Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-24
name was Walker London. Sorry we
can't accommodate your lordship."

name was Walker, London. Sorry we
can't accommodate your lordship."
Then Loveland had squared his Shout
ders and marched out into the night.
which seemed by now grimly cold and un-
friendly The very stars had sarcastic
twinkle. as if they glimmered down from
their safe, comfortable heights and
laughed.
Val was not inclined to try any more
hotels. He felt very young in his loneli-
ness and humiliation. and his heart
yearned wistfully for the shabby Scotch
shooting box where his mother lived and
thought long thoughts of him. The snow
that had fallen so coldly outside her win
dows seemed warmer than these stars
that with their sparkling embroidery
caEopied a strange land; and the sparsely
furnished rooms Of the lodge were more
beautiful in his remembrance than the
gorgeous suite at the Waldorf-Astoria-
His mother grudged herself comforts
for his sake. yet she had fire. Val
generally pictured her in autumn and
winter. bending toward the glow of the
rosy flames, holding out her beautifully
shaped hands to their kisses. He would
be thankful to share the warmth of that
fire now; and the faint scent of burning
peat-cheapest fuel!-as it stole fragrantly
into his memory. gave him horrtd
twinge Of homesickness such as he had
never felt. even in South Africa; for he
had had friends around him in the war
days
When he had been in Scotland last-on
that flying visit which began with good
advice and ended with pink pearls-he
had complained of the cooking.
He thought OF that. too, at this mo-
ment. and laughed a little to himself. He
would have been very glad of a chance
to taste some of that Scotch broth which
and too salt. He was sharply hungry:
and this hunger gnawed with wicked
persistence it had lacked in South Africa.
because in those stirring times it had been
shared by all alike, merrily. with jokes.
Yes, he was hungry, sickeningly hun
cry; and he did not see any prospect OF
satisfying his appetite that night. unless
he should tear. the gold sleeve links out
Of his shirt cuffs to offer humbly In some
cheap restaurant in exchange fora meal.
They were not worth much intrinsically;
but the thought of the cuffs denuded. ig-
nominious. and the picture of himself
Observation-Disclosures the buttons
like a conjurOr, so revOlted his fasttdious
imagination that he snatched at an al
tentative almost any alternative. So 1t
was that. when something which his
mother would have called an inspiration
foated nebulously through his head, Love
land welcomed 1t as an astronomer well
comes new star.
He remembered hearing Betty or Jim
Marlborough say that in American towns
man might call upon family he knew
we'll up to the hour of 10 in the evening.
It was not nearly 10 yet, and though
there was no family in New York whom
Val knew WELL it was case Of any port
In a storm.
The Coolidges we're now out of the run
Ming and the Millions: but q Mr.. and
Mrs. Beverly, with a daughter. had (half
apologetically) invited him to visit at
their house in Park avenue. They were
rich or richish. though with a trail or
trade behind them, and the girl was
pretty or prettyish. She seemed positive
IL, han rtiflil To thu hungry and hamelasS