Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-22
CHAPTER I.
MY Friend Virgins Is introduced

My Friend Virgins Is Introduced
] dined with Hartley Virgins at the
Hare and Tortoise on an evening in Octo
her. not very long ago 1t may be vel
TO explain that the Hare and Tortoise Il
the smallest and most select of clubs
whose windows afford pleasant view
Of Creamery Park. The club is compare
lively Young. and it is our joke that we
arc so far all tortoises, creeping through
our several professions without aid from
any hare. l hasten to explain that 1 an
a chimney doctor. Virgins is a lawyer
at least l have seen his name in list OF
graduates of the Harvard Law School
and he has an Office downtown, where ]
have occasionally found him sedately
playing solitaire while lie waited for some
one TO take him out 10 luncheon. He
spends his summers South Dakota
ranch, from which he derives a consider
able income. When tough steaks are
served from the club grill We always at
tribute them to the cattle on Virgins
hills. Or If the lamb is ancient we de-
clare it to be of Virgins shepherding.
1t is the way of our humor to hold Wig
gins responsible for things. His good ma
ture is usually equal TO the worst We can
do To him. He is the kind of fellow that
instinctvely indicts without hearing
testimony We all know perfectly well
that Virgins ranch is a wheat ranch.
Virgins is All athlete. ard his sum-
mers i'm tine west and persistent training
during the winter in town keep him in
fine condition. AS faced him tonight i'll
our favorite corner of the Hare and Tor
toise dining room the physical man was
fit'enOugh: but l saw at once that he was
vftfypp nd x1t .trtt ~
many years honOred me with his conf
dence, and I felt that tonight, after We
got well started. 1 should hear what was
on his mind. ] hoped to cheer him with
the story Of n visit / had by chance paid
that afternoon to the AsolandO tearoom:
for though Virgins is a most practical
person, 1 imagined that he would be di-
verted by my description of a place
him TO visit shall never forget the
look he gave me when I remarked, at
about his third spoonful of soup:
BY the way. 1 dropped into an odd
place this afternoon Burne-Jones buns,
Rosetti macaroons and all that sort of
thing. They call it the Asolando-''
was ambling on, expecting to sharpen
his curiosity gradually as / recited the
his spoon dropped and he stared at me
blankiy. 1t should be known that Wig
gins Is not man whose composure is
lightly shaken. The waiter VINO served
us SiduCeu at nlNl III surprise, a -Iact
which / mention merely to confirm my
assertion that the dropping of spoon
into. his soup was an extraordinary oc-
clIrrence in Virgins life. Virgins was a
proper person On the ranch. twenty
miles from a railroad. he always dressed
for dinner
THE Asolando." repeated. to break
the spell of his blank stare. Know the
place."
He recovered in moment, but he sur
veyed me qulZzically before replying.
-..Of course l have heard of the Aso-
laAdo, but 1!thought Won didn't go in for
that sort Of thing. It's tri1e girlish,
you know"
That's hardly against it. l found the
girlishness altogether attractive
You always were tolerably susceptible.
but broiled butterflies and moth-wings
souff1e seem to me rather pale food for a
man In your vigorous health
They must have discrt,ninated in your
favor; L saw no such things. though. to
be sure. / was afraid to quibblel over the
waitress suggestions. May ask when
.'Oh. dropped In quite accidentally one
DAY last spring. I saw the sign. and re-
membered that somebody had spoken of
the place, and i was tired, and it was
long way to the club, and
Discrimination is not an art as Virgins
attempts to practice 1T at times. He Is by
nature the most Straightforward of NOR
tails. 1t was clear that he was withhold
ing something. and 1 resolved to get to
the bottom of it.
II don't think the Asolando is a place
that would attract either of us. and yet
the viands are good as such stuff goes
and the gentle handmaidens are restful
to the eye-Pipra. Francesca, Gloria and
the rest of en-.
Virgins pried open his artichoke with
the care of a botanist. He had regained
interested him.
You were there this afternoon he in
quired.
"Yes. my first and only appearance
And this is Monday.
The calendar has said it,
SO You settled your bill with Pippa!
l believe this was her day
Then you really do know the inner
II thought YOU would show Your hand
presently. Then it is perhaps Gloria
Beatrice or Francesca who minds the till
Oh Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
today It's pretty idea. II has the
ielicacy of an arrangement by Whistler
or the charm of line i'm Rossetti. So
YOU have seen the blessed damozel at the
ash desk
On the contrary. I was never there on
tuesday. Thursday or Saturday, and
therefore passed no coin to Francesca,
Gloria or Beatrice. My only visit WIS on
The system is doubtless imperfect
Then beyond doubt ] saw Pippa. She
makes the change on Monday. Wednes-
lay and Friday Her exclusives are a.
trifle too long for the worlds peace"
II dare say. j haven't your charming
knack. Ames, of picking UP acuuai,it-
ances, 50 YOU mustn't expect me to form
lifelong friendships with young women
at cash desks. I suppose it didn't occur
to you that those young women who tend
till and serve the tables in there are per-
sons of education and taste. The Aso-
lando il not a common hashery. I some
times fear that so much crawling through
chimneys is clouding Your intellect 1t
ought 10 have been clear even To your
smoky chimney pot that those girls in
there are not the kind You can ask TO
meet you by the old mill at the fall of
dewy eve. or who write notes To popular
romantic actors. There's not a girl in
that place who hasn't a social position as
good as yours or mine. The AsOlando's
kind of fad. sou know. Ames: it's not
a tavern within the meaning of the inn
keepers act. where common swine are
fed for profit. The servants serve for
love OF the cause; it's sort OF cult But
suppose you are incapable of grasping