The Washington times., 1911-03-19

D Sell ana ms peCuEdr dDllIleS. ne udu
further, a letter of introduction to d
certain editor. a bag full of manu-
scripts-the which he termed copy
and not a friend in all New York. II
will be noted that he was possessed OF
all those handicaps which go to point
out a successful career.
On the run down from Albany he met
Haigh in the smoking-car. Haigh asked
Curtice for a match. He was obliged,
and the two drifted into that guarded
conversation which marks the inter-
course of casual acquaintance Botn
were young, neither feared the sound
of his own voice; yet both, to degree,
We're citizens of the world, and eau
tious. They had lived through variety
of experiences, widely differing; were
seasoned, and had learned that II Is
wise to put no more trust in your fel-
low. man than may be needful. Hence
they generalized good-humoredly, neith-
er learning over-much of the other S
history.
Curtice was tall and spare. with the
1.-THE leanness which comes from knock
ing about and using your brains when
sensible people-people who buy and
read your stories-are snugly tucked
sway in their beds, unmindful of the
fact that Struggling Young Genius is
pounding a typewriter In a cold. bare
room up four flights of stairs, More
Uvey, he was good-looking, judged by
the standards of the day; and there
was a certain sweet firmness bout the
set of his jaw which inclined men and
women to like him, and to ask ard
accept his advice upon important mat
tiers. Twenty-eight years of clean liv-
ing and of contact with all sorts and
conditions of men, during which he had
frequently looked want squarely in the
eye and talked back TO the wolf that
howled upon his door-sill, had mellowed
his nature, giving him some knowledge
of himself and his limitations, apd
some confidence in his powers Those
who came TO know him well loved him
and called him Jimmy; but these had
Mich OF this Daniel 9aigh saw or
gathered from their talk; and the law
Of the attraction of opoosites being still
IN force. he took liking 10 Curttce,
unbent, and invited him TO call when
ever he got settled" For Haigh was
short, and plump with good living, no
Weakling, Yet lacking in initiative to
some extent II developed that he
painted pictures which didn't sch, and
lived in hive of studios which he call
ID the Barracks. He was good sort,
and Jimmy accepted his card and the
invitation.
AS the train plunged into the tunnel,
the two lapsed into thoughtful silence.
The Journeys end gave food for ConSld-
Grafton. For the one, there were new
conditions 10 be faced and living to be
carved out of that most unstable OF pro
LESSONS, the writer's end of the publish
ing business. For the other, there was
TIE old life TO be taken up after a long
absenCe, the Old ties TO be renewed, the
old ambitions TO be revived; and this
upou an aching heart. Poor, plump lit
tie Daniel Haigh. The stalwart of ro-
ma ntic fiction we have always with US;
but who shall write US the love stories
OF little men?
Somewhere in the tunnel there was
trouble The train came TO a grinding
halt, and waited for several minutes.
Another train. outward bound, fingered
on the opposite track, and 1t was so
ordered that the window by which the
two men sat looked directly upon one OF
its staterooms. Haigh paid no atten.
ton TO this fact; he was telling himself
and believlng-that thereafter life
for him held naUght but empty huSks
the while he sucked doletuiIy at the
stem Of his pipe and moLrnfully regard
ed the tips of his small, vanished boots
But Curice looked, and so doing gave
vent TO a wondering exclamation that
reused Haigh.
Thunder said Jimmy amazedly.
Whats the tIouble?' asked Haigh.
DO you see that girl" Jimmy spoke
the words slowly, with a slight pause
between each.
Haigh turned and saw: and promptly
he was aware that the girl in the state
room was the most beautiful woman in
the world. not even excepting one other
who had said No" so very sadly.
She bore herself with that unstudied
fectly proportioned. Haigh guessed
that she was tall. He could see that she
was richly dark, with the bloom of roses
warm upon the dusk OF her cheeks,
which We're swept by the long, upCurled
lsshes Of her closed eyes. Her hair was
glowing, darkling. coppery crown.
Her head was thrown back, resting upon
the cushions; the full sweep of her
throat would have tempted the caress of
an anchroite. Her attitude was that of
utter passivity, of a crushed resistance
which assorted strangely with the
splendid courage and independence OF
her mouth-a large, full-lipped mouth,
but not too large.
So much Haigh saw, and then again
Curtice broke the silence.
''Dazard, or the devil himself!'
There was man in the compartment
a. small man, we'll built, neither stout
nor vet thin, with a sharp hook of
nose and a face hronZed almost to black
ness: conspicuous in white flannels, for
this was summer. He slouched in his
seat, his arms folded, his head bent for
WhTQ, MS gaze UNeu SuCSGlilElN upOu
the girl: and his eyes were grim, cold,
black beads.
The girl moved restIessly and opened
her eyes, They rested full upon those
of Jimmy Curtice: she started, and
flashed to him A look of appeal. Cur
tice half rose, his lips moving as II to
speak. At that instant the man saw
him and bent forward; for the fraction
o. a second he glared deiantly atLCur-
tice, then drew the curtain. A moment
later the trains moved onward and
rolled swiftly away from each other:
Curtice sat. himself down with half
laugh. Haigh waited, but, finding that
the other did not speak, asked lightly:
who was she-the beauty?''
who? The grip Jimmy spoke alb
sentIy. I don't know"
The man. then
''LaZard-Jose Maria Eazard, one of
the most unspeakable scoundrels on the
face Of Gods green earth. I knew him
down South. wonder"-he fell TO
musing. Then he swore softly. at
wonder-but what beauty"
Exactly
But what the devil is she doing with
that blackguard?"
His wife?'
Curtice rejected the suggestion with
a decided shake Of HIS head.
IT'S not nice, Mr.. Haigh-I know
you'll pardon me for telling you-it is
not nice to defame the character of
woman whom YOU do not know"
Haigh chuckled. '
Thank YOU. I'll try to remember
Through you I offer humble anology to
the lady. But in that case, what"
MY remark. I want to know
AT any rate" continued Haigh, at !
Was sufficiently T11PlOd Ta ma tIc- IN ubet