Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-31

l I I, i
regard it as mere physical function, &
pump, q motor. power that gives actor
to the legs, either in coming or in going
more especially in going" He laughed
the law. And to think that she could
plan all this on the spur of the moment,
down to the minutest detail! It's a sci
ence." He put the letter away. slid out
his legs and glared at the dusty tips OF
his shoes. 1.-THE United Romance and AID
venture Company. Ltd, of New York
London and Paris. She has the greatest
gift Of all. the sense of humor.'
He rose and opened his kit bag doubt.
fully. He rummaged about in the depths
and at last Strengthened up with a mild
oath.
Not pair Of cuffs in the whole out
mt, not shirt. not a collar. Oh, well,
when a man has to leave Bagdad the way
| did. over the back fence. so to speak,
| linen doesn't count
He drew down his cuffs. detached and
reversed them, he turned his folding col
lar wrong side out, and used the under
side Of the foot rug as a shoe polisher.
| 1t was the ingenious procedure of man
who was used to being out late Of nights,
who made all things answer all purposes.
This rapid and singularly careless toilet
completed. he conferred his concern upon
! the more vital matter Of finances He
| was close to the nadir-four sovere1gns, a
| horin and a collection of battered cop
pers that would have tickled the pulse of
| an amateur numiSmatist.
| NO vintage tonight, my boy: no long.
fat Havana, either. bottle of stout
| and few rags of plug cut; that's the
pace we'll travel this evening. The
| United Romance and Adventure Company
Is not listed at present. If it was I'd sell
a few shares on my own hook. The kind
Lord knows that I've stock enough and to
spare" He laughed again, but without
killer snatches up the last fool, let rogues
| look to themselves; and fools are getting
scarcer every day.
! "Percival Algernon! age Of poets!
| spats, or has she plumbed him accurate
ly? She is generally right. But a man
| changes some In seven years. I'm an
| authority when 1t comes to that. Look
what's happened to me in seven years!
First, Horace, we shall dine. then Wen
smoke our pipe in the billiard room, then
| We'll softly approach Percival Algernon
and introduce him to Sinbad. This indie
pendent excursion to Bagdad was stroke
| on my part; it will work into the general
plan as smoothly as If 1t had been
grooved for the part. Sinbad. 1 might
just as we'll have assumed that name
Horace Sinbad, sounds we'll and looks
WELL" He unused in silence. his hand
gently rubbing his chin; for he did pos
sess the trick of talking aloud. in low
monotone. a habit acquired during periods
OF loneliness, when the sound Of his own
voice had succeeded in steadying his tot
teYing mind.
What a woman, what wife, she would
have been to the right man! Odd thing, a
man can do almost anything but direct
his affections; they must be drawn. She
was not for him: nay, not even on
desert isle. Doubtless he was a fool. In
time she would have made him a rich
man. Alack! 1t was always the one we
pursued that We loved and never the one
that pursued us.
I'm afraid of her: and there you are
There isn't a man living who has gone
back Of that Mona Lisa smile Of hers.
If she was the last woman and I was the
last man, 1 don't say" He hunted for a
cigarette, but failed to find one almost
content. and no sun Of York to make 1t
glorious. Twenty-four hundred at cards.
and to lose it like tyro! Wallace has
taught me all he knows, but I'm a BOBBY
Twenty-four hundred. firms money. It's
failing Of mine, the firms money. But.
damn it all. can't cheat a man at cards;
I'd rather cut his throat"
He found his pipe, and careful search
of the corners of his coat pockets re-
vealed a meager pipeful Of tobacco. He
picked out the little balls Of wool, the
ground coffee, the cloves. and pushed the
charge home into the crusted bowl of his
briar.
ITO the devil with economy. A pint of
burgundy and a perfecto if they hale us
to jail for 1t. I'm dead tired I've seen
three corners in hell In the past two
months. I'm going as far as four sover
eigns will take me. Fortune Ched-
soye." His blue eyes became less hard
and his mouth less defiant II repeat,
the heart should be nothing but pump.
Otherwise it gets In the way, becomes an
obstruction. bottomless pit Will power.
that's the ticket. ] can face lion with
out an extra beat, can face the various
countenances Of death without an addi-
tional fiutter: and yet, here's girl who,
when / see her or think of her. sends the
eighty-four Bad business: besides, it's
SO Internally questionable. It's hard
work for a man to keep his balance 'twixt
| the devil and the deep, blue sea: GiOconda
on one side and Fortune on the other.
Gioconda throws open windows and doors
| at my approach: but Fortune locks and
bars hers. nor knocks at mine. That's
| the way it always goes.
'If man could only go back ten years
and take new start. ASST baIling his
fist at the reflection in the mirror. "SniveI
and whine over the bed Of your own MAX
ing. You had your opportunity. but you
listened to the popping of champagne
corks. the mutter of cards, the inane
college record. too Bah! What a guile
less fool you werei You ran on, didn't
you. till you found your neck in the loon
at the end Of the rope? And perhaps that
soft-fOoted, eStimable brother of yours
| didn't yank it taut as a hangman's? You
heard the cOdicil: into one ear and out
the other. Even then YOU had your
! chance: patience for two short years and
a million. No. thousand times no. You
knew what you were about, empty-head
ed fool. And today, two pennies for a
dead mans eyes"
He dropped his fist dejectedly. Where
had the first step begun? And where
| would be the last? In some drab corner,
possibly: drink. morphine or starvation;
! he'd never have the courage to finish it
with bullet. He was terribly bitter.
Everything worth while seemed to have
slipped through his fingers, his pleasure
loving fingers.
Come. come. Horace: buck up. Still
the ruby kindles in the vine. No turning
back now. Well go on till we come
bang! against the wall There may be
| some good bouts between here and there.
wonder what Gioconda would say II she
knew why was so eager for this game?"
| He went down to dinner. and they gave
| him a table in an obscure corner as a
subtle reminder that his style was passe.
He didn't care: he was hungry and
thirsty. He could see nearly every one,
even II only few could see him. This
| was somewhat to his vantage He en-
deavored to pick out Percival Algernon;
| but there were too many high collars, too
| many monocles. So he contented himself
| with mild philosophical observance of
| the scene. The murmur OF voices, rising
| as the wall Of the viOlins sank, sinking as
| the wall rose; the tinkle of glass and
| china, the silver and linen, the pretty
! women in their rustling gowns, the deli
4 cate perfumes, the flash of an arm, the
| CLINT Of polished shoulder-this was the
essence Of life he coveted. He smiled at