Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-22


hat he was to have action OF some kind and
to have an opportunity to get away from
himself and think, Dick suggested that they go
Dut and buy the necessary garments, ana to-
,ether they left the garden after explaining
heir mission to the two girls, who were still on
The veranda.
FOR the first time since they had known each
other. Charlotte and Margaret were mutu-
ally depressed. The Consuls daughter, whose
smiling lips were usually opened IN quick
speech, free laughter, careless song. sat with
a magazine in her lap, her hands dropped over
the opened pages, and her eyes troubled and
distracted pathetic little drOop had come
to sadden the lines of her mouth and she was
HStleSS.
The stately English girl. whose intense calm
always most noticeable, had grown even
more quiet. but without conveying her Gus
tomarv sense of repose. And yet Miss Clarke
was extending to her friend great sympathy,
feeling that, if she about to bid goodby to
the man who held her affections and had given
his in return she too would watch for the hour
of parting with dread. She did not believe her
brothers statement that there was no peril in
the trip: for she knew that in no circumstances
would he have told her if there was. She, bet
ter almost than he himself, had read his atti-
tude toward Miss Marshall. and knew that the
revelation of the previous day had inflicted a
sickening wound.
She was not quite sure that she understood
Americans. the strange, buoyant, careless race
which it had long been weaned. 1t was SO like and
vet unlike in appearance, custom, and thought,
and yet to the English mind must always pre-
sent a riddle of completely. She was being
driven to the conclusion by all she had seen
that it was due to a lack OF reverence; but
with this thought came the remembrance OF
the quaint crude Westerner. so anxious to
make good out of place IN diplomatic
service, and yet bearing affection and sor-
row that had lasted for so many years, who
would fedl
of his life. 1t could not be that in him was any
thing less than reverence so profound that 1t
was too sacred for words. She remembered the
hating sentences, the throb in the voice, and
the tightly clutched hands when he told for the
first time of the loss of his wife 1t must be,
she reasoned that the daughter was like the
father and, although speaking from the heart
but seldom, had depths into which Others
might rarely gaze. depths like those still.
shadowy places in pools, whose surfaces give
no hint of what lies below and dance, ripple.
and glitter in the sunlight.
HELLO!" big hearty voice called Where's
IL everybody" The Consul approached
with a huge bundle in his arms, his silk hat on
the back of his head, and his forehead beaded
with perspration from what must have been
long walk.
"A fororn portion of everybody is here
Charlotte answered as he came UP the steps.
dropped his bundle removed his hat, and
mopped his forehead with huge handkerchief.
L he other portion mas gone shopping.
Shopping, Ell? Well that's just what I've
been dom And, say. I've got some real
souvenirs for my two girls-you really are my
girl. amt you, little Miss Clarke? Lord bless
the pair of you! Now, you see it was like this:
I'd been over to see a friend of mine who runs
one of the jails and as l come out into court
yard an old Teller with long beard who is kind
of a Sultans auctioneer was goin' on about the
rare prizes he had to offer from sheik whose
possessions had been grabbed when he got
caught in a conspiracy and had to leave be-
tween daylight and dark, with few hundred
soldiers chasin him and his family. So l
bought right nice interestin' things for
you two.
He squatted down over his bundle, pulled
out huge worn knife and cut the cords that
bound it, and then as he began unwrapping
many folds of course paper went on. Packed
it home myself. Wouldn't trust anybody to
tote it for me. Now you two just keep back
there. l punished Charlie once for bein' too
curious, and l don't want to lam you, Margaret,
because you re too big.
The English girl forgot her troubles and
laughed heartily. Charlotte smiled and drew
her chair farther away as if seeking safety. and
he dragged out the first package. From it he
took two gorgeously beautiful blouses such
are worn by favorites of princely harems, laden
with embroidery of seed pearls and coral in
different colors tinkling with tiny pendants of
gold and CATCHING the light from their velvet