The Washington herald., 1908-05-13

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A soul orouched low by the gates Of death.
and sobbed; Ah-hl let ne through
For they swarm with ghosts-thoss scented sins
And the grisiy things pursue
1t was past midnight, and the Cosmop-
oils Club was rapidly filing up with
refugees. from cafe. bar, and restaurant,
emptied by a stern dec-ee, that London
might wear a fictitious appearance OF
nocturnal respectability.
Two young men dropped into the red
leather armchairs which give such
pleasant note of color to the otherwise
uninteresting smolking-room Of that par
tieular club.
Awful rot, being turned out this way,
muttered the younger OF the two men,
an eager, restless youth, OF about twen-
ty-one, whose light wavy hair, reddish
brown eyes, and pink complexion were
slightly out Of keeping with his robust,
athletic figure,
'HorTid bore" drawled his companion.
an older man. with dark, finely chiseled
face, which suggested the ascetioism Of
exhausted enthusiasm. 7 suppose now
they wouldn't do it 10 you in New York;
Not muchI Not while you have any
money in your clothes. New York may
have its faults. but early closing isn't
one OF them"
How niceg-hoW very nicev murmured
the elder man. Fancy being able 10 80
TO bed as early as you like"
"As eariy?" auerlsd his companion
Yes; as early. You don't suppose
stay up late because it amusss me9 It
is a protest against being sent TO bed;
habit one gets into as a child. you know"
The younger man. whose sense Of hE-
mos was responsive. laughed. What d.
you say 20 a drink. AncesterT'
"An right Vandraksn." yawned the
other, stretching himself YEARLY. "I am
not in the least thirsty, but I'll take a
drink-only from a solemn sense OF duty,
though. Part OF the protest, you know"
You are as bIass as the Sphinx" OBJ
served Vandraken, getting up and ring
inE the bell. II don't believe there is
anything in the world you really want"
Only 70 be let alone. am passive
exister." he added.
Vandraken signaled across the room to
the waiter, who had entered and was
trying &c decidedly a process Of thought
reading peculiar to his profession-who
might have rung for him. Waiter, have
you a wine Ist?"
Wine list, sir? No, sir-but I'll fetch
one, sir"
He succeeded admirably in suppressing
the surprise ne felt at being asked for
a wine list in the smohng-rOom after
midnight
NO; never mind. waiter. Just bring
a bottle Of the most expensive wine in
the club
RED or white. sirg' asked the waiter.
imperturbably.
"Oh, don't care. Bring both.
That's the best way. isn't il. Ancester2'
"fn take a whisky-and-soda, If you
doat mind"
And a whisky-and-soda waiter"
'.Whtsky-and- -sodar' muttered Van
drtken, resentfully, as soon as the waiter
had departed "Whisky-and-sodai You're
a nice sort Of chap TO celebrate the pos
session OF 100000 coo With
Tn only spectator. my dear fellow.
I insist on being regarded as a spec
tator. 7 exhausted all my emotions when
sauon Of ordering the most expensive
wine in the place. and then swallowing my
disappointment instead OF the wine-be-
cause that was coFked. The best Of oyery
thing is al right. but IN my experience
she very best IS no good Wine-women.
even-art beyond a certain pOint-they
set eorked"
Vaadraken shifted unessily In his seat.
"And men2" he said. How about men
the very best Of men?"
''They only exist ia the Imagination Of
the most Cptimistic of women Why.
soma day. some girl will take me to hus-
band She will know I'm an earl. and
she VIII think I'm rich; also young"
"And devilish good-looking D."
Thank you. And dev.lish good-look-
ingI IN fact, bottle Of the very best
But when she opens me she viii find I'm
Tat and stale-in fact, corked."
Vhs younger man made an impatient
gesture. Your line of talk Is rather de-
pressing. Ancestor; makes a fellow think
Of those before and after pictures"
A silence followed Vandraken's remark.
which, however, was not without truth.
for standish Yandraken had all the ca
geTness and enthusiasm Of a man about
60 enter palace Of revelry and delight,
as though he could hardly wait for the
doeg to swing open and admit him TO
all It's pictured splendOrs. Lord Ancestor
had the face Of the reveler from whose
tired hands the wine cup has fallen;
who has discovered that delight may be
pursued but never captured; whose eyes
are dazed by the lights which once daz-
Eled them.
He suggested an ascetic rather than a
roue, and was more attractive than Van
draken, about whose fresh face there
was a certain righteousness OF the flesh,
which was only saved from repelling be-
cause it was associated with a suggestion
Of Spontaneous humor and boyish ir-
responsibility. Still, most people would
have considered 1t q good-looking face
The nose. which slightly turned down.
was rather clumsily constructed about
the nostrils; and the mouth. while fairly
well modelled, was too prominent. al
though there was something straight and
firm In the lower lip which partly denied
the fun curves OF the upper; ii was a
mouth which would improve. or grow
repulsive, according to the life its owner
lived. The outlines Of cheek and chin
were almost classical, and the head was
not only well shaped but denoted brain
force. He had a pleasant, cultivated
voice, and only his mode OF expression.
his use of strong smile, conveyed the
idea that he was an American Although
be was the richest young man In the
world, he was not In the least eonceited;
that had been knocked out OF him az
Harrow; and Harvard where he had
finished his educa ton, had not succeeded
in replacing Il. However his preposter-
Gus fortune might distort him IN the fu-
ture, he was at the moment decidedly
likeahle. Lord Ancestor had met him in
America Playing against his team. at
polo. an accident had happened TO one
Of Ancestors ponies. and Standish Van
dreken had chivalrOusiy replaced it with
the very best of his own string After
that they saw a good deal OF each other
It IS the custom to express surprise at
the attraction of two people entirely un-
ike. The world never seems to grasp