Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-11

Two men pushed out through the swing
doors and paused to let them pass. Cor
byn nodded coldly to one of them. who
returned the compliment with foreign eff
fusion.
who's your shifty-looking friend?"
asked O'Dare, leaning opuently over the
bar.
He calls himself Gonzalez" the artist
answered. That's all know about him,
besides the annoying fact that he seems
to covet my studio. He came in yester-
day to ask if I'd oblige him by moving.
He's rented the one opposite and requires
more ROOM
I'D hate to meet him on a desert is
land" said O Dare. dryly, and comforted
| himself with a cocktail. Il wonder why
he wants the whole house to himself.
and wears a wig which doesn't match his
mustache?"
Five minutes more took them to a bo-
hemian haunt in 9th street. where they
were warmly greeted by the careless cos
mopolitans of their acquaintance. whose
meager incomes forced them to frequent
it. The diners were chiefly foreigners.
actors, artists. musicians. a sprinkling of
tradespeople. with here and there stray
couple or quartet of curiosity seekers.
their minds divided between detestation
of the execrable table wine and admira-
ton Of the insouciance with which b.
hernia quaffed IT. And there were among
the habitues not few men OF fallen for
barren future to the full as cheerfully
as they had squandered the good years
behind them. The meal, according to the
carte, was an imposing one for the price.
but actually consisted of morsels-tunny
fish and olives, soup, fragment of mall
odorous bass. a mouthful of doubtful
veal. spaghetti, the wings Of a far-trav-
eled fowl. spoonful of sloppy Ice
cream, black coffee. And. although Cor
byn's father. the irascible millionaire who
bod h 10 nr,lvy coz To frL 0TxrtyvN
as he would. might have held up his
hands in horror at the mere idea Of such
a dinner. that did not prevent his unduti-
full offspring from attacking with appe-
title all that came his way. While Altar
dyce. the man of family. a far-traveled
epicure. was far too frankly hungry for
question or cavil Dennis O'Dare had
often Jared far worse In his experience OF
one-night stands on the long road he had
elected TO- follow He took whatever he
could get and asked for more.
Tongues wagged and babel broke loose
as the tableclOths were cleared away.
from motives Of economy. while cheap
cigars and cheaper cigarettes created a
blue cloud before which all the strangers
fled in fits of coughing. The double
doors at the inner end of the long room
were withdrawn, one seated himself at
the piano in the alcove. another brought
forth from safe place his beloved violin,
and on the silence which ensued there
have sore hearts behind their sha bby
coats. They played for love they
could never play for payment, and the
lost chord was theirs for once. 1t was a
dead mans requiem. Corbyn had told
them that Stephan Florian would no
more come among them. and they had
loved the silent exile for the magic of
his touch upon the strings. He would be
sadly missed there.
The place began TO empty quietly. until
only the three friends In misfortune re-
manned. They stayed another hour for
the sake of the warmth and light and
comfort, and yet another that they might
still more fully discuss Fiji Florians flu
ture and finances.
Corbyn had been her brothers only in
innate among many acquaintances and
felt himself In some degree respon sible
for her safe guidance in the great city
of which she knew so little. The other
two were more than willing to back him
up TO the limit of their powers. and. be-
fore they finally rose to go. it had been
arranged that they should mutually seek
to enlist the sympathy OF one or another
of their more reliable women friends on