Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-22


| her to give up her little home and her
savings and go upon the stage. He pre-
ferred mistress from the theafer. she
| worked hard, but, sweetly pretty though
Then she caught cold. She began to lose
her health-and she lost her lover"
"Brute!'
THE child got worse madame went
ron. 'Presently they told her that 1t was
consumption. She went to q hospital and
she wrote q pathetic little note to the
man. He tore 1t up. There had been an
article in the papers few weeks before
proving that consumption was among the
| diseases which were more or less infec-
| tious. He sent her a few brutal lines
and tri1e of money, with warning
that there was to be no more. He never
| went to see her. The child grew worse.
| I used to sit with her sometimes. l saw
| her look down upon the river, almost as
we are looking now, and her eyes would
grow soft and wet with tears, and she
would tell me in whispers of the evenings
she had spent with him. when the love
| had first come. and how sweet and tender
| he was. There must be something wrong,
she was sure. He did not understand. he
could not know how Ill she really was.
| She prayed for the sight OF him. put
her off with one excuse after another,
but one day the fear Of death was in her
| eyes, the terror came to her, she was
afraid. She was afraid Of dying alone,
| of going into strange country, no one
| to hold her. I went to the man. | beg
ged him to come and see her. He sconed
at me. II she had consumption she was
| better dead. He would have fiirted with
me If had let him. I can hear his voice
now-brutal, leering. hideous! It was the
voice, Sir Julien, which we heard ten
| minutes ago at the next table. Do you
| wonder that hate it?'
"And the little grip he asked.
when / returned without him." she
answered, "the little girl was dead.
They were both silent, listening to the
splash Of the water and to the distant
| music.
Life is like that" she went on.
| Eve pass through it lightly enough, but
heaven only knows the number of little
| tragedies against which our skirts must
| brush. Sometimes they leave impress
sions, sometimes We grow callous. but the
horror Of that mans voice will stay with
me always. =. Shall we go back
now? You would like your Coffee
"Sit here for five minutes more" he
begged. Tell me. did you know that the
man was a spy?"
She looked at him curiously.
How is it that you know SO much
about him?'
He is sitting there with an English
men who comes from our intelligence de-
partment," Julien explained. 'They were
| speaking together Of some one-I believe
it was myself-speaking in none too
friendly terms. There was woman, too.
L
I could not hear that. I made some in
quiries about the men. I was told that
he was in the suite Of the German am
| bassador."
| She nodded.
| "Whoever or whatever he is" she said.
| "he is something to be abhorred. Hush
There is some one coming down the foot
path"
They sat quite silent. Some instinct
seemed to tell them who it was. Sudden
I,ao t1o xyrfo q 0Y1fn II q.
ant.
"You have bungled the affair, Foster
It is not well managed; 1t is not clever
! You were to have brought him to me, to
have let me know the instant he reached
Paris. I would have seen him. Just as
he was I should have succeeded. Now II
may be that this woman has warned him
already. She is very clever. II she has
him, he will not escape"
Fosters voice was inaudible. but what.
ever he said seemed to anger his com.
panion.
Thunder and lightning." they heard
the man exclaim. Am q fool that you
talk to me like this? Yes, I go to him
is too late! II 1t Is too late there is but
one thing to be done. You are q coward
j Foster!''
i they came out into the open. on the
were Immediately silent. They came
strolling along and noticed for the frs
time the two figures upon the seat. In
stantly they began to talk upon some
local subject. No escape was possible
In a few minutes they were opposite thu
bench. Foster started a little. The Othel
mans face darkened. He ventured upor
a bow. Madame Christopher looked q
him as one might look upon some strange
animal. Foster hesitated for a moment
II Think she whispered, that tina,
man would like to do me an injury"
Julien was watching their retreatint
forms.
II don't understand what Foster is do
; ing there or what the dickens they were
; talking about he said. thoughtfully. :"
think. II you don't mind" he added. 'w'
. will return
why are you 80 suddenly uneasy?" sh'
. asked.
He shrugged his shoulders.
!, Apparently" he answered, you know
who am and everything about me. I. or
the other hand. am ignorant almost Of
; your very name. There are certain cir
; cumstances connected with my late ca
; reer which make 1t inadvisable-"
''Oh. / know all that you are going t.
say!' she interrupted. But ask your
self. Have l made any attempt what
question:"
"You certainly have not" he confessed
your little friend returns" she whis
. pered. "See!
; reluctant footsteps. He had the appear
; ance Of q man bent upon q mission which
; he dislilkes.
"sir Julien" he said, as he drew near
; would you grant me q moments inter.
; view?'
; cullen looked at him.
you probably know my address," hi
. | replied, coldly. "You can call there ant
. see me. AT present I am engaged
. "Sir Julien. the matter is Of some i'm
. portance," Foster persisted. 81 have
, friend who is anxious to meet YOU 1,
would be an affair of few words only
} and perhaps an appointment afterwards
; rs the friend to whom you refer the
; person with whom you were walking jus,
, now?" Julien inquired.
"Yes!' Foster admitted. III you car
. spare me a moment can explain
You need explain nothing Julien In
, terrupted. Understand, please, that
. decline absolutely to make that person.
. acquaintance"
Foster looked away from Sir julien 4
i the woman who stood bx hia aidas