Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-17
CHAPTER vI-Continued.
AnYthing. else.

| that's good Il m glad l remembered that.
Inter ALA rhymes with Australia, doesn't
it? Wen make up Limerick on it some
time-let ME see, where was 1? oh, yesh
Ives. I mean-inter ALA, he owns the
Orinoco and about a dozen more moldy
old collins; and very well he does out OF
them. too, Buys them cheap. and-but
excuse further details at present ole
man. To tell you the truth. I'm getting
SO screwed that I'm afraid of saying
something that in my calmer moments i
! shall subsequently regret. cigar: 1
| thank you. You're a white man, Mar
rable. Chin chin
After this burst of discretion Mr.. AL
lerton returned to the joint worship OF
Bacchus and Vesta, the difficulty which
| he experienced in keeping the lighted END
| Of the cigar out of his mouth increasing
as the evening advanced, but leaving his
cheerful mess unimpaired. His condltion
was due not SO much to the depths or ms
| rotations as to the shallowness of his &C
commodation for the same: and strong
headed Hughie. as he surveyed the weak
chin and receding forehead on the other
side of the table, unused not altogether
without envy upon the strange Inequality
OF that law Of nature which DEGREES that
what is a toothful for one man shall be a
skinful for another and an anesthetc
for third.
He was recalled from these musings by
the remembrance of the girl at the piano,
and turned to see what was happening
now.
Mr.. Noddy kinahan was returning from
an expedition to the bar. carrying bot
tie of champagne and long .tumoler:
These accessories to conviviality he placed
on the top Of the piano, and departed on
a second trip. returning shortly with a
wineglassful Of brandy. The girl, though
she probably observed more of his move
ments than her low-drooping lashes would
seem to allow, made no sign, but con-
tinued to play the ragtime tune with q
mechanical precision which caused the
tumbler on the top Of the plano to tread
a lively. and self-accompanfed measure
round it's more stolid and heavily weight
ed companion.
Mr.. Kinahan next proceeded to pour
himself out a tumblerful Of champagne,
literally lacing the foaming liquid with
brandy. Then, with an ingratiating ges-
ture toward the shrinking girl. he pro
lceeded to swallow the mixture with every
appearance of enjoyment.
.'King's peg!' commented Hughie to
himself. wonder how much OF that he
can stand? I'd. back him against friend
Allerton, though If: it came Halo!
The hound! This must stop!' f
He half rose to his feet. Mr.. Kinahan
having satisfied his present needs. had re-
filled the tumbler with champagne, added
the rest of the brandy, and was now
proffering the potion, in the selfsame Ves-
sci which he had just honored with his
own august lips, to the girl at the piano
The girl turned crimson and shook her
tflead. but kept on playing.
/ NOddy kinahan was not accustomed to
bestow favors in VAIN, He walked round
behind the piano, and, taking the. girl
held the sizzling trmbler to her lips. She
uttered suapgled cry. left off playing
and struggled. lfrantitally to seize the
glass with her hands.
Now. Hughie Marrable had a healthy
prejudice in favor Of minding his own
business. He had witnessed scenes Of
this description before. and he knew that,
place and company considered, the girl
lat the piano was probably not unaccus-
toned to accept refreshment at the hands
of gentlemen. even when the gentleman
was half drunk. the hands dirty, and the
Tefreshriient (after allowing generous
discount for spillngs) sufficiently potent
to deprive any ordinary woman, within
ten minutes. of any sort of control over
her own actions or behavior Moreover.
Hughie had truly British horror OF
scene. But
He was surprised to feel himself leap
from his chair and bound toward the
piano. His surprise however, was moth
| ing to that experienced moment later
by Mr.. Noddy kinahan who. having sue
ceeded in pinning the desperately resist
ing girls arms to her sides, was now en-
deavOring to pry her lips open with the
even after the cup has reached the lip.
Just as success appeared to be about to
crown Mr.. Kinahans hospitable efforts, a
large and sinewy hand shot over his right
shoulder and snatched away the glass,
which it threw under the piano. Stimuli
taneousIy an unseen force i'm the rear
shook him till his teeth ratified, and then,
depressing his head to the level of the
keyboard. began to play a. lively il STAG
| cato tune thereon. with the point of Mr..
i'm In, -; ND ind Inv
These operations were more or less
screened from the public view by the
body Of the piano, which was an up
fight of the cottage variety. But the
Post" in favor Of what sounded like 1.-The
Cats Polka" played by baby with its
feet, brought the proprietor of the estab-
lishment hurrying across the room. lie
arrived just in time to be present at the
conclusion of a florid chromatic scale of
about four octaves, executed under the
guidance of Hughie Marrable's heavy
hand by Mr.. Kinahan's somewhat abrad-
ed nasal organ.
The instrumental part of the entertain
ment now terminated in favor Of a vocal
| interlude. Hughie released his grip of
Mr.. Noddy .kinahan's collar and stood
back pace waiting for rush. He was
confident that, given clear floor and no
| interference. he could offer his burly op-
ponent a lesson in manners which he
would never forgets
| But Mr.. Kinahan, being mover in high
| political attitudes. was not in the habit of
doing his own dirty work. He reviied
| his opponent, 1t is; true, in terms which
an expert could not but have admitted
] were mastery, but it was obvious to the
unruff1ed Hughie that he was doing SO
chiefly to keep his courage up and save
| his face" There was cunning. calcu-
lating look in his piggy eyes which did
| not quite fit in with the unrestrained
abandon Of his utterances, and Hughie
began to realize that there are deeper
schemes of retaliation than mere assault
and battery.
| Once or twice Mr.. kinahan, in pausing
| for breath. turned and looked over his
shoulder toward the curious crowd which
was gathering behind him. Presently
Hughie noticed couple of coughs" of
the most unconpromisingly VillainOus APP
pearance advancing in leisurely fashion
from a corner by the door, where they
had been supping. They kept their eyes
on kinahan, as if for an order. Evidently
| that great man never took his walks
abroad without his jackals.
| Things were beginning to look serious
! The Hebraic proprietor. half crazy with
| fright at the gratuitouS advertisement
which the fracas was comforting upon his
establishment = an advertisement which
| was receiving a gratifying response from
an influx of curious sightseers-was fran
Iticaly begging people to go away. The
| girl the source (aS EVERY of all the trOu.
| bic, was still sitting on the music STOOL
| trembling like fluttered bird, with
| H,ighie, feeling slightly Self-conscious
standing over her. In the middle distance
| Mr.. Allerton, gloriously oblivious to the
ephemeral and irrelevant disturbance