The Washington herald., 1911-02-07
CHAPTER I I-Continued.


their glances, drawn by some occult force.
half circled until they paused on the face
Of the girl. who. perhaps compelled by
the same invisible power. had leveled her
eyes in their direction. With well-bred
calm her interest returned to her COM
panions. and the incident was. to all out
ward sign. closed. Whatever took place
behind tha, beautiful but Indifferent mask
no one else ever learned but stimuli
taneously in the minds of these two
adventurers-and surely, to call man
an adventurer does not necessarily i'm
ply that he is a chevalier d'industrie-
thought. tinged with regret and lone
illness. was born; to have and to hold
a maid like that. Love at first sight is
the false metal some etimes offered by
poets as gold. in quatrains, distiches,
verses. and stanzas. tolerated because
of the license which allows them to
give passing interest the rame of love.
If these two men thought of love it was
only as bystanders. witnessing the pomp
and panoply-favored phrase!-of Venus
and her court from a curbstone. might
have thought OF it. Doubtless they had
had an affair here and there, over the
broad face Of the world, but there had
never been any barbs on the arrows.
thus easily plucked out
Sometimes, knowing that shall never
he rich. I have desired a title" remarked
Fitzgerald. humorously.
And what would you do with it,"
curiously
Oh. I'd use it against porters, and
walters, and officials. There's nothing
like it. / have observed good deal.
1t has a magic sound. like OrpheuS'
Tyre: the stiffest back becomes supine
at the first twinkle Of it,
Il should like to travel with you. Mr.
Fitzgerald said Breitmann. musingly.
You would be good company. Some
day, perhaps. I'll try your prescription:
but I'm only poor devil of home
less. landless baron
Fitzgerald sat up. You surprise me-"
''Yes. However, neither my father nor
my grandfather used it. and as the pitt
full few acres which went with it is
sterile Bavarian hillside. I have never
used it, either. Besides, neither the
Peerage nor the Almanach de Gotha make
mention Of it: but still the patent Of
nobility was legal. and I could use it
despite the negligence Of those two au-
thorities.''
You could use it in America. There
are not many 'Burke's' there"
1T amuses me to think that 1 should
good. and perhaps-perhaps I was hum
CRY. Accept what I have told you as
a jest"
They both became untalkative as the
coffee came.
Fitzgerald was musins over the i'm
pulse which had seized him in asking
Breitmann to share his dinner. He was
genuinely pleased that he had done so.
however: but it forced itself upon him
that some time or other these impulses
would land him In difficulties. On his
part the recipient Of this particular i'm
pulse was also meditating: Napoleon
had been utterly forgotten. verbally at
least. Well. perhaps they had thrashed
out that interesting topic during the
afternoon. Finally he laid down the
end Of his cigarette.
Il have to thank you very much for
q pleasant evening, Mr.. Fitzgerald
Glad I ran into you. 1t has done me
40 end of good. I leave for the East
seeing you in the Balkans this fall?'
mo. I am going to try my luck in
America again. Il
my club address you will find on my
card. You must go? It's only the shank |
II the evening"
Il have q little work to do. Some day
hope may be able to set As good a |
timer. before you"
Better have q cigar"
mo, thank you"
And Fitzgerald liked him none the less |
'or his nrmness. So he went as far as |
he entrance with him.
Don't bother about calling q cab."
aid Breitmann. 1T has stopped RAIN |
ng, and the walk will tone me up.
Goodnight and good luck
And they parted. neither ever expect |
ne to zee the other again, and equally |
:areless whether they did or not
Breitmann walked rapidly toward the
iver. crossed, and at length entered q
Iloomy old pension oyer q restaurant |
fequented BY bargemen. students, and
human drfftwood. A he climbed the
adly lighted stairs, . little. gray.hAired
uan. wearing spectacles, passed him. /
,oming down. A pardon was mum
led, and the little man preceded into
ho rsstamant picked . Figaro from /
he table Uttered with newspapers. en-
couced himself In. . coanfoetable chair. i
~ ogedorUd co6eG Ne one gave him
beeo thaa cmsaey gi1ncs, Ths quar-.
= 80 61io1nk h1e es1inas1Iy ra9poe-