to the trade Of a mime.