Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-08
Septin!1t1ls':;
. =.
BY WILLIAM J..LOCKE
-~'r -
: Copyright. 1908. by the Phillips PUBLISH
bg Company
Copyright. 1909. by John Lane Company
CHAPTER XVIII-Continued.

| uc HdU arrived d couple VI HOuIS too Sooi
and patiently wandered about the station
Now and then he stopped before the en-
gines of trains at rest. fascinated, as III
always was, by perfect mechanism
driver. dismounting from the cab. ant
seeing him lost in admiration of the en-
CINE. passed him a civil word. to which
Septimus. always courteous, replied. The,
talked further.
81 see you're an engineer, SIR said the
driver. who found himself in conversation
with ali appreciative expert.
"My father was" said Septimus. Blu,
I could never get up in time for my ex-
aminations. Examinations seem so silly
Why should you tell a set Of men what
they know already?''
The grimy driver expressed the opinion
that examinations were necessary. He
who spoke had passed them.
Il suppose you can get up at any time, -
Septimus remarked. enviously. Some
body ought to invent machine for those
who can't"
you only want an alarm clock" said
the driver.
Septimus Shook his head They're no
good. l tried one once, but 1t made such
.! dreadful noise that l threw boot at
Old that stop it,"
NO" murmured Septimus. 1.-The boot
hit another clock on the mantelpiece. a
Louis Qufnze clock. and spoiled it. l did
get UP, but found the method too ex-
lpenSive, so Il never tried it again"
| The engine of an outgoing train blew
on steam. and the resembling din deaf
ened the station. Septimus held his hands
to his ears. The driver grinned.
Il can't stand that noise" Septimus ex-
planned. when 1t was over. "Once l tried
to work out an invention for modifying
1t. 1t was kind Of combination be-
tween gramaphOne ana an Orchestrion.
You stuck 1t inside somewhere, and in
music would come out of the funnel. In
fact, it might have gone on playing all
| the time the train was in motion. 1t
would have been. so CHEEKY for the
drivers. wouldn't it?"
The unimaginative mechanic, whose
wits were scattered by this fantastic
| proposition, used his bit of cotton waste
| as handkerchief. and remarked with
vague politeness that it was a pity the
gentleman was not an engineer. But Sep
timus deprecated the compliment. He
looked -wistfully up at the Orders of the
glass roof and spoke in his gentle, tired
voice.
You see,'' he concluded, 'if had been
have designed machinery in the orthodox
way should have, always put in little
things OF my own-and then God knows
| what would have happened"
He brought his eyes to earth with a
| wan smile, but his companion had van
ished. A crowd had filled the suburban
platform at the end of which he stood.
ana in g. few. moments the train clattered
lipffl WAeH Remembering that he was
hungry: he went to the refreshnient room,
he RECALLED himself on two hard-boiled
eggs and glass of sherry. The meal
| over, he loitered palely about the busy
station. jostled by frantic gentlemen in
silk hats rushing to catch suburban
trains, and watched grimly by police
man who suspected pocket-picking soul
beneath his guileless exterior.
| AT last, by especial grace of heaven, he
| found himself on the platform where the
lcustom-house barrier and the long line OF
waiting porters hera1ded the approach of
the continental train. Now that only a
i few moments separated him from Fora
his; heart grew cold with suspense. He
had not seen her since the night of EN-
| my's fainting fit. Her letters. though
| kind. had made clear to him her royal
displeasure at his unceremonious mar
| riage. For the first time he would look
into her gold-fiecked eyes out of dis
ingenious soul. Would she surprise his
guilty secret? 1t was the only thing he
feared in a bewildering world.
The. train came in. and as her carriage
fla hed by Fora saw, him on the platform
| with his hat off, passing his fingers nerv-
ously through his Struwel Peter hair. The
touch of the familiar welcoming her
brought moisture to her eyes. AS soon
as: the train stopped she alighted. and
leaving Turner (who had accompanied her
on the pilgrimage, and from Dover had
breathed feryent thanks to heaven that
at last she was back in the land of her
fathersl to look after her luggage, she
walked down the platform to meet him.
He was just asking porter at frantic
grapple with the hand baggage of a large
family whether he had seen a tall and
extraordinarily beautiful lady in the train.
when She came up to him with out
stretched hands and beaming eyes. He
took the hands and looked long at her.
unable to speak. Never had she appear
ed to- him more beautiful, more gracious
The royal waves Of her hair beneath a
queenliness. The full youth of her figure
not hidden by a, fur jacket brought to
him the generous woman. A bunch of
yiolets at her, bosom suggested the fra
grant essence Of her.
."Oh. it's good to see you, Septimus.- It s
good"' she. cried. 1.-The sight of you
makes. me feel as if nothing mattered in
the world except the people one cares for.
How are you?n
I'm very well indeed" said Septimus
Full of Inventions"
She laughed and guided him up the
platform through the cross-traffic of por-
tiers carrying luggage from train to cabs.
lis mother all right?" she asked, anx-
iously.
.'Oh, yes said Septimus.
And Emmy and the baby?'
s"Remarka bly.well. Emmy has had him
christeRed. l. wanted him to be called
after you: Zoroaster was, the only mans
| name l could think of. but she did not
like 1t, and SO she called it Octavius after
me. Also Oldrieve after the family, and
William = -t----'-
why William?''
AFTER Pitt said Septimus. in the tone
n hn hUi
She halted for moment, -perplexed.
"Pitt?'
Eyes; the great statesman. He's going
| to- be member Of parliament, you
know
"Oh," said Fora. moving slowly on.
His mother. says it's after the lame
donkey on the common. We used to call
1t William. He hasn't changed a bit since
you left
$50 the baby's full name is" said
Fora. ignoring the donkey.
William OctaYius Oldrieve Dix. It's
so helpful to a child to have a good
name"
II long to see him. said Fora.
Hes in Paris just now"
,'Paris?,,. she echoed.
"Oh, he's not by himself, you know"
Septimus FASTENED to reassure her. lest
she might think that the babe was alone
Tzsere 70 Only Ono