Evening star., 1912-11-17
Continued from page +

temps. So it was with Jimmy Sylvester.
He felt that Mrs. Beldon's next remark
would be the last thing he wanted to hear.
and yet he could think of nothing to say
about Angela Give or Aunt Clara or the
devil-chi1d
Mrs. Beldon's face wore very sweet,
brooding expression, as she thought caress
ingly of her Frances Helen. Then it passed
and an active, inqulring look took its place.
Speaking of names, she said, "do you
know that you have not told me yours:o
For a moment he felt a wild impulse to
say something like this, Suppose. you think
something or other in my delirium that
aroused your interest. Now, don't you
think it would be delightful to be a case of
i never shall see Carcassonne Think what
a nice bit of dinner conversation | shall make
for you in the years to come, if you never
know any more about me than you do now.
You could always wonder and speculate
and, don't you see, the more real facts you
know about me, the less chance there is for
speculation2 I'll hardly have the good luck
to run across you in America. Americans
who run across each other abroad never do
see each other at home. They meet only
the next time they cross, and once more ex-
change cards, and promise each other the
pleasure of American reunions, which never
come Off"
But he said nothing of the sort, knowing
it would not only be discourteous, but I'M
convincing. He had an instructive feeling
that he would run across Mrs. Beldon again
"a queer intuition, which was not conceit
at all, that she had some reason for not wish
ing to lose sight of him. He gathered him
self together and said, with a fair assumption
of naturalness:
"I beg your pardon most sincerely. My
name is Jimmy Sylvester; christened
James, | dare say
HE looked straight at her, not to see how
- she took the announcement. because
on the whole he expected to b. believed, but
rather to steady himself, to get used to
this new assumption. SO be saw every shade
of the change in her face Her dimples disap-
peared her eyes darkened and grew large
and she stared at him in utter astonshnent
He could not make out whether she believed
him or not. He wondered if she could have
heard him speak his real name when he was
in de1irium, and therefore knew he was not
telling the truth. He resolved to take the
bull by the horns.
"But what have | said to surprise you?"
he asked lightly "Do YOU think | am using
a nom-de-guerre?7
He felt a stir of opposition toward her. Ii
he could not remember who he was, then
there was surely no law against his choosing
one, out of all the names in the world. After
all, it was no concern of hers. He was being
as honest as he could in the circumstances.
He felt no embarrassment whatever: rather
a feeling of confidence, as she continued to
gaze astounded at him.
"Mv dear Mrs. Beldon," he said, "how
have | had the misfortune to astonish youo"
She pulled herself together; but she still
continued to look at him curiously, pain
fully, her smiles gone but great eagerness
showing. Il beg your pardon, she said
with effort. "There must be plenty of Syl
vesters in the world"
1--WE are a large family he said easily.
"There isn't a State in the Union where we
are not represented, and in the region where
/ come from there were at least two others
called James
As he spoke he felt that he was telling her
the truth. In a moment more he felt that he
could have named that region of which he
spoke.
"Of course it is a common name" said
Mrs. Beldon. at just happens that | have
known only one Sylvester, and his name was
Jimmy | didn't know him very we'll; but
/ confess freely that | have painful associa-
tons with the name. | never expected to
hear it again" She spoke with her head bent.
81 am very sorry he said sincerely, for