Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-19

for Sypher's Cure. how can you expect
them to pay millions for your Inventions
about It. Mrs. Middiemist's orders. I'm
here for rest. What are these? Proofs!
Writing novel?''
He held up the bundle with one OF his
kindly smiles and one Of his swift glances
at Septimus.
Its my book on guns
Can look?
Certainly"
Sypher Strengthened out the bundle-i'
was in page-proof-and read the title:
"a Theoretical Treatise on the Con
struction Of Guns OF Large Caliber. b!
Septimus Dix. NJ. A. He looked through
the pages 81 mis- seems like sense. but
there are text books. aren't there, giving
all this information?''
NO" said Septimus. modestly. 1t he
gins where the text books leave on. Ths
guns describe have never been cast.
Where on earth do you get your knowi
edge of artillery?
Septimus dreamed through the mists Of
memory.
"A nurse 1 once had married bonn
ba rider" said he.
Wiggleswick entered with the hacdocs
and other breakfast appnrtenances. ano
while Septimus ate his morning meal Sy'
pher smoked and talked and looke'
through the pages OF the treatise: IN
lamps lit and the curtains drawn. tn
| room had a cozier appearance than b.
day. Sypiler stretched himself comfort
ably before the fire.
I'm not in the way. am II?
Good heavens. nor said Septrus. -
was just thinking how pleasant IL was
I've not had a mar inside my rooms since
l was up at Cambridge-and then the.
didn't come often. except to rag.
What did they do?'
Septimus narrated the burnt umbrella
episode and other social experiences.
a
who does not throw my things about. M
is dOubly welcome he explained. BE
sides.' he added. after a drink of coffee
I'VE said something in Monte Carlo abou
being friends
I'VE did," said Sypher. land I'm GLAD
you've not forgotten 1t. I'm so much TIT
Friend of Humanity IN the bulk that I've
somehow been careless as to the indi
| vidual.'''
Have a drink. said Septimus. filling
his after-breakfast pipe.
The pistol shot brought Wiggleswick
who. in his turn. brought whisky ant
! soda, and the two friends finished thu
afternoon in great amity. Before taking
| his departure Sypher asked whether h
might read through the proofs Of the CUR
| book at home.
II think L know enough Of machiner,
and mathematics to understand wha
you're driving at. and I should like t
examine these guns OF yours. You thin.
| tlley are gong 10 WHIP creation
They'll make warfare too dangerous t.
be carried on. At present. however. In
more interested In my railway carriages.
Which will make railway travelling too
dangerous to be carried on" laughed Sy
pher, extending his hand. Goodbye"
When he had gone Septimus unused fe.
! some time in happy contentment over hi,
pipe He asked very little OF the world
and oddly enough the world rewarded his
modesty by giving him more than hs
asked for. Today he had seen Sypher II
a rev mood, sympathetic, unegotistical
non-robustious, and he felt gratified a
having won mans friendship. 1t was
an addition to his few anchOrages in life
Then in q couple Of hours he would sur
himself in the smiles of his adored mis-
tress. and listen to the prattle of his Other
friend, Emmy. Mrs. Oldrieve would bt
knitting by the lamp. and probably he
would hold her wool. drop 1t. and be-
scolded as IL he were member OF the
family: all OF which was a very gracious
thing to the sensitive. lonely man, warm
ing his heart and expanding his nature
1t filled his head with dreams-of won
an dwelling by right in this house OF his
and making the air fragrant by her pres
ence. But as the wOman-although hi
tried his utmost to prevent 1t and to con
jure up the form of a totally differer1
type-took the shape Of Fora Middlemist
he discouraged such dreams as maxim:
more for mild unhappiness than for JOY
and bent his thoughts to his guns ant
| railway carriages and other world-up
heaving inventions. The only thing tina
caused him any uneasiness was an over
draft at his bank due to cover which hi
had to pay on shares purchased for hin
by q circularizing bucket-shop keeper.
had seemed so simple to write .iessrs
Shark & Co., or whatever alias the phil
a couple Of hundred pounds. and receive
Messrs. Sharks check for two thousan<
in fortnight. that he had wondered why
other people did not follow this easy roat
to fortune. Perhaps they did. he reflected
that was how they managed to keep q
large family Of daughters ana a motor
car. But when the shark conveyed II
him in iinintelligible terms the fact thai
unless he wrote check for two or three
hundred pounds more his original STAKE
would be lost, and when these also Eel
through the bottomless bucket Of Messrs
Shark E. Co. and his bankers called hi:
attention to an overdrawn account, it be
gan to dawn upon him that these Were
not the methods whereby a large famil,
Of daughters and a motor car were un
precariously maintained. The loss die
not distress him to the point of sleepless
ness: his ideas as to the value Of none!
were as vague as his notions on the rear
ing OF babies; but he was publishing HI!
book at his own expense, and was con
cerned at not being in position to pa!
At Mrs. Oldrieve's he found his previ
sions nearly all fulfilled. Fora, with ;
sofaful Of railway time tables ard ocean
steamer handbooxs. sought his counsel al
to voyage round the world which sh
had in contemplat'on; Mrs. Oldrieve Inn
pressed on his memory recipe for a.
! onelet which he was To convey verbal.
to Wiggleswick, although he confessed
that the only omelet that Wiggleswicl
had tried to make they had used TO
months afterward as kettle holder; bu
Emmy did not prattle. She sat in cor
! ner. listlessly turning over the leaves of ;
novel and taking an extraordinary lacl
of interest I'm the general conversation
The usual headache and neuralgia sup
piled her excuse. She looked pale, ii
and worried: and worry on baby fac
is lugubriOus and pitiful spectacle.
After Mrs. Oldrieve had retired for tn,
night. and while Fora happened to be ab
| sent from the room in search of an atlas
Sept'mus and Emmy were left alone TO
moment.
(To be continued tomorrow)