The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-08
CHAPTER N-contfnued.

Over the trees. the sun was dropping
from sight Clearly and sweetly OF
the quiet air of the eventide, the church
bells began to toll from the village be-
low them in the valley
Billy nudged the Watermelon to call
his attention to the two weary hgurei
by the wayside.
Poor fellows" said Henrietta soft
~. lest, they hear her
The Watermelon glanced at them IN
lofty disgust and catching James eye
his own fiickered the fraction of an
inch and he raised his hands languidly
TO adjust the brown silk tie at his
throat. When they had passed, he
turned and waved a graceful farewell
He explained to Billy as they swept
on into the deepening dusk.
You might as well encourage the
poor fellows They probably want to
ride ss well as l." And Henrietta
fancied that possibly his father had
looked thus on a Sunday, in the pulpit
of a country church.
"Yes," agreed Billy They may be
perfectly dandy fellows"
"Assuredly." laughed Henrietta.
The stout one fairly radiated truth
and nobility. a manly, upright youth.
Il don't care" declared Billy warm
ly: You can't always tell from ap-
pearances. You ought to know that,
Henrietta. Clothes don't make the
man."
Nor his manners" laughingly re-
torted Henrietta.
Sure" said the Watermelon Father
used to say that manners didn't count
any more than the good apples on the
top of the box to hide the rotten ones
beneath"
Il think your father was a cynic, y
said Henrietta sharply, into whose ears
Billy had been recounting the sayings
of the absent divine.
Yes" admitted the Watermelon, he
was"
"Cynicism is sign of failure.
quoted Henrietta. Surely your father
wasn't a cynic"
Yes, he was" declared the Water
melon. and you didn't make that up
say it Father used to say. and he's
right. that if man reached forty with
out becoming cynic, he was a fool
forty. A success can be a cynic, for
cynicism is simply a pretty good idea
of the meanness OF human nature and
no unfounded expectation of anything
especially decent coming from il, isn't
that so: Father used to say that love
was divine, hate devilish, and mean
ness just cussed human nature, and a
mixture of the three in more or less
degree made man.
Your father was a philosopher,
laughed Henrietta Il would like to
have met him"
Il thought the papers said" began
Billy, in her slow, anxious way to get
things right.
"Yes. they did" interrupted the
Watermelon. and they were right"
- II was quite dark now. Bartlett stop
ped a moment while Alphonse lit the
lamps. and then they went on and on,
faster and faster. into the summer
night Once in while they passed a
lighted farm house and a dog rushed
out and barked at them. Twice they
whirled through small villages and the
villagers, going home from church,
paused to watch them pass and be
swallowed up in the dark ahead. The
air was full Of frehies> A whippoor-
will called plaintively from the bushes.
and low in the west were flashes of
heat lightning, with now and then an
onIiEous rumble of distant thunder ST.
lence had settled on all. even Billy
unused in her corner. half asleep.
The general had been worried for
some time. They were apparently get
ting nowhere. He felt that he should
have consulted the blue book He was
about to suggest that they stop and
get the book from the rear car. when
Bartlett waved toward the dark bulk
of house looming out of the night,
some little way ahead
That's the place" said he. I'VE
can spend the night there and get one
of the best chicken breakfasts | ever
ate"
The general looked at the place and
rallied his sinking spirits. 1t appeared
dark and he should say it was desert
ed. but Bartlett doubtless knew what
he was talking about. The people prob
ably lived in the kitchen. He was hum
CRY and tired and the thought of hot
sausages, bread, and jam and milk and
then a soft, cool bed was nearly as
good as the reality. He turned gayly
to the quiet three in the tonneau.
Wake up and hear the birds sing"
Bartlett glanced back and laughed
Asleep, Ell? We're there" he added,
turning the car neatly into the open
driveway. Guess you won't refuse a
good supper very strenuously"
The drive was rough and they rolled
slowly up a great dark house, standing
on a slight rise of ground, a typical
New England farmhouse, square and
gaunt and unadorned, with a small
front stoop and a long side porch.
From the trees behind the house came
the dismal cry of boot owl as the
cars came to rest, and an answer
ing cry from the grove across the
road
Ghosts" whispered the general.
.'Oh, hush" pleaded Billy There
is no need of fooling with things like
that"
This house amt lived in" said the
Watermelon, as he slipped from the car
to straighten his cramped legs.
Folks gone to bed" explained Bart
lett, cheerfully. since he was not the
one who had gone TO bed. I'VE will
just have to rout them out"
He shut off the power and alighted
from the car. pulling off his gloves.
Alphonse came up in the other car and
peered out at the dark, quiet, lonely
house and shook his head with fore
holdings.