Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12

same night? Or should he keep his be-
lated engagement with Cressy's party?
An errant cabby. cruising aimlessly but
, hopefully. sighted Maitland's tall figure
and white shirt from a distance, and
bore down upon him with a gallant clat-
ter of hoofs.
"Kebsir?" he demanded. breathlessly
pulling in at the corner.
Maitland came out of his reverie and
| looked up slowly. why yes, thank
you" he assented. amiably.
Where to. sir?"
Maitland paused on the forward deck
of the craft and faced about, looking the
cabby trustfully in the eye. Il leave il
please"
The driver gasped.
You see." Maitland continued. with a
courteous smile. Il have two engage
ments-one at Sherry's. the other with
the ten-twenty train from Long Island
City. What would you. as man to man
advise me to do. cabby?'
well. sir. seem as you puts it to me
straight returned the cabby with en-
gaging candor, I'D go home. sir, if
Thank you" gravely. Long Island
| City depot. then. cabby.
Maitland extended himself languidly
| upon the cushions. Surely" he told
the night. the driver knows best-he
| and Zimmerman"
The cab started off jogging so sedates
up Madison avenue that Maitland
| glanced at his watch and elevated his
brows obviously: then with his stick
| poked open the trap in the roof.
IF you really think it best for me tc
go home. cabby. you'll have to drive like
h-I." he suggested, mildly
"YesS,r!"
| A whip lash cracked loudly over the
| horses back, and the hanson, lurchins
into 34th street on one wheel. was pres
emily jouncing eastward over rough cob
bles. at regardless pace, which reused
! the gongs of the surface cars to q
clangor Of hysterical expostulation. In a
| trice the IL" extension was roaring
overhead. and little later the ferry
gates We're yawning before them. Again
Maitland consulted his watch. comment
ing. briefly: I'm time
| Yet he reckcned withou. the ferry. one
| of whose employees deliberately and i'm
placably swung to the gates in the very
| face of the astonished cab horse, which
| promptly rose upon its hind legs and
| paved the air with gestures of pardon
| able evaporation. To no avail. however
the gates remained closed. the cabby
with anguage) refined his s;eed back d
yard or. two, and Maitland. lighting a
| cigarette, composed himself to simulate
| patience.
Following a wait of ten minutes or so
in which a number of vehicles joined
company with the cab, the passenger was
| vaguely aware of the Earring purr of d
motor car. like that of some huge cat. in
! the immediate rear. A circumstance
which he had occasion to recall ere long
| In the course of time the gates were
again opened. The bridge cleared of in,
coming traffic. AS the cabby drove
| aboard the boat. with nice consderat or
| selecting the choicest stand of all. well
| out upon the forward deck, a motor cal
| slid in. humming, on the right of the
| hanson.
Maitland sat forward. resting his fore
| arms on the apron, and jerked his cigar
cite out over the gates: the glowing stub
described fiery arc and took the water
! with a hiss. Warm whiffs of the river s
sweet and salty breath famed his face
gratefully and he became aware that
there was a moon. His gaze rowing al
will. he nodded an even-tempered apprQ-
baton of the nights splendor-in the city
a thing unsupported.
Never. he thought, had he known moon
| light so pure. so silvery and strong
| Shadows of gates and posts lay upon the
forward deck like stencils of lampblack
| upon white marble. Beyond the boats
| bluntly rounded nose the East river
stretched it's restless. dark reaches, glossy
reflected light streaming from pier-head
| lamps on the further shore. Overhead
| the sky. pallid and luminous blue
around the loW-swung moon. was shaded
| to profound depths Of blush black toward
! the horizon. Above Brooklyn rested a
| pale shape, cut across the bows like a
| hunted ghost. Farther out a homeward-
| bound excursion steamer, tier upon tier
| Of glittering lights, drifted slowly toward
| its pier beneath the new bridge, the
| blare of it's band. swelling and dying upon
the night breeze, mercifully tempered by
distance.
ITO he continued tomorrow