The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-05
fConxiurea from Yesterday
CHAPTER u.
AN AMERICAN CONSUL

TENDER are often chill. The heavy
mis,s from the mountain slip down the
granite cliffs and spread over the city,
melting all sharp outlines, enfeeblhng
the gas-lamps. and changing the
moon. II there happens TO be one.
into something less than moon and
something more than pewter disk.
And so 1t was this night
Carmichael In order to finish his
cigar on the little balcony fronting his
window, found ii necessary To put on
his light overcoat. though he perfectly
that fsp wws IN rsc manner forced
TO smoke ON the balcony. But the
truth was he wanted clear vision of
the palace and the lighted windows
thereof, and OF one In particular. He
had no more sense than Tom-fooi. the
abetfer OF foilies- She was as far re-
moved from him as the most alien OF
the planets but the magnet shall
ever draw the needle. and a woman
shall ever draw "a man. He knew that
IL was impossible. that II grew more
impossible day by day. and he rallied
nj himself bitterly and satirically
He sighed and teetered his legs.
A sigh moves nothing forward. yet II
is as essential AS life itself. IL is
the safety valve to every emotion: IL
n the last thing III laughter. the last
thing In tears. One signs In entering
the world and In leaving II perhaps In
protest A child sighs for the moon
because IL knows 10 better. CaEmI-
chael sighed for the Princess Hide
Karde, understanding IL was sigh or
curse and the latter mode Of express
sion wastes more vitality Oh, yes;
they made over him. as the world
= goes; the, dined and wined him and
elected him honorary member to their
clubs. they patted him OH the back
and called him captain. but it was all
In negligent liberation that turned
every pleasure into rust.
Arthur Carmichael was Irish. He
was born In America, educated there
and elsewhere u little while IN Paris,
q little while at Bonn. ard. like all
Irishnen, he was baned with the wan
dering foot. for the man who IL
. huuieless by choice has subtle poison
In his blood He was at Bonn when
tie Ctvti war rHTne. He went back 10
America and threw himself into the
fight with all the ardor that had made
his forebears famous In the service of
the worthless Stuarts. Ii wasn't a
question with him OF the mere love
OF fighting, Of tossing the penny. he
Knew with which side he wished 10
fight He joined the cavalry of the
North, and hammered and fought his
way TO captaincy. He was wounded
I'VE times and imprisoned twice His
right eye was still weak from the
effects OF a powder explosion: and
whenever iT bothered him he wore IA
single glass, ahomina;ing. as all SOL
diers do. the burden OF spectaclss. AT
the end of the conflict he returned to
Washington.
And then the inherent curse put "a
hand on his shoulder. he must ne
moving. His parents were dead; there
was no anchor nor had lying ainbi
ton enmeshed him. There was III
tie property, the income from which
was enough for his wants Without
ANY influence whatever, save his pleas
ing address and his wide education, ne
blarneyeG the State Department out
OF a consulate. They sent him 70
EhrenEtein, at salary moi worm
mentioning, with the diplomatic halo
AZ dignity as "a tail to the kite, He
had been In the service some two
wears b. now, ana those who knew him
well rather wondered at his sedative
turu of mind Two years in any one
place was not In reckoning as regard
ed Carmichael: yet, here he was, car -
ing neither for promotion nor Elk
change So, then, all logical dedue-
tiers ssfnsnered dawn 10 one: fGne1
ix femme.
He knew that his ease would never
4 be tried i'm court nsf settled Gut Oh
n and he realized that II would be
far better TO weigh anchor ana set
his course for other parts. But no
man ever quite forsakes his dream =
woman; and he had endued prtn-
cess with all the shining attributes Of
an angel when, had he known II, she
& was only angekc.
The dreamer il Invariably tripping
over his illusions. and Carmichael was
rather boyigh in his dreams. What
absurd ramances he was always weaF~
ing round her What exploits on her
behalf. But never anything happen
ed. and never was the grand duke cali
cd upon TO offer his henediction.
Ii was all very foolish and roman
tie and in4pos sible. and no one reeog-
rized this more readily than he. No
American ever married Il princess of
a reIgning house, aud 10 American
ever will. This law is as immovable
as the law OF era ritatioTL Still. man
is master Of his dreams, and he may
& do as he please in The confines OF this
small circle. Outside these temporary
iaps%s, Carmichael was "a keen. shrewd,
far sighted young man, close Tipped
and oi1servant. never forgetting faces,
never forgetting benefits, loving
fight, but never provoking one. so
he and the world were friends. Diplo-
macy has its synonym in tact. and
Ea was an able tactician, for ali that
Gn freshman liz generally likened TO
bull in d chine shap.
How ttsr deuce witt IT Er1ti pa mus
y Ing half aloud. 'iii forget myself
some day and trip SO hard that they'll
be asking Washington for my recall.
Ell 20 over 20 the gardens and listen
10 The band They are playing dirges
o~niKht, and anything fanereai viii
be q light and happy tonic TO my pres
ent state of rrttad-@
He was standing on the curb in
front OF the hotel. bis decision still
snrounded, when he noticed n closed
carriage hard by the fountain In the
P1atx The driver dozed on his box
tfau.npt. There's man who IL
never troubled with counting the
feol's beads. Silver and copper are
nh gods and goddesses. Ha. a fare"
woman In black, thoroughly veilsd
nnd cioaked. came round from the
4 opposite side OF the fountain. She
spcks 10 the driver, and he tumbied
M the box, alive and hearty. There
4 i AisSd 10 bS 4 short fhferenan6e' Of
rcessn o. mutual satisfaction. The lady
1e6DneA into tina carriage. the driver
U6f4 W his ancient BucsphaiuA. and
nm< e3ie1tety -claek d0wr this kcnig
& nana toward tins town,
y Cntsntefaei II wAA less than an
TT ssASN al