Evening star., 1912-11-17

0IO He opened his eyes with an ntol-
erabe sense of light, and had sud-
den vision of sunlit room with two figures sharply
outlined against window. His sensations We're nsup
portablv vivid he felt if the light and the people
were bearing down upon him. smothering him. He shut
his eyes and uttered few words in loud, indignant
tone.
"Oh.~ said voice thankfully Il really think he's
coming to himself. Did you hear him swear?" 1t
very pretty voice. with kind of geeful undertone thrill
ing through it.
"Ah but Madam replied shriller, higher voice,
has he not many, many times in these weeks,
when he has been unconscious. All! but such oaths,
But this is quite different kind of swearing, said
the first voice "Do speak him and tell him he's going
to be well and strong and be and ask him what his
name is.
There was futter of skirts and the soft closing Of
door. ANY curiosity the young felt about the
speaker was swept away by another emotion which
powered him. What his name? He didn't know.
He lay very still and tried to find out what he did know
He man in world of men and women He could
remember faces and journeys, dinners and converse
tions games and joys and but when he tried
to relate these himself they broke, soapbubbes
break He knew nstinctvey that he belonged to what
of still blatantly call the privileged class;
that is that he had been we'll educated and used to
the evening clothes side of life, speak, but he
didn't know whether he young middle aged: he
felt he was not old. He didn't know whether he
rich or poor, married or single.
For a few moments he lay quite STILL with quaking
OF fear and 1OSS like deserted child. He feit
if he alien place unable to call anything
anyone his oWn unable to summon help in world
where all others can call upon it.
Then he shook away the mood for he was of an easy
going and rather adventurous temperament. He felt
that he was destined have stimulating expert
ences. and he looked forward to them. Probably he
was the in the world who didn't know who his
nearest and dearest Maybe he had wife beating
up and down the world at this moment to find him. IF
she however there nothing for him to do but
wait until she claimed him. Evidently she not the
lady with the geeful voice. for wife always knows her
husbands name, or at least his alias. His first impulse
put himself possible in relation with
the world around him.
He felt someone bending over him, and he opened his
eyes. He plain-faced pleasant looking
wearing that competent air that is irritating a
after he has got past his first need of coddng He
quite past it: he felt almost we'll enough to get up.
@Please bring hand mirror, he said.
The gave inquirng look and shrug and spoke
in broken English Monsieur do not comprehend"
He repeated the request in French.
"AhaD he thought. Il have learned one thing: I'm
not French first spoke in just good United States to
her. 1t will all come back!"
HE almost grabbed the hand mirror from her. he was
afraid he'd turn out to be middle aged and was
afraid that his fear fresh proof that he would He
had observed the spectacle of the middle aged trying
be young, instead of playing with those of their
generation. He remembered grav-haircd men sitting
restaurant tables with young girls, whom they were
trying peasebut they doing it with purse and
with personality.
He hesitated the experience of looking at himself
for the first time. When he took his initial glance into
the mirror he only of blur of features and
copyigh by sfauce RaIf,r