Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-11
Septin11s
By VII LIAM J.LOCKE
Copyright. 1905. By the Phillips Publish
i'V Company
Copyright, 1907. by John Lane Company
CHAPTER II--Continued.


and filled her lungs. It was still. moon
less night, and the stars hung low down.
like diamonds on a canopy OF black vel
vet. They made the fiaring lights OF the
terrace OF the Hotel and Cafe de Paris
look tawdry and meretricious.
81 hate them" she said, pointing to the
latter:
.'Stars are better" said her companion.
She turned on him swiftly.
How did you know I was making COM
parisons?'
II felt it," he nnurmured.
They walked slowly down the steps. AZ
the bottom a carriage and pair seemed
to rise mysteriously out OF the earth.
Ave a drive? Yer good carriage.
said a voice out of the dimness. Monte
Carlo cabmen are unerring in their divi-
nation Of the Anglo-Saxop.
WHY not? The suggestion awoke in
her an instant craving for the true beauty
of the land. 1t was unconventional. au-
dacious, crazy. But, again. why not!
Fora Middlemist was answerable for her
actions to no man or woman alive. Why
not drink a great drHught of the freedom
that was hers? What did 1t matter that
the man was q stranger? All the more
daring the adventure. Her heart beat
gladly. But chaste women. like children,
know instinctiveIy the man they can trust.
'.ShaH we?''
Driver"
.'Yes-unless--'' a thought suddenly
striking her-'unless you want to go
back to your friends"
Good Lord!" said he, aghast. as IL she
were accusing him Of criminal associa-
tons. 'I have no friends
"Then come"
She entered the carriage. He followed
meekly and sat beside her Where
gested the coast road to Mentone. She
agreed. On the point of starting she OBJ
headed.
You've forgotten your hat"
She spoke to him as she would nave
done to child.
"why bother about hats?''
you'll catch your death OF cold. Go
and get 1t at once"
He obeyed with a docility which sent
Middlemist. a woman may have an IN
ordinate antipathy to men, but she loves
them to do her bidding. Fora was
woman: she was also young.
He returned The cabman whipped up
his strong pair Of horses, and they start
ed through the town toward Mentone.
Fora lay back on the cushions and
drank in the sensuous loneliness or the
night-the warm, scented air, the velvet
and diamond sky, the fragrant orange
sroves-the dim, mysterious olive trees.
the looming hills, the wine-colored, silken
sea, with it's faint edging of lace on the
dusky sweep Of the bay. The spirit OF
the south overspread her with Its wings
and took her arnorously in its arms.
After a long, long silence she sighed.
remembering her companion.
Thank you for not talking" she said
softly
say I never talk. I've scarcely talked
for a year."
She laughed idly.
''Why?"
mo one to talk to. Except my man.
he added conscientiously. His name Is
IT hope he looks after you WE'LL said
Fora, with a touch OF maternal instinct.
HE wants training. That's what am
always telling him. But he can't hear.
interesting. He tells me about jails and
things"
"Jails?''
Yes. He spent most of his time In
prison. He was q professional burgiar-
but then he got on in years. Besides, the
younger generation was knocking at the
door"
II thought that was the last thing a
burglar would do" said Fora.
"They generally use jimrnies," he said
gravely. Wisgleswick has given me his
collection. They're very useful"
What for?" she asked.
ITO kill moths with" he replied dream
lily.
WHAT iiduo yOU tdhS q SoPSi Gil
nuated burglar for a valet?''
II don't know. Perhaps 1t was Wig
gleswick himself. He came up to me one
day as ] was sitting in Kensington Gar
dens and somehow followed me home"
but, good gracious" cried Zora-for-
getful for the moment of stars and sea
"aren't you afraid that he will rob your
mo. I asked him, and he explained.
You see, it would be out of his line. A
only chains ners sa ppes sn y
glar only burgles. Now, he couldn't bur-
gle the place in which he was living him
self, so / am safe"
Fora gave him sage counsel.
I'D get rid of him IL ! were you.
IF / were you, wouldn't l can't"
he replied. "If told him to go he
wouldn't. go instead sometimes. That's
why I'm here
"ff you go ON talking like that you'll
make my brain reel" said Fora, laugh
self. What is your name?
"Septimus Dix. I've got another
MISUNDERSTANDING Ajax Dix-but L
That's pity" said Fora Ajax is a
He dissented in his vague fashion.
Ajax suggests somebody who defles
lightning and fools about with a spear
It's silly name. A maiden aunt per-
think she mixed 1t up with Achilles. She
admired the statue in Hyde Park. She
got run over by a milk cart"
when was that?'' she inquired. more
out of politeness than interest In the
career of Mr.. Dix's maiden aunt.
"A minute before she died"
oh" said Fora. taken aback by the
emotioniess manner in which he men,
toned the tragedy. Then, by way of
continuing the conversation:
why are you called SeptimusY'
I'm the seventh son. All the others
died young. I never could make out why
didn't"
Perhaps" said Fora with a laugh, you
We're thinking of something else at the
time and lost the opportunity"
1T must have been that" said he. II
lose opportunities just as 1 always. lose
trains"
How do you manage to get any
where?''
II wait for the next train. That's easy.
But there's never another opportunity"
He drew a cigarette from his case, put
it in his mouth and fumbled in his pock-
cts for matches Finding none, he threw
the cigarette into the road.
That's just like YOU" cried Fora.
why didn't you ask the cabman for a
iight?"
She laughed at him with an odd sense
of intimacy, though she had known him
for scarcely an hour. He seemed rather
q stray child than a man. She longed
to befriend him-to do something for him.
motherwise-she knew not what. Her adj
venture by now had failed to be adven-
turous. The spice Of danger had van
ished. She knew she could sit beside
this helpless being till the day Of doom
- - L..