Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-08-03
CHAPTER XXI.
The Man Who Waits.

f.-,1 roxt ray T.oveIand's mother did not
answer Iss appeal But Val tried to per-
ssade himself that this was not strange.
re.f..,ps she could not get together such
,, rs no had asked for. without a
"a drt,v Int she would send as soon
- POSSIBLE. He was sure of that as ne
,.. -urr fFat his present address ought
foo De-, First circle. Ifades
vrr dollar which remained TO him after
-al.Iin. his expensive cry across the sea
was gone He borrowed of Bill Wli1ng'
s. no offered and was Delighted 10 ienu. III
a fat. or two at most, IoVeland SAID. he
,.orId rcuav and planned to give Bill a
handsome prese11 we'll Mean"nl
oveIand passed his time m'serabiy ne
tween NIcx4-der tire Greats ana the 'a'
Hotel or wa king The streets in the des-
,,,r.,e hone of seeIng some English face
He l,uevv lie saw many pleasant races
to whom no appeal of sorrow would De
made IN vain. But they were strangers
faces and he was not heSSar vet
IT,. had bought with Bits money-an
advance from AIexander-two or three
collars. a change of linen and oarS
ncrl,fie therefore he looked smart ana
-roerernrrsS enough it his tweed SUIT TO
ress muster IN! a crowd, the absence of an
or-srrOar seeming a mere eccentr1citE.
Perhaps there were men who envied the
handsome Young EngliShman, who stroll
ed mast them with a jaurty, iefSured ar,
would have given good deal LOT 'he
need of hurry.
Four davs dragged by. including one
rrastTv Sunday: and when there was sun
M word from Lady Isoveland, Val began
"a feel the heavy conviction that none
would ever come. Some awful spell hai
fallen upon him. il seemed, a curse Wnch
made him a paTiah even for those VINO
loved him hest il had begun with FOX
hams treachery, and now ii had come to
Ms mothers neglect. What might roll
low he could not guess: he would rather
not Try to guess -
He thought over his past and realized
that he had been selfish; but he did not
feel that he had ever done anything which
deserved such punishment as TINS. IL
punishment il were-lf there We're Zoo
who watched the children or me EARN
and punished or rewarded their deeds.
Never before had il occurred to him TO
pity others, beyond poor old chap, so
sorry, don't YOU know and quick for-
getting; but now he was filled WIN a
f1Ir1b sympathy for every one who SUI
fared Above this bright, gay city-the
eayest and brightest Val had ever known
1T seemed that his eyes had gained a
magic keenness to see the smoke of hui
man suffering rise like incense 10 the
clear remoteness of the sky
I.ove1and did not always take his meals
at Alexanders. Sometimes he let a meal
time pass. too deeply depressed to ne
hungry: or If Bill Willing insisted on
food for both, there were places where it
rould he obtained even more cheaply than
at Alexander the Greats-when Alexander
himself, and not lsidora was behind the
counter.
Val had met the boss" now, though not
officially While he had a few dimes and
nickels in his pocket he patronized the
restaurant, glad to have a glimpse OF
Tsidora's friendly, pretty face, and
chance to warm himself at the glowing
stove The boss" regarded him as
cIiept-a queer cuss.'' down on his luck
hut worth being civil to, for in New Yorl
YOU never know how mems fortune:
might change
Nevertheless, Loveland realized tina
Alexander had as much real kindness o.
heart for the world in general as Shylock
or a tiger. He had his friends, perhaps
FOR tigers may have friends. in their ma
tive Jungle il there be no question or
carcass TO divide; but when most SLEEK
and smiling there was something vaguely
terrible about the fat Jew. Wake the
tiger in him from its sleep OF purrlne
prosperity, and it would spring, tearing
and reuding with unsheathed claws the
creature who had reused it.
IsidOra, thought Loveland. must resem
hIe her mother, who, il appeared, wa:
iong ago dead: and maybe that was one
reason why the fierce-eyed Jew loved the
girl so jealously, as a tiger loves IT
Young or as Shylock loved Jessica. Sh'
lad something of his Hebraic cast o.
feature. although he had taken a Chris
tian wife: hut nothing could be less like
the hawk eye. with its fierce glance sud
denly unveiled: the cruel nose and th'
big. rapacious mouth of the gross. elderly
man than the dangerous beauty OF th'
young girl.
His father had been German Jew. bu
he-once Isaac Solomon, now Alexande
the Great-had been born in the slums O
New York, and had fought his way up
biting Clawing or fawnng, whicheve
seemed the wisest course. Now he wa!
growing rich. He was proud of his owl
lortrait the walls in the battle paint
iUES. proud of the queer pictorial menus
aud smart advertising cards which helped
70 make the success of the venture il
which he had risked his capital; but h
Acknowledged no debt of gratitude TO Bill
Vikings ingenuity, and would hav
sacked the artist the moment he cease
10 be useful. He decried the value o
Bits work: he bullied his two blacl
cooks and his ill-paid walters; nor had hi
prosperity given him any fellow feelin
fnr others, who. like himself, were strug
Cling 10 reach the top.
II YOU deserved to get on, you got on
and devil take the hindmost. was Alex
ander's motto. But he loved and admire
Isidora and though he grurnbled whe
she asked for money, secretly his chic
Joy I'm piling up fortune was for her fu
tuTe, that she might marry we'll and han
his name on for posthumOuS honorS. II
had already picked out the bridegroom,
young jew with google eyes, a turned-u
mustache and glittering black hair:
fouIGcSS for cellulOid collars and re
ncckties; a smooth manner with his Pre-
spective father-!n-law and a truculer
'front.' for his interiors. The young ma
was making good money drum
tueT' for a firm Of jewish tobacco mei
chants. but there a slight "tache
Jpou his parentage, and he would b
willing TO take AleXander's name on maj
wing Alexander's daughter. BY and b.
whom years from now Alexander migf
wish To retire on his pies and fried oys
tors. as other heroes had retired on the
IaurelS Leo Cohen would. with IsidorS
carry on the restaurant and its glory frol
generation 10 generation.
This was AleXauder'S dream, and VIC
INTO him who should Try 10 interfere wit
IS fulHllrucutt But lie had no fear OF an
such dangerous person, even when lie
vas away drumming mp interest for
certain firm IN the west, and tall. hanC
some. sitl<y-loOking young EngIishma
was dropping in every day for cheap foo
and a smile from lS:dora.
IL Loveland had had money lie woul
have sent off other cablegrams but /
soon came down 10 his last copper; an
Bill, though willing by nature as
name. seldom rad I'm his best days MOI
10 lend him than fifteen cents at time
On the fifth day the situation passed b,
yond bearing Not only was Lovelan
pennIleSs. but he could not bring himse
10 borrow more of Bits ptiful nicke
and hard-earued dimes. Each one of tho:
coins was more to Bill than sovereig
usually some one else's sovereign ha
been 10 Lord Loveland in his palmy day
10 lY,fF 1K,I Vol