Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-18
nothing to do but to dash wildly ahead an,
see what came of it.

| nothing to do but to dash wildly ahead and
see what came of 1t.
Whatever came Of It should for while
| be near the woman who had flched nv
heart There are times when a man will
sell his chances of heaven for the glance
| OF Woman's eyes, and l think that time
came for me then. That story Of the hairy
brother. the mess of pottage and the birth
right applies to all Of u.s.
so took the desperate leap; and the next
moment was answering Jack Benson's ex-
Carnations and questions strangely there
were very few questions) to the best of my
ability, and it was a very limited ability
Just then. Though his voice rang clear
there was a serious look in his eyes, as If
he knew he faced a serious situation, but
was resolved to go through it with credit.
l have said his questions were few; they
were also innocuous.
Il hope you are well?" he began.
Never better" 1 answered. trying to
respond easily to this easy one.
l wondered If my voice sounded like
Julian Randolph's. 1 had forgotten to ask
that of the valet.
slipped into the chair which the serv-
ant pushed under me at the table. OBJ
serving that I had the seat of McGregor
II broke on me with overwhelming force
that l was recognized the head of the
house.
We'll. I'm glad to see you," Benson de-
clared again.
He beamed upon me. and the two women
did the same.
Then he looked at the girl opposite him.
as II thinking that never could he have
remained away from Miss Hansborough
after the manner of Julian Randolph But
alas. my thought was. how could poor Ran
dolph help it, when he was dead?
II stand condemned for heartlessness." I
answered, speaking to the unvoiced ques-
ton.
1 began to feel easier. for perceived by
a sort of intuition that this master of the
house in whose seat i sat had been a.
wealthy eccentric. whose doings were I'M
accountable to everybody, and therefore
was not to be pressed hard to explain my
supposed singular conduct. But in a mo-
ment Jack Benson had started again, and
he now had me guessing
That last plunge Of yours was into
Africa; perhaps you returned to your old
some new kind of wild beast, maybe an
okapi. with those soft-nosed bullets you
told me about? You remember them?"
oh. l remember them!' 1 cried desper-
ately. Yes. found new game. You can't
know how interesting 1t was
felt that l was becoming as brazen as
the dining room clock. which seemed trying
hard to stare me out Of countenance. Like
ly 1t was ashamed of me. for as l finished
that 'whopper" its bell tinkled, as much
as to say. Ring orr
But was listening for the voice Of Mrs
Randolph. and l heard Ii now LIQUID as
water yet vibrant, and sweet as the note
of bird:
1T was-,iust little strange Wen all
understand IL better by and by
Mrs. Randolph was watching mo et
tentlveiy. while trying to appear not to be
doing so, and the quick color was coming
and going In her checks, which at one mo-
ment were pale and the next a rich car
mine. Miss Hansborough alone seemed
cool, and look into her smiling face had
for me the effect of a breath from glacial
heights.
When 1 got back from Africa" I said
II felt so lost without the familiar African
atmosphere that l began to haunt the
obelsk over in Central Park. 1t was near
there that they found me, you know"
/ addressed the remark to Benson
"Of course you noticed the little ibises
that stroll and teeter all over the thing"