Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-18


kW8&IHE&A When the manager slid into the
~>@ chair that Florence Rogers had
just vacated, he conscious of premonition that
OBrien might prove to be right in his estimate of
the chances for success of the plea he about
to make. Beaumont air had lost none of its urban
ity. When he had detained Smith from joining the
general exodus from the dining room, he had laid
hand on the Young mans shoulder in way that
might almost have been called affectlonate and
marked the elimination of the increasing frendllness
of manner that he had manifested hour by hour
all day.
Yet now that they were left alone,-now as he
poured out another thimblefu of the white 1queur
that Gregg's wine cellar had unexpectedly yielded
for their feast, he slipped 1t, and brushed his
lips daintily with his napkin afterward, -he under
went a subtle but very perceptible change There
something alert in his manner, something curl
ously compact in his attitude, something that Sug-
gested duelist about to engage opponents foil.
We've been forgetting business for day, Mr..
Smith," he said, and it has been very pleasant to
do But l fancy you will agree with me that the
time has come to settle down-and-settle up:
his tiny glass; after ALL suppose the last twenty
four hours have not been wasted, even IN business
way. l think can understand why you wanted me
to come over here, and l willing to admit that
what you have shown me has certain bearing on
the matter must dispose of tonight. He shifted
little in his chair to command more direct view
of the young man at his left.
THEN, watching him infinitely missing or
failing to apprase single feetng change of ex-
preston in Smiths face although his eyes seemed
chiefly occupied with the contents of the glass he
held between his fingers, then, quite deliberately
quite explicitly, Beaumont began stating the terms
of the bargain he had limited two days before in
Georgetown.
AS for Smith, he had laid his cigar a saucer be-
side empty coffee cup and casped his hands under
the table. He had expected offer like this but
somehow the sound of the pleasant, cynical heart
less voice that stated it aroused sudden burst of
anger in him, not easy to subdue. He wanted to
stop Beaumont, without giving him opportunity
to go further He felt degraded even by listening
to the terms the big millionaire suggesting to
him yet he did not speak; just lowered his eyes and
pressed his unsteady lips together. The issue meant
too much to let him risk word until he had first
s:nothered that burst of passion.
Beaumonts eyes had been quick to mark the sign
of the struggle the compressed lips the high color
and tension of the betrayng the clenched hands
beneath the table He slipped into attitude of
greater ease, and smiled a little. He knew these
symptoms we'll enough he thought, and he felt
that all it needed now to land his fish a supple
wrist and taut line. These chaps all took the hook
the same way the first time. They threshed around
good DEAL and would not be hurried; but they all
Came up to the landing net, Or if it happened to
be more convenient, to the gait, at last That the
struggle he watched with anger. not temptation,
idea that in the nature of things, would not
have entered into his calculations at all
& T last Smith spoke Z" Before you say anything
further about the bargain you propose, l want
to talk little about something else, sonnet thing
tl.,t isn't irrelevant to the outcome of talk
you at first will be likely to think it to be. You
said moment ago that you thought you understood
why had brought you over to Horse Island-why