Evening star., 1907-07-14

rHE little clock the manelpiece struck eleven,
and John Arnold, in whose rooms the two men
sat- after looking at it silently for few mo-
ents threw his cigarette into the fire in ridculously
mall crate and rose lazilv. From a somewhat bat
cred mahogany cupboard he drew forth the chief
egancies of his habitaton, few pieces of Colonial
liver and began to Law the table first sweeping awk-
Eardy from 1t to the floor a miscellaneous heap of
books, magazines, and papers Ordway, from his
dining the avalanche He made no comment, but
butfed at pipe and watched From the mysterious
ecesses of the cupboard now forth cold tongue
Ind an old blue china bowl in which hearts of let.
uCe crlSpy fresh and green carefully arranged
small pyramid topped with beet root At
light of this second dish the silence was broken by
prdway. He spoke with mock solemnity.
That salad was premedltated. And YOU had no
dea was going to look in:
No admitted the other. Then, as he went
pm rather aw wkwardly arranging the table, Its
journalist, to see how fashionable and rakish
broung man in smart bachelor rooms lives. It's
probable that I'm going to have supper here with an
actress"
AS he said it he smiled half whn1sically, half
sadly, with due appreciation of the fact that the
smart bachelor rooms were in dngy old fiat build
ing on West Waverley Place, that the fashionable e
and rakish young man" was mere journalist y
himself, already past forty, with tumbled head of
hair heavily streaked with gray. tired, kindly eyes
that peered through sPectacles. and shabby coat
Ordway smiled back him. a comprehending
and friendly smile Lily, suppose. he said.
Yes I'll put place for YOU. She'll like to see
No The Office at eleven-thirty at the latest
for me-
Arnold had begun LAYING third place. He went
lon notwithstanding this speech: Il may as well
|too: one never knows Sometimes Lily drops in
alone to me, sometimes she comes with her
mother, sometimes he paused second for a
longer breath, very often in fact, Mrs. Leverett
comes alone"
'Stung!' exclaimed Ordway in tones not quite
respectful.
:.
|of it Oh, I'm like son to her-as I'm like a
brother to Lily" He laughed little at this. Yes,
when Lily is playing in town (and thank the Lord
long New York runs are commoner than they used
to be D. it's the real family life lead here, with
on the second floor and she and her mother on the
fourth. Of course now Lilvs got they could
easily afford to move to better t1at-I suppose
they will some day. But at present | almost make
up for the disadvantages of the Longthorne. IN a
complete consultation bureau, perfect friend.
Lily stops get advice about how to play Shake
speare and her mother about how keep the washer
womans husband from drinking Sixth-ave"
You have all the of family, without any" ,"
Ordway broke off for an Instant WELL at least
without all of its advantages
No, not all assented Arnold, still muddling
over the setting OF the table,->not all When
you re as old as | am, Ordway-"
I'm only three years younger"
You won't expect all of ANYTHING. It's quite
good enough luck for that Lily got hold of me
when she and her mother came to town, that she
thought bless her. because | had written some
dramatic criticism | was worth knowing, that we
discovered we We're, by miracle living in the
same building, and that-well, that having be-
gun with poor little asp!rant I'm now Iy laying
pretty fair for broken down Park Row animal
like me.
Broken down, Rot"
Arnold surveyed the table with a satisfied smile,
and began to fill his pipe Well, no, not much
broken down" he said cheerfuly Il only meant
slightly damaged by comparison with Lily. Seen
this last photograph of her" He handed down a
silver frame, from which looked out girl wearing
wreath of laurel, and lifting against dark back
ground her proud romantic head as if she had been
| some GREAT LADY of later Rome