Evening star., 1912-07-13

than not, was taken from the table un-
touched. There was something too fine
and open in his expression. something
too steady and straightforward in his
eyes and too human in his smile, to leave
ground for belief that he was addicted
to any degrading habit, the victim Of a
drug, for instance; as she had heard men
sometimes were. No-she had concluded
-he was merely another like herself, an
incompetent turned out to fight for q
living with no weapons aside from hon.
esty and good intent
And with that she had ticketed the
boy and tucked him away in a pigeon
hole OF her memory. and forgotten him,
save when now and again their eyes met
casually in passing. He had become to
zanne's-even as herself, if, possibly, less
transitory.
As for the Red Man, he was compare
lively q newcomer. He had first ap-
peared in Suzanne's within the last ten
days, but since that debut had become
what Jean would have termed ''regu-
lar
At sight Cynthia had dubbed him the
Red Man, because he was red. He was
the reddest human being she had ever
seen. His broad, bluntly modelled face
was red with the burnt redness OF a
and big. outstanding ears. In that SAN
guine expanse his eyes were like blue
stones, hard and cold and penetrating
q blue almost turquoise In tint and quite
as opaque. And his hair was outrageous
ly ahame; a hot reddish-brown, match
ing nearly the color of the baggy ready
made coat and trousers, which. apparent
ly, he never changed. His shirts were
always (or else 1t was always the same
shirt) barred with vivid pink stripes just
as q small "batwing" tie of crimson
satin always nestled cozily up under the
incarnadined folds of his fat chin. Even
his high-cut shoes were Of that deadly
,russet-red leather that is, as a general
thing. only to be seen calling attention
to the feet Of the SWEETEST dressed feller''
in some small inland town. And. finally,
one Of his huge but chubby red hands
was adorned with a garnet ring, and he
wore cuff links set with carbunc1es. Oh.
decidedly the Red Man of all red men!
Another thing that made him memor-
able, If anything were needed aside from
his feverish color scheme was his seri-
BUSINESS. Large. fat, red-faced men are,
In the popular conception, good-humored
and jolly. But the Red Man Of suzannes
never smiied-so far as Cynthia knew, at
least: she had never seen him save whom
his features were set and hard. and his
eyes cold and calculating. Sometimes
she thought his expression one Of anx-
iety, as II he, too, had grave troubles to
contend with: but this impression was
modified by the fact that he seemed to
have plenty Of money. He ate ferocious-
ly and enormously, frequently sending
Jean back to the kitchen for double and
and he drank in proportion-always. at
least. one large bottle of table wine at q
meal, and more often two-but without
ever seeming affected by the quantity
Of cheap alcohol thus consumed. And
several times she had noticed, when he
paid his reckoning. that he drew from
his trousers pocket a great fat wad OF
bills with yellow backs. all rolled up
tight and bound together with twisted
rubber band.
After he had finished luncheon the Red
Man always smoked a very large and
thick and dark cigar with a very large
red and gold band round its middle
meanwhile staring impertinently round
the room, fastening his chilly. blue stare
on one patron or another. and prolong-
ing 1t until Cynthia sometimes thought.
It must be unendurable She was relieved
that he never seemed to think her worth
more than fugitive glance. Thrice she
had noticed him rise, and, approaching
table occupied by some one he had been
staring out Of countenance. pull out
chair, sit down and begin talking, ap-
parently without preface or apology
talking In thick. dull. rumbiing voice,
that filled the room like the growl OF
some Gagged animalno more Ineligible.
at q distance Of a few feet. Two of the
persons 50 addressed they were invari-
ably mem had listened, at first with in
terest, then with diminishing attention.
finally cutting him short by calling to
Jean for the addition The third e
short, burly man, who somehow made
Cynthia think Of sailor out Of work)
had heard him out to the end, and then.
evidently in an asserting humor. gone
away with the Red Man. That event
was two days old; and now that she
thought Of 1t. the man with the seafar-
ing air had not since then been seen in
Suxanne's. although previously he had
figured as q regular attendant.
So she was interested distantly. but not
In any way surprised, when the Red
Man. after glaring at that boy" for q
period of fully five minutes. suddenly
got up, numbered heavily over to the
ether'e table and sat down-drst, a. in