Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-08
F. CHAPTER XVII.
The Sea, the Sand, the Stars.

~s~~>~S
telephoned as soon as l reached my
hotel and I had not known how much I
had hoped from seeing her until learned
that she was out OF town. hung up the
receiver. almost dizzy with disappoint-
ment and 1t was fully five minutes be-
fore I thought of calling up again and
asking II she was within telephone reach.
1t seemed she was down on the bay stay
Ing with the Samuel Forbeses.
Sammy Forbes! 1t was a name to con-
jure with just then. In the old days at
college 1 had rather fouted him, but now
l was ready to take him to my heart. 1
remembered that he had always meant
well. anyhow. and that he was explosive
ly generous. 1 called him up.
BY the fumes of gasolinet' he said
when 1 told him who I was. "Blakeley
the fount OF wisdom against woman!
Blakeley. the great unkissed. Welcome
to our city,"
Whereupon he proceeded to urge me to
come down to the Shack. and to say that
/ WIS an agreeable surprise. because four
times In two hours youths had called up
to ask II Alison West was stopping with
him. and to suggest that they had a va
cant day or two.
"Oh-M:ss Vest I shouted. politely
There was buzzing on the line. is
she there?''
Sam had no suspicious. Was not in
lis mind "lways the great unkissed p
which sounds like the great unwashed
ana Is even more of reproach. He
and thrust aside my objections.
Nonsense he said. Bring yourself
TIE lady that keeps my boarding house is
calling me to insist. You remember Doro-
thy. don't you. Dorothy Browne? She
says unless you rye lost your figure you
can wear my clothes all right. All you
need here is bathing suit for daytime
and dinner coat for evening"
1T sounds COOL" I temporized. II
you are sure / won't put you out-very
good enough. have a couple of d VS.
free. Give my love to Dorothy until
can do 1t myself"
Sam met me himself and drove me out
stantfal house overlooking the water. On
the way he confided to me that lots OF
married men thought they were contented
when they were merely resigned but that
1t was the only life. and tn Sam. jr.,
could swim like a duck Incidentally. he
said that Alison was his wife's cousin
their respective grandmothers having at
proper intervals, married the same man,
and that Alison would lose her good looks
II she W not careful.
Il say she's worried and I stick to it,
he said, as he threw the lines to groom
and prepared to get out. You know her,
and she's the kind of girl you think you
can read like book. But you can't:
at her at dinner. Bike; you won't lose
your head like the other fellows-and then
tell me what's wrong with her. We're
mighty fond of Allie
He went ponderously up the steps for
Sam had put on weight since knew him.
At the door he turned around. do you
happen to know the MacLures at Seal
Harbor?' he asked. irrelevantly. but Mrs
Sam came into the hall just then. both
hands out to greet me. and. whatever
Forbes had meant to say, he did not pick
up the subject again.
We are having tea in here Dorothy
said. gayly, indicating the door behind
her. Tea by courtesy, bee use I think
tea Is the only beverage that isn't repre-
scented. And then we must Dress for
this is hop night at the club.
Which is as great a misnomer as the
tea, Sam put in. ponderously struggling
night and the only hops are in the beer"
He was still gurgling over this as he
took me upst IRIS. He showed me my
room himself. and then began the fruit
me home that night from the club For
I couldn't wear Sans clothes. That was
clear. after pc. spring seance of a half
hour.
WOH 40 IL, . SAID, when 1
had draped his dress coat on ME tosa
fashion. who am l to have clothing to
spare. like this, when many poor chap
hasn't even a cellar door to cover him.
I won't do it: I'm selfish. but not that
selfish.
Lord" he i'd. wiping his face. "how
you've kept your figure! / can't wear a
belt any more: got to have suspenders."
He reflected over his grievance for some
time. sitting on the side of the bed. You
could go as you are" he said, finally
I'VE do it all the time. only tonight hap
pens to be the annual something or other,
and he trailed off into silence try
ing to buckle my belt around him. "A
good six inches he sighed. Il never
get into a hanson cab any more that I
don't expect to see the horse fly up in
the air. Well. Allie isn't going either.
She turned down Granger this afternoon,
the Annapolis fellow you met on the
stairs, pigeon-breasted chap-and she al
ways gets a headache on those occasions.
He got up heavily and went to the door.
Granger is leaving he said. Il may be
able to get his dinner coat for You. How
we'll do YOU know herr he asked, with
his hand on the knob.
IF YOU mean Dolly?
"Alison.''
Fairly WE'LL said. cautiously. Not
as we'll as l would like to- / dined with
her last week in Washington. And-I
knew her before that.
Forbes touched a bell instead of going
out and told the servant who answered
to see If Mr.. Changers suit case had
II not IN hiring II across tho hall