Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-10

| guns when 1 went away" he explained.
They're interesting things TO think
about"
But don't you understand that | owe
| YOU a louis? ! forgot all about it. If ms
purse weren't empty / would repay you.
viii you stay here till / can get some
money from my hotei-the Hotel de
Paris?'
| She spoke with some vehemence. How
could the creature expect her to remain
! in his debt? But the creature only pass
! ed his fingers through his outstanding hair
and smiled wanly.
| please don't say anything more about
it. 1t distresses me. The croupiers don
return the stake, as a general rule. unless
YOU ask for it. They assume you want
to back your luck. Perhaps it has won
again. For goodness sake don't bother
about it-and thank YOU very. very much"
! He bowed politely and moved a step or
two away. But Fora, struck by a solu-
| ton Of the mystery which had not oc-
! Cured to her. as one cannot grasp all the
ways and customs of gaming establish
ments in ten minutes, rushed back to the
other table. She arrived just in time TO
| hear the croupier asking whom the louis
on seventeen belonged to. The number
| had turned up again.
| This time she brought the thirty-six
louis to the stranger.
! Dear me-, said he. taking the money.
IT Is very astonishing. But why did you
| trouble?"
| Because I'm woman of common
| He looked at the coins in his hand as
if they were shells which a child at the
| seaside might have brought him. and then
| raised his eyes slowly to hers.
| You are a very gracious lady" His
glance and tone checked an impulse of
evaporation. She smiled.
| AT any rate, I've won fifty-siX pounds
for you and you ought to he grateful"
He made little gesture OF acknowledge
| ment. Had he been a more dashing gem
| tleman he might have expressed his graft
| tude for the mere privilege of conversing
| with a gracious lady SO beautiful. They
had drifted from the outskirts OF the
crowded table and found themselves in
/ the thinner crowd Of saunterers. 1t was
the height of the Monte Carlo season. and
| the feathers and diamonds and rouge,
and greedy eyes and rusty bonnets of all
nations confused the sight and para!yzed
| thought. Yet among ali the women of
| both worlds Fora Middlemist stood out
remarkable. AS Septimus Dix afterward
| explained. the rooms that evening con-
| tanned a vague kind of cOnglomerate
woman and Fora Middlemist. And the
herd Of men envied the creature on whom
/ she smiled graciously.
! Size was dressed in black, as became
young widow. but it was black which
| bore no sign of mourning. The black,
sweeping ostrich plume of a picture hat
gave her an air of triumph. Black gloves
reaching more than half way up shapely
| arms and a gleam Of snowy neck above
a black chiffon bodice disquieted the
imagination. She lowered over her pres
ent companion, who was five foot seven
and SHINY built.
I You've brought me all this stuff. but
what am to do with it," he asked help
/ Iessly.
Perhaps L had better take care of it
for you
| It was a relief from the oppressive
\ loneliness TO talk to human being; so
she fingered wistfully in conversation A
pathetic eagerness came into the man
face.
Il wish you would" said he drawing
a handful from his jacket pocket. y
! should be 80 much happier
she laughed.
"Oh. no. It's not that at all Gambling
bores me-
| Why do YOU play, them
| Il don't. ; staked that louis because
wanted to see whether ] should be in :
| terested. ! wasn't, as / began to think
about the guns. Have you had break
J fast?"
| Again Fora was startled. a sane man
| does not talk of breakfasting at q O'Clock
in the evening. But il he were a luna,ic
perhaps i. were wise to humor him.
Yes she said. Have yOu?'
| NO. I've only just got up
DO You mean to say you've been asleep
all day?''
! What's the noisy day made for?'
| Let us sit down. said Fora
| They found one of the crimson couches
BY the wall vacant and sat down. Fora
Regarded him curiOusly.
Why should you be happier if l took
care OF your money!
| Il shouldn't spend 1t. I might meet a
| man who wanted to sell me a gas en-.
gine."
But you reedn't buy it,
| These fellows are so persIa sive vou
see. At Rotterdam last year "A man made
me buy secondhand dentists chair
| Are you a deHtst?' asked Fora
Lord. no. II l were / could have used
the horrible chair
What did you do with it,"
| - had Il packed up and dispatched,
carriage paid. TO an imaginary person at
Singapore
He made this announcement in his tired.
gentle manner, without the flicker of a
smile. He added. refiectively:
That sort of thing becomes expensive.
Don't you find It so?
Il would defy anybody to sell me a
thing ] dfdH'. want" she replied
''Ah. that said he. with a glance of
Histful admiration, that is because you
have red hair.
II any other strange male had talked
about her hair, Fora Middlemis, would
have drawn herself up in Junoesoue ma i
testy and blighted him with a glance She
had done with men and their compliments
forever. In that she prided herself on
her Amazonianism. But she could not
be angry with the inconclusive being ia
| whom she was talking. AS we'll resent
the ingenious remarks OF four-year- old
child.
What has my red hair to do with 1t
she asked pleasantly.
1T was red-haired man who sold me
the dentists chair"