Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-30

loped his fancies with loose rein. He
haunted the romantic quarters Of the
globe he hunted romance. burrowed and
plOwed for it; and never his spade changed
musically against the hidden treasure,
never a forlorn beauty in distress. not SO
much as chapter one of the golden book
offered its dazzling first page. George
lost some confidence.
Two or three times a woman looked
into the young mans mind, and in his
guilelessness they effected sundry holes
in his letter of credit, but left his soul
singularly untouched. The red corpuscle,
his fathers gift, though it lay dormant.
subconsciously erected barriers. He was
innocent, but he was no fool. That one
year taught him the lesson, rather cheap
ly, too. If there was any romance in life.
it came unlimited. and II courted and
sought was as quick on the wing as that
erstwhile pOesy muse.
The year passed, and while he had not
wholly given up the quest. the practical
George agreed with the romantic Percival
to shelve it Indefinitely. He returned to
New York with thirty pounds sterling
out of the original thousand, fact that
rejuvenated his paternal parent by some
ten years.
Jane. that boy is all right Percival
Algernon could not kill boy like that"
DO you mean to infer that it ever
could?" Sometimes qualm wrinkled her
conscience. Her mothers heart told her
that her son ought not to be shy and
bashful. that it was not in the nature or
his blood to suspect ridicule where there
was none. Perhaps she had Handicapped
him with those names: but 1T was too late
now to admit of this, and useless. since
it would not have remedied the evil.
Jones hemmed and hawed for space.
NO" he answered; but I was afraid he
might try to live up to it; and no PercivaI
Algernon who lived up to it could put his
nose down to a Shah Abbas and tell how
many knots it had to the square inch. I'll
start him in on the job tomorrow"
WhereupOn the mother sat back dream
lily. Now where was the girl worthy her
boy? Monumental question. besetting
every mother from Eve down: Eve. whose
trials in this direction must have been
heartrending.
George left the cellar in due time. and
after that he went up the ladder in
bounds on his own merit. mind you. for
his father never stirred hand to boost
him. He took the interest in rugs that
turns buyer into a collector: it became
fascinating pleasure rather than a bust
ness. He became Invaluable to the house.
and acquired some fame as Judge and
an appraiser. When the chief buyer re-
tired George was given the position. with
an itinerary that carried him half way
Turkey Persia. Arabia and India. the
lands Of the genii and the bottles. of ara
besques, of temples and tombs. OF many
colored turbans, and flowing robes and
distracting tongues. He walked always
in a kind of mental enchantment.
The suave and elusive Oriental. with his
sharp practices, found his match in this
pleasant young man. who knew the his
tory of the very woods and cottOns and
silks woven in a rug or carpet So
George prospered. became known in
strange places by STRANGE peoples: and
saw romance, light Of foot and eager Of
eve. pass and repass: learned that ro-
nance did not essentially mean falling in
houses and wrecks: that. on the contrary,
true romance was Kaleidoscope. having
more brilliant facets than diamond: and
that the man who begins with nothing
and ends with something is more Won
derful than any excursion recOurted by
Sindbad or any tale by Scheherezade. But
he still hoped that the iridescent goddess
would some dav touch his shoulder and
lead him into that maze Of romance so
peculiar to his own fancy.
And then into this little world of bust
ness and Measure came death and death
a"ain. leaving him alone and with q
twisted heart. Riches mattered little and
the sounding title Of vice president still
less. 1t was with distinct shock that he
realized the mother and the father had
been with him so lone that he had for
gotten TO maize other friends. From one
thin" 10 another he turned in hone to
Snothe the smart to heal the wound. AMI
after n t'r,e he dr'fted as all shy in
te'Frert ar1 ina CT ativn men DRIFT who
ire f-ir n6less, into the silent and intimate
corrra 4 shin of 'ranimate things Such as
iev-eis worries. ia metals rare woods and
ancient enGhroideries and. nerhars more
co-TfOrtin" than AL these good books.
The rronor tale of how the aforesaid
ifidescent goddess iost'ed for it scarce
rav he said that she ledb him into ro-
nance larkin~ neither comedy nor
ira ~e6v. nov beCirs with a frif1ing bit OF
retroSpection. One Of those women who
We're not good and who looked into the
clear pool of the bows mind saw the
harmless longing there and made note.
hoping 10 find profit bv her knowledge
when the pertinent day arrived. She was
a woman pleasing, SO handsome. so
adroit that many a man, older and wiser
than GEORGE found her mesh too strong
for him. Her plan matured. suddenly and
brilliantly. as projects Of men and women
If her class and caliber without variation
DO.
Late one December afternoon ito be
precise. 1909. George sat ON the tea