Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-16

phcl &c Va adventure. IQelF name WdS S0A-
| lender. they were wealthy. and the track
beaten by the golden feet Of their prede-
cessors was good enough for them Tney
were generous and kindly. There was no
subtle complexity in their tastes they
liked the best, they. paid for It and they
| got 1T. The women were charming, cultt-
waited and eager for new sensations. They
round Fora new sensation because she
had that range of half tones which is the
heritage OF child Of an older, grayer
| civilization. Father and son delighted in
her. Most men did. Besides. she re-
| lfeved the family tedium. The family
| knew the Paris Of the rich Anglo-Saxon
and other rich Anglo-Saxons in Paris.
Zora accompanied them on their rounds.
They lunched and dined in the latest ex-
penstve restaurants in the Champs Ely
sees and the Bots: they went to races:
they walked up and down the Rue de la
Fafx and the Avenue de rOpera, and Wis
tied many establishments where the fe-
| male person Is adorned. After the theater
they drove to the Cabarets OF Mont
| martre where they met other Americans
and English, and felt comfortably certain
that they were seeing the naughty, shock
| ing underside of Paris. They also went
to the Louvre and to the Tomb of Ma
poleon. They stayed at the Grand Hotel.
| Paris in a queer. dim way of his own,
| and lived in an obscure hotel, whose
| name Fora could not remember. on the
| other side of the river. She introduced
| him to the Callenders. and they were
quite prepared to receive him into their
corporation. But he shrank from SO vast
a concoirse as six human beings; he
| seemed to be overawed by the multitude
Of voices. unnerved by the multiplicity of
personalities. The unfeathered owl blink
ed dazedly in general society as the feath-
cred one does In daylight. At first ne
tried to stand the glare for Zora's sake.
Come out and mix with people and en-
| joy yourself" cried Fora, when he was
yfvner Tn q
party on a Versailles excursion. Il want
you to enjoy yourself for once in your
| life. Besides-you're always so anxious
| to be human. This will make you human" "
do you think it will?' he asked, seri-
ously. IF you do, I'll come"
But at Versailles they lost him, and the
party, as a party, knew him no more.
What he did with himself in Paris Fora
could not imagine. A Cambridge acquaint-
ance-one Of the men on his staircase
| who had not yet terminated his dis
astrous career-ran across him In the
Boulevard Sevastopol.
''Why-if 1t isn't the Owl! What are
you doing?"
| "Oh-hooting," said Septimus
Which was more information as to his
activities than he vouchsafed to give
Fora. Once he murmured something
about a friend whom he saw occasion
ally. When she asked him where his
friend lived he waved an indeterminate
hand eastward and said, "There!' 1t was
| q friend. thought Fora, Of whom he had
no reason to be proud, for he prevented
further questioning by adroitly changing
the conversation to the price of hams.
But what are you going to do with
hams?"
Nothing" said Septimus: but when I
see hams hanging up in a shop I always
want to buy them They look so shiny
Zora's delicate nostrils shifted the faint
est perfume of q mystery; but moment
afterward the Callenders carried her off
to Ledoyens and LOngchamps and other
indubitable actualities, in which she for
got things less tangible. Long afterward
she discovered that the friend was an old
woman. a marchande des quatre SEASONS,
who sold vegetables in the Place de la
Republique. He had known her many
years, and as she was at the point OF
death he comforted her with blood pud-
dings and flowers and hams and the min
istrations Of an indignant physician. But
at the time Septimus hid his Good Samar-
itanism under q cloud Of vagueness.
Then came q period during which Fora
lost him altogether. Days passed. She
missed him. Life with the Calenders was
q continuous shooting of rapids. A quiet
talk with Septimus was an hour in
backwater curiously restful She began
to worry. Had he been run over by an
omnibus? Only an overcoming miracle
could bring him safely across the streets
of a great city. When the CalIenders
took her to the morgue she dreaded to
look at the corpseS.
II do wish knew what has become or
him. she said to Turner.
why not write to him, ma'am?" Tur-
ner suggested.
1--WE forgotten the name of his HOTEL,
said Fora, wrinkling her forehead.
The name Of the Hotel Quincamboeuf.
where he lodged. eluded her memory.
II do wish 1 knew" she repeated.
Then she caught an involuntary but T.
Illuminating CLEAN in Turner'S eye and she
babe her look for hairpins. Inwardiy she
gasped from the shock of revelation; then
she laughed to herself, half amused. half
indignant The preposterous absurdity
of the suggestion! But in her heart she
realized that, in some underlined human
fashion, Septimus Dix counted for some
thing in her life. What had become of
him?
At last she found him one morning sit
ting by table in the courtyard OF the
Grand Hotel, patiently awaiting her de-
scent BY mere chance she was un-Cal-
rendered.
why. what
The intended reproval died on her lips
as she saw his face. His cheeks were
hollow and white, his eyes sunken. The
man was i'll. His hand burned through
her glove. Feelings warm and new gush-
ed forth.
.'oh. my dear friend. what is the mat
teri"
II must go back to England. I came
to say goodbye. I've had this from
Wiggleswfck.
He handed her an open letter. She
waved it away.
That's of no consequence. Sit down.
You're i'll. You have high temperature.
You should be in bed
I've been,'' said Septimus. -Four
days"
And you've got up in this state? You
must go back at once. Have you seen a
doctor? No, Of course you haven't. Oh,
dear" She wrung her hands. You are
not fit to be trusted alone. I'll drive you
to your hotel. and see that you're COM
Portable and send for a DOCTOR.
i've left the hotel,' said Septimus.
I'm going to catch the IL train. My
luggage is on that cab"
But it's five minutes past II now. You
have lost the train-thank goodness"
I'm be in good time for the O'clock
said Septimus. ''This is the way I gen.
orally travel. l told YOU" He rose,
swayed bit and put his hand on the
table to steady himself. I'm 60 and wait
at the station. Then I'll be sure to catch
it. You see l must CO..
but why?" cried Fora.
"Wiggleswick' letter. The house has
been burned down and everything in it.
The only thing he saved was large por-
trait Of Queen Victoria"
Then he tainted. -
(To be continued tomorrow.)