Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-10

us it necessary to risk your life for
these excitements? Is your life nothing
more to you than something to expert
ment within
Truth, sometimes 1 don't know. For
tune. Sometimes ! don't care. When one
has gambled for big stakes 1t is hard to
play again for penny points,
"A strong. healthy man like you ought
not to court DEATH
Il do not seek 1t. Ny only temptation
is to see how near can get to the Man
In the Shroud, as some poet calls 1t. with
out being touched. I'll make you my con-
fessor. You see, 1t Is like this A num-
Der Of wearied men recently formed q
company whereby monotony became an
obsolete word in our vocabulary. You
must not think I'm jesting; I'm serious
enough. This company ferrets out ad-
ventures and romances and sells them to
men Of spirit. became a member and
the trip to Bagdad is the result. One
never has to share with the company.
The rewards are all yours. All one has
to do is to pay lump sum down for the
adventure furnished. You work out the
end yourself. unhindered and unassisted."
Are you really serious?"
Never more so. Now. Percivai AL
gernon has always been wanting an ad-
venture, but the practical side OF him has
made him hold aloof. / told him about
this concern and he refuses to believe in
it. So am going to undertake to prove
It to him. This is confidential. You will
say nothing. / know"
HE will come to no harm physically?"
Lord, no! 1t will be mild and innocu-
Gus. or course, IL any one told him that
an adventure was toward for his especial
benefit, it would spoil all. / can rely upon
your silence?'
She was silent. He witnessed her inde-
cision with distrust. Perhaps he had said
too much
Wont you promise? Haven't always
been kind to you, Fortune, times when
you most needed kindness?"
81 promise to say nothing. But II any
harm comes To that young man. either In
lest or in earnest, I will never speak to
you again."
Il see that, after getting Percival Al
gernen into an adventure. I've got 10
cicerone him safely out OF 1t. Well. ac-
he was going to recall this assurance.
Sometimes wonder ." pensively.
Wonder about what?
What manner OF man you are.
81 should have been a great deal bet
ter man had met you ten years ago.
..What? When / was e1even?" with q
levity intended to steer him away from
this channel.
You know what mean.' he answered
moody and detected.
She opened her purse and dropped the
pendant into 1t, but did not speak.
"Ten years ago. abstractedly. What
q lot Of things may happen In ten years!
Deaths births, marriages" he went on;
"the snuff1ng out of Kingdoms and re-
publics; wars, panics, famine; honor to
some and dishonor to others 1t kind of
makes a fellow grind his teeth. little girl:
1t kind of makes him shut his fists and
long to run amuck."
why should strong, intelligent man.
are resourcefuI and unafraid. Why should
you talk like that? You are young, too
Why?"
He stopped and looked full into her
eyes do you really wish to know"
Had l better?" with q wisdom beyond
mo. you had better not. I'm not a
good man. Fortune. as criterfons go. I've
slipped here and there; I've gambled and
drunk and squandered my time. Why, in
my youth l was as model q boy as eyer
took place I can't say. There's always
two forks i'm the road, Fortune, and many
of us take the wrong one. It's easier go
ing. Fine excuse. Ell? Some persons
would call me a scoundrel. a blackleg: in
some ways, yes. But in the days to come
want you always to remember the two
untarnished spots upon my shield OF
honor-I have never cheated man al
cards nor run away with his wife. The
devil must give me these merits, however
painful it may be to him, Ten years ago,
only a decade: good Lord! It's like hum
dred years ago. sometimes.
Fortune breathed with difficulty. Never
before had he taken her into his confi-
dence to such an extent. She essayed TO
speak; the old terror seemed fairly TO
smother her. 1t was not what he had told
her. but what she wished to but dared not
ask She was like Bluebeard's wife, only
she had not the moral courage to open
the door Of the grisly closet: her
mother, her uncle; what OF them. an,
what Of them? The crooked street van
ished; the roar dwindled away; she was
alone, all, all alone.
II suppose I ought not to have told
you." he said. troubled at the misery he
saw gathered in her eyes and vaguely
conscious Of what had written ii there
Your mother and uncle have been very
kind to me. They know less OF me than
you do. I have been to them a kind OF
errand boy; a happy -go-lucky fellow, who
cheered them when they had the dol
drums With forced cheerfulness he
again took her hand and snuggled it
under his arm, giving II a friendly. re-
assuring pat. 'I'u not speak to you OF
love, child, but hair of your head is
more precious to me than all Midas gold.
Whenever I've thought Of you, I've tried
to be good. Honestly"
And can't you go back to the begin
ming and start anew?" tremulously.
Can any one go back? The moving
finger writes. An hour is q terrible thing
when you look to see what can happen
in 1t. But. come; sermons! I'd far rather
see you smile. Won't your
She fried to. but to him it was sadder
than her tears would have been.
For an hour they walked through the
dim and musty streets. He exertcd him.
self to amuse her and fairly succeeded.
But never did the unaccountable fear,
heart. And at last. when he took her to
hef carriage and babe her goodbye till
dinner, q half formed idea began to grow
in her brain--to save Mr.. Jones without
betraying Ryanfe.
The latter's carriage was at the other
end Of the bazaars; so he strobe sullenly
through the press, rudeiy elbowing those
who got in his way. An occasional curse
was flung after him; but his height. his
breadth of shoulder, his lowering face.
precluded anything more active. The Mos
lens had deal OF faith In the efficacy OF
curses: so the jostled ones rested upon
the promise Of these. satisfied that direct
ly. or I'm the near future. Allah would
blast the unbelieving dog in his tracks.
What cleverness the mother ana SCALA
wag Of an uncle had shown to have kept
the child In ignorance all these years!
That she saw darkly, as through q fog.
he was perfectly sure Sooner or later
the storm would burst upon her innocent
head, and then God alone knew what
would become Of her. Oh, damn the self.
ish sordid world! At that instant q great
longing rolled over him to cut loose from