The San Francisco call., 1908-12-27

gret of Yesterday-his Yesterday of
care free youth and courage. giided
with the ineffable, evanesoent glamour
of. Romance-of such Romance. thrice
refined of dross. as only he knows who
has wooed his Art with passion pass
ing the. love of woman.
Far away, above the acres of huddled
roofs and chimney pots. the storm mists
thinned, lifting transiently; through
them. gray. fairy-like. the towers of
Westminster and the house of parlia-
ment buIked monstrous and unreal, fad
ing when again the fugitive dun vapors
closed down upon the city.
Nearer at hand the Shade of Care
nudged Kirkwood's elbow. whispering
subtly. Romance was indeed dead; the
world was cold and cruel.
The gloom deepened.
In the cant of modern metaphysics,
the moment was psychological.
There came rapping at the door
Kirkwood removed the pipe from be-
tween his teeth long enough TO say
Come in.'' pleasantly.
The knob was turned. the door
opened Kirkwood. turning on one heel.
beheld hesitant upon the threshold
dimiputive figure in the livery of the
Pless pages.
Mr.. Kirkwood?"
Kirkwood nodded.
Gentleman to see you, sir"
Kirkwood nodded again, smiling if
somewhat perplexed. Encouraged, the
child advanced, proffering silver card
tray at the end OF an unnaturally rigid
forearm. Kirkwood took the card
obviously between thumb and fore
finger and inspected it without preju-
dice.
George B. Calendar" he read.
George B. Calendarp But know no
such person. Sure there's no mistake,
young man?'
The close cropped, bullet shaped.
British head was agitated in vigorous
negation, and Card for Mister Kirk
wood" was mumbled in dispassionate
accents appropriate to recitation by
rote.
Very well. But before you show
him up, ask this Mr.. Calendar if he is
quite sure he wants to see Philip Kirk
wood
''Yessir.".
The child marched out. punctiliously
closing the door. Kirkwood tamped
down the tobacco in his pipe and puffed
energetically, dismissing the interrup
ZION to his reverie as a matter of no
eonsequence-an obvious mistake to be
rectified by two words with this Mr..
Calendar whom he did not, know. At
the knock he had almost hoped it might
pc Brentwick, returning with a changed
mind about the bid to dinner.
He regretted Brentwick sincerely.
Theirs was curious sort of friendship
extraordinarily close in view of the
meagerness of either's Information
about the other, to say nothing of the
disparity between their ages. Concern
ing the elder man Kirkwood knew
little more than that they had met
on shipboard. coming over; that
Brentwick had spent some years in
America; that he was an Englishman
by birth, a cosmopolitan by habit, by
profession gentleman employing that
term in it's most uncompromisingfy
British signifcance), and by fnclina-
tion a collector Of articles of virtu
and bigotry," in. pursuit OF which he
made frequent excursions to the CONT
nent from his residence in a quaint,
quiet street of Old Brompton. 1t had
been during his not infrequent. but
ordinarily abbreviated, sojourns in
Paris that their steamer acquaintance
had ripened into an affection almost
filial on the one hand, almost paternal
on the other.
There came a rapping at the door.
Kirkwood removed the pipe from be-
tween his teeth long enough to say
Come fnT pleasantly.
The knob turned, the door opened.
Kirkwood, swinging on one heel, be-
held hesitant upon the threshold a
rather rotund figure, of medium height,
clad In an expressionless gray lounge
suit, with a brown bowler" hat held
tentatively in one hand. an umbrella
weeping in the other. A voice, which
1IucfuouS and inSiuuafiva ernanatod
from the figure.
Mr.. Kirkwood?'
Kirkwood nodded, with some effort
recalling the name. SO detached had
been his thoughts since the disappear
ance of the page.
Yes, Mr.. Calendar"
"Are you-ah-busy. Mr.. Kirkwood?"
Are you, Mr.. Calendar" Kirkwood's s
smile robbed the retort of any flavor Of
incivility.
Encouraged, the man entered, pre-
missing that he would detain his host
but a moment, and readily surrendering
hat and umbrella. Kirkwood. putting
the Natter aside, invited his caller to
the easy chair which Brentwick had
occupied by the fireplace
1T takes the edge off the .dampness. -
Kirkwood explained in Difference to
the others look of pleased surprise at
the cheerful bed of Goals. I'm afraid
/ could never get acclimated to life in
a cold, damp room-or damp cold
room-such as you Britishers prefer
1T is grateful Mr.. Calendar agreed,
spreading plump and we'll cared for
hands to the warmth. But you are
mistaken; I am as much an American
as yourself"
Yes% Kirkwood looked the man
over with more interest, less matter
of course courtesy.
He proved not unprepossessing, this
undesirable Mr.. Calendar; he was
dressed with some care. his complexion
was good. and the fullness of his girth,
emphasized as 1t was by notable lack
of inches, bespoke a nature genial. easy
going and sybaritic. His dark eyes,
heavy ndded were active-curiously at
times with a subdued glitter-in face
large, round, pink. Of which the
other most remarkable features were
mustache, close trimmed and show
ing streaks of gray, chubby nose,
and duplicate chins. Mr.. Calendar was
furthermore possessed of a polished
bald spot, girdled with a tonsure of
stlvered hair-circumstances which lent
some Fictitious distinction to a per-