Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-24
CHAPTER II.
An American Consul.

The nights in Dreberg during Septem-
Der are often chill The heavy mists
from the mountain slip down the granite
cliffs and spread over the city. melting al
sharp outlines. enfeebling the gas lamps
and changing the moon, If there happens
to be one, into something less than a
| moon and something more than a pewter
/ disk. And SO il was this night.
! Carmichael. in order to finish his cigar
on the little balcony fronting his window
found it necessary to put on his light
overcoat. though he perfectly knew that
[ he was in no manner forced to smoke on
the balcony. But the truth was he
| wanted a clear vision of the palace and
the lighted windows thereof. and Of one
| in particular. He had no more sense
than Tom-fool, the abetter of follies She
was as far removed from him as the
| most alien of the planets; but the mag
net shall ever draw the needle. and a
woman shall ever draw a man. He knew
| that it was impossible that 1T grew more
| impossible day by day. and he rallied at
himself bitterly and satirically.
He sighed and teetered his legs. A sigh
moves nothing forward, Yet it is as es-
sential as life itself. 1t is the safety
thing i'm laughter, the last thing i'm tears.
/! One signs in entering the world and in
| leaving 1t. perhaps in protest. child
| signs for the moon because it knows no
better. Carmichael sighed for the Prin-
| cess Hildegarde, understanding. 1t was
| sigh or curse, and the latter mode of ex-
preston wastes more vitality. Oh, yes;
they made over him, as the world goes
| they dined and wined him and elected
him honorary member to their clubs:
they patted him on the back and called
him captain: but it was all in a negi-
gent liberation that turned every pleas
ure into rust.
Arthur Carmichael wassIrish. He was
born in America, educated there and else
where little while in Paris. little while
| at Bonn. and. like all Irishmen, he was
baned with the wandering foot; for the
| man who Is homeless by choice has q
subtle poison in his blood. He was at
| Bonn when the civil war came. He went
| back to America and threw himself into
| the fight with all the ardor that had
| made his forebears famous In the service
| of the worthless Stuarts. 1t wasn't a
! question with him of the mere love OF
! fighting. of tossing the penny he knew
with which side he wished to fight. He
| joined the cavalry of the north. and ham,
mered and fought his way to a captaincy
He was wounded five times and impris-
oned twice. His right eye was still weak
| from the effects of a powder explosion
| and whenever it bothered him he wore
| a single glass, abOminating, as all sol
ders do. the burden Of spectacles. At the
| end of the conflict he returned TO Wash
/! ineton.
| And then the inherent curse put a hand
on his shoulder; he must be moving. His
| parents We're dead: there was no anchor
nor had lying ambitions enmeshed him
/ There was little property. the income
/ from which was enough for his wants.
Without any influence whatever. save his
pleasing address and his wide education.
he blarneyed the State Department out
| of a consulate. They sent linn to Ehren-
stein. at q salary not worth mentioning.
with the diplomatic halo Of dignity as a
! tail to the kite. He had been in the serv-
ice some two years by now. and those
| who knew him we'll rather wondered at
his sedative turn of mind. Two years in
any one place was not in reckoning as re-
| garded Carmichael; yet. here he was,
| caring neither for promotion nor ex-
change. So. then. all logical deductions
simmered down to one: Cherchez la
femme.
| tried in court nor settled out of it; and
he realized that 1t would be far better to
weigh anchor and set his course for other
parts But no man ever quite forsakes
| his dream-woman; and he had endued a
princess with all the shining attributes
Of an angel. when had he known 1t. she
was only angelic.
The dreamer Is invariably tripping over
his Illusions. and Carmichael was rather
boyish in his dreams. What absurd ro-
mances he was always weaving round
her. What exploits on her behalf. But
never anything happened, and never was
the grand duke called upon to offer his
benediction.
1t was all very foolish and romantic and
impossible. and no one recognized this
more readily than he. No American ever
married a princess OF reigning house
and no American ever will. This law is
as immovable AS the law of gravitation.
Still, man is master Of his dreams, and