Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-12


said about sleeping in cab. That's non
sense. you know'
Well" said Van Torp, they've just
turned out of the one room we had because
l whistled Parsifal' out of tune"
You didn't whistle it out of tune" Mar
garet answered, to Stemp's great but well
concealed establishment. Il know better.
Please have your things brought here at once
"Here?" repeated Van Torp, surprised in
his turn.
YES" she answered, in a tone that fore
stalled contradiction. eff nothing else
be had, you shall have this room. l can do
without it
You are kindness itself; but l couldn't do
this hotel anyway, Stemp, and we'll see what
happens pen .
Stemp disappeared at once, and his master
turned to Margaret again.
Nothing will induce me to put you to such
inconvenience" he said and his tone was
quite as decided as hers had been.
She smiled. Nothing will induce me to
let friend of mine be driven from pillar to
post for lodging while have plenty of room
to .ssPare?'
. But the mouse may turn into tiger If you
contradict it," she said, with light laugh that
thrilled him with delight. I" l remember your
description of the Tartar girl
Well then, suppose the hyena will have
to turn into small woolly lamb if you tell
him to- answered Van Torp.
Yes" laughed Margaret. Be small.
woolly lamb at once, please, very small one!'
Knee high to kitten certainly" replied
the millionaire submissively.
Very well. I'll take you with me to hear
'Parsifal' tomorrow, if you obey. / have
just asked Mrs. Rushmore if it makes any dit
ference to her, and she has confessed that she
had rather not 60 again, for it tires her dread
fully and gives her headache. You shall
have her seat.
WHAT is it? Don't you want to go with
Van Torp's face had hardened till it looked
like mask; he stared firmly at the wall, and
his lips were set tightly together. Margaret
gazed at him in surprise while she might have
counted ten. Then he spoke slowly, with
evident effort, and in an odd voice.
Excuse me, Miss Donne' he said, swapping
his words out. I'm SO grateful that | can't
speak, that's all. It'll be all right in second
A huge emotion had got hold of him. She
saw the red flush rise suddenly above his col
lar, and then sink back before it reached his
cheeks. and all at once he was very pale. But
not muscle of his face moved, not line was
drawn; only his sandy eyelashes quivered
little. His hands were thrust deep into the
pockets of his jacket; but the fingers were
motionless.
Margaret remembered how he had told her
more than once that she was the only woman
the world held for him, and she had thought
it was nonsense, rather vulgarly and clumsily
expressed by man who was not much better
than an animal where women were concerned.
1t flashed upon her at last that what he had
said was literally true,-that she had mis-
judged extraordinary man altogether, as
many people did, and that she was indeed
the only woman in the whole world who
could master and dominate whom many
feared and hated, and whom she had herself
once detested beyond words. He was unchang
ing too, whatever else he might be, and as
she admitted the fact, she saw clearly how
tickle she had been in her own likes and dis
likes, except where her art concerned.
While these thoughts were disturbing her
a little, Van Torp recovered himself; his
features relaxed, his hands out of his
pockets, and he slowly turned toward her. Il
hope you don't think me rude" he said awk
wardly. t" | feel things good deal sometimes,
though people might not believe it,
They were still standing together, and
not far from the door through which Mar
garet had entered Z" 1t is never rude to be
grateful, even for small things" she answered.
She left his side, and went again to the
window where she stood and turned from him,
looking out. He waited where he was, glad
of the moments of silence AS for her, she
was struggling against a generous impulse,
because she was afraid that he might mis-
understand her if she gave way to it. But, to
do her justice, she had never had much strength
to resist her own instructive generosity when
it moved her