Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-10
Septinnc1s
By WILLIAM J.LOCKE
Copyright, 1905. by the Philips Publish
ing Company
(Copyright. 1907 by John Lane Company



scorn for a prophetic popinjay. She had
broken no mans heart and her own was
whole. Tho tribes Of Grim Tartary had
exhibited no signs OF worry and had left
taken rapturous delight in cathedrals, ex-
pensive restaurants and the set pieces OF
fashionable scenery. Rattenden had not
q prophetic leg to stand on.
for the elusive something OF which these
felicities were but symbols. Now the
wanderer, with a haunting sense OK the
BEYOND. but without the true vagabond $
divine gift OF piercing the veil. can Only
follow the obvious; and there are seasons
when the obvious fails to satisfy. When
such a mood overcame her mistress Tur-
ner rallied at the upsetttnE quality OF for
eign food and presented bcarbonate or
soda. She arrived BY different path at
the unsatisfactory nature OF the obvious.
Sometimes, too. the pleasant acquatnt-
ances OF travel were lacking and loneii-
ness upset the nice balance OF Fora
nerves. Then. more than ever, did she
pine for the Beyond.
Yet youth. receptivity, imagination kept
her buoyant. Hope lured her on with re
newed promises from city to city. AZ
last on her horneward Journey, he Whis-
pered the magic name of Monte Carlo.
and her heart was afutter in anticipation
OF wonderland.
She stood bewildered. lonely and dis
MAYED I'm the first row behind the chairs
lingering an empty purse. She had been
In the rooms ten minutes and she had
lost twenty louis. Her last coup had been
successful, but a bland Old lady. with the
white hair and waXen face of sainted
motherhood, had swept up her winnings
so unconcernedlv that Zora's brain began
to swim. As she felt too strange and shy
to eypostulate she stood lingering her
empty purse.
The scene was utterly different from
what she had expected. She had imag-
ined a gay. crowded room. wild gamblers
shouting in their excitement, band play
ing delirious waltz music, champagne
corks popping merrily. painted women
laughing. jesting loudly, all kinds of rev.
elry, and devilry and bacchic things I'M
dreamed Of This was silly OF her. no
doubt, but the Stiffness OF inexperienced
young women Is matter for the pity,
not the Reproduction. of the jud!cious II
they take the world for their oyster. and
think, when they open ii. they are going
10 find pearl necklaces ready-made. we
must rot blame them. Rather let hoary-
headed sinners envy them their imagin-
ings.
Tho corners Of Fora Middlemists ripe
lips dropped with child's pathOs OF dis
Eiusionment. Her nose deicately mark
ed disgust at the heavy air and the dis
cord of scents around her. Having lost
her money she could afford TO survey with
scorn the decorous yet sordid greed of the
crowded table. There was not CLEAN
of gayety about il. The people behaved
with the correct impassiveness OF an An
slican congregation. She had heard of
more jocular funerals.
She forgot the intOxication of her first
gold and turquoise day at Monte Carlo
A sense OF ioneliness-such as a solitary
dove might feel in wilderness Of evil
bats-oppressed her. Had she not been
tractive woman and the object of IN
Vulnerable glances. she would have cried.
And twenty louis pitched into unprott-
able space: Yet she stood half fascinated
H. "a 10 ~
volving disc, the glitter of the gold. the
soft pat Of the coiIe on the green cloth
as they were thrown by the croupier. She
began to make imaginary stakes. For
five coups in succession she would have
won. II was exasperating There size
stood having pierced the innermost mys-
terry OF chance. without even q ve-franc
piece in her purse. ..
shoulder. ard she saw q hand in front OF
her holding a louis. 1nstinctively she
took II.
Thanks said tired voice. Il can't
reach the table"
She threw 1t. en- plein, on No. IL: and
then with start. realizing what she had
done, she turned with burning cheeks.
Il am so sorry"
Her glance met pair Of unspec native
blue eyes. belonging to the owner of the
tired voice. She noted that he had a sal
low face, little brown mustache and a
shock of brown hair, curiousiy upstand-
ing, ike StFNWeI PcterS.
II am SO sorry" she repeated. "Piease
ask for 1t back What did you want me
TO play
Il don't know. 1t doesn't matter, so
!ong az you've put it somewhere
But I've put ii en- plein on seventeen"
she urged. II ought to have thought
what was doing"
why Think he murmured
Mrs. Midjlemist turned square TO the
table and fixed her eyes on the stakei
louis. In spite OF the blue-eyed mans
implied acquicscence she Eel: uualins of
responsibility. Why had she not played
on all even chaAce. or one OF the dozens
or even a transversaie? To add to her
seventeen. The whole table seemed ST.
The croupiers had completed the pay
ments OF The last coup; The marble fell
with its sharp click and whizzed and rat
tied around the disc. Fora held her
breath. The marble found its compart-
nlent at last and the croupier announced:
Dix.sept. noir. impair ct manquc."
She had won. A sigh OF relief Shook
ter BOSOM Not only had she not lost q
strangers money, but she had won for
him thtrty-fve times his stake. She
watched the louis greedily lest IT should
i'eriiaps the or.1y Impossible thing that
could not happen at Monte Cario-and
stretched OUT her arm past the bland old
lady in tense determination to Illustrate
further felonious proceedings. The Group
pier pitched seven large gold coins across
the table. She ciutched them feverishly
and turned 20 deliver them 70 their
owner. He vas nowhere to be seen. She
broke through the ring, and with h ::
hands full OF gold scanned the room in
dismayed perple1itv.
At last she espied him standing de ec.-
ediy by another table. She rushed across
the intervening space and held out the
money.
See, YOU have won't
Oh. Lord murmured the man, re-
moving his hands from his dinner cket
pockets, but not Offering TO take his win
ntnss What a lot OF trouble ] have
given you
Why didn't you etay?"
don't know" he replied. How can
ona tell why one doesn't do things"
Well please take the money now and
let me get nd OF H. There are seven
pieces of five louis each.'
She counted the coins into his hand.
had forgotten 10 claim the original lo.is
which she had staked Where was II?
What had become of II" As we'll try she
thought. to fish up q coin thrown into the
sea- She felt like q thieS.
There ought 20 be another louis" she
stammered.
1T doesn't matter" said the man.
But II does matter. You might think
that IL kept it,
That's too absurd" he answered. Are
you interested in guns"
"Guns?"
ShA s$ay>h hir, liz ~,,<.