The Washington herald., 1908-05-11

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Author
It was past midnight, and the Cosmop
oils Club was rapidly filling up witt
refugees, from cafe, bar. and restaurant
emptied by stern decree. that LOndol
might wear a fictitious appearance o
nocturnal respectability.
Two young men dropped into the red
leather armchairs which give such ,
pleasant note OF color 10 the Otherwis,
uninteresting smoking-room of that par
ticular club.
Awful rot being turned out this way.
muttered the younger of the two men
an eager. restless youth, OF about TWEEN
ty-one, whose light wavy hair, reddish.
brown eyes, and pink complexion were
slightly out of keeping with his robust
athletic figure
"Horrid bore. drawled his companion
an older man. with a dark, finely chiseIed
face, which suggested the asceticism OF
exhausted enthusiasm. 7 suppose now
they wouldn't do it to you in New York;
Not much. Not while you have any
money in your clothes. New York may
have its faults, but early closing isn't
one OF them"
How mce.-how very nice" murmured
the elder man. Fancy being able TO go
TO bed as early as you like"
As early?" queried his companion.
Yes; as early. You don't suppose I
stay up late because it smuses me? It
is a protest against being sent to bed:
habit one gets into as a child. you know
The younger man, whose sense of hC-
NOR was responsive. laughed. What d.
you say TO a drink, Aneesterg'
All right Vandraken" yawned the
other, stretching himself YEARLY. II am
not in the least thirsty. but III take a
drink-only from a solemn sense of duty.
though. Part OF the protest you know"
You are as blase as the Sphinx" OBJ
served Fandraken. getting up and ring
lng the bell. 7 don't believe there is
anything in the world you really want"
only to be let alone. I am passive
exister," he added.
Nandraken signaled across the room to
the waiter, who had entered and was
trying TO decidedly process Of thought
reading peculiar TO his professionalism
might have rung for him. Waiter. have
YOU a wine list?"
Wine list sir? No. sir-but I'll fetch
one sir
He succeeded admirably in suppressing
the surprise he felt at being asked for
a wine list in the smoking-rOom after
midnight
No; never mind. waiter. Just bring
bottle OF the most expensive wine in
the club"
Red or white, sir?" asked the waiter,
imperturbably
"Oh, don't care. Bring both.
That's the best way, isn't il. Ancester2"
I'll take a whisky-and- il you
don't mind"
And a whisky-and-sOda waiter"
''Whisky-and-sodaw muttered Van
drake2, resentfully, as soon as the waiter
had departed. "Whisky-and- soda, You're
a nice sort Of chap TO celebrate the pos
session of 5000. zoe 600 with
IN only spectator, my dear fellow.
1 insist on being regarded as a spec
tator l exhausted all my emotions when
very young. Why. / even know the SEN
sation Of ordering the most expensive /
wine in the place. and then swallowing nv
disappointment instead OF the wine-be-
cause that was corked. The best Of every
thing Is all right, but IA my experience I
the very best is no good. Wine-women, /
even-art, beyond a certain point-they /
get coTked"
Vandraken shifted uneasily in his seat. /
And men," he said How about men
the very best of men?"
They only exist in the Imagination of l
the most optimistic of women. Why.
some 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"
Thank you. And devilish gO0d-IOok-
lng' in fact. a bottle OF the very best.
But when she opens me she will find I'm
fiat and stale-in fact corked"
The younger man made an inpatient
gesture Your line of talk is rather de-
pressing. Ancestor; makes a fellow think
of those before and after pictures"
silence followed Vandraken's remark.
which, however was not without truth
for standish Vandraken had all the ea-
sefnesS and enthusiasm of a man about
to enter a palace Of revelTy and delight. II
as though he could hardly wait for tho
door TO swing open and admit him TO
all its pictured splendoTs. Lord Ancestor
had the face of the reveler from whose
tired hands the wine cup has fallen. )
who has discovered that delight NAV he
pursued, but never captured: whose ewes
are dazed by the lights which once daz-
zlad them. N
lie 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 :
0f spontaneous hHmOr and boyish ir- (
responsibility. Still most people would {
have considered it 4 good-looking face /
The nose. which slightlye turned down. +
was rather clumsily constructed about I r
me hostrils: and the mouth, while fairly C
Ven ihodeied, was too prominent, al n
/ --HOueH thele was something straight and b
arm IN the lower lip which partly denied n
he fun curves of the upper. il was a ?
houth which would improve, OF grow p
'epnlsive, according 10 the life its owner s
lVed- Ihe outlines OF cheek and chin d
we're almost classical. and the head was
lot only well shaped. but denoted brain Z.
oIce' lie had pleasant, cultivated @
'oice, ana only his mode Of expression
us use OF strong smile. convened the ri
Gea that he was an American AItbo,,qb .
ie was the richest young man in tha II
world, he was not in the least eonceitA6. ~
hat had been knocked out Of hin, ~
harrow; and Harvard, where he had ..
nished his education, had not succeeded
q replacing II. However his pTenostor-
as fortune might distort him in he f,,-
ure' he was at ne moment decidedIv Ito
keahle- Lord Ancestor had met him IN .
-merica- Playing against his team at n
olo, an accident had happened In one ~
( Ancestors ponies, and Standisb Van p,
raken had chivalrously replaced il with ~
he very best of HIS own string. After is
nat they saw good deal of each Other -
1t Is the custom to express surprise a. AZ
le attraction of two people entirely nm "a
ke. The WcTld never seems 20 eraen h.
le truth enunciated IN that propositiop =,
Euclid which says, Two parallel ~
raiRht lines being erfanded e,-,. - - =