The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-10-05

Will u AuSSE Bill &uQ W0l4-LE1mme0s
he trailed up and down the guest-list.
Ella! see that you have the Duh6
Of What-d'ye-call from Germany hera
Ill give you my card. Send It up 10
Mr.. Ryanne. No hurry. I shall b IN
again after dinner"
He hustled OF toward The doom
He was pursy. well-fed. and decentlZ
dressed. the sort of man who, whom
he moved in any direction, created the
impression that he had an important
engagement somewhere else or was
pairing minutes from timetables. For
man in his business 1t was q clever
expedient, deoeiving all but those who
knew him. He hesitated at the door.
however, az If he had changed his
mind in the twenty-odd PAGES 1t took
to reach it. He stared for q long
period at the elderly gentleman who
was watching the feluccas on the
river through the window. The white
mustache and imperial stood out In
crisp relief against the ruddy sunburn
on his face. If he was aware of this
scrutiny on the part Of the pursy gen.
tleman, he gave not the least sign.
The revolving door spun round, send.
ing a puff of outdoor air into the
lounging-room. The elderly gentleman
then smiled. and applied his thumb
and foretingsr to the waxen point Of
his imperial.
In the intervening time Mr.. Ryanna
entered his room. threw the bundle
on the bed. sat down beside 1t, and
read his letter. Shadows and lights
moved across his face; frowns that
hardened 1t, smiles that mellowed It.
Women hold the trick Of writing let,
tiers. Do they hate, their thoughts
| flash and burn from line to line. Do
they love. tia lettered music. Do they
conspire, the breadth Of their imagt
nation is without horizon. At best,
man can lndite only polite business
letter. his love-notes were adJudged
long since maudlin collection, Of
loose sentences. In this letter Mr.. Ry.
anne found the three parts of life.
She's good general; but hang
these birthstone efforts. of hers. She
talks too much of heart. For my part.
| prefer to regard 1t as mere phys
ical function. pump. q motor, pow
err that gives action to the legs. either
In coming or in going, more especially
In going" He laughed. well, hers
Is the inspiration and hers is the law.
And to think that she could plan all
this on the spur of the moment. down
to the minutest detaill It's science"
He put the letter away. slid out his
legs and glared at the dusty tips OF
his shoes. "The United Romance and
Adventure Company, Ltd, of New
York, London. and Paris. She has the
greatest gift OF all, the sense of hu-
NOR"
Ho rose and opened his kit-bag
aoubtfully. Ie rummaged about In
tho depths and at last Strengthened
up with mild oath.
mot pair Of cuffs in the whole
outfit, not shirt. not collar. Oh,
well. when a man has to leave Bagdad
the way I did, over the back fence,
30 to speak. linen doesn't count"
| He drew down his cuffs, detached
and reversed them. lie turned his fold.
Ing collar wrong-side out, and used
Tie under side OF the foot,rug as a
Fhoe-polisher. 1t was the ingenious
procedure Of Il man who was used to
! being out late nights. who made all
things answer all purposes. This rapid
ind sinsularly careless toilet COM
pleted, he centered his concern upon
tho more vital matter of finances. He
was close to tho nadlr: four sover-
eigns. u form. and collection Of bat
tered coppers that would have tickled
tho pulse Of an amateur numlsmatist.
mo vintage tonight. my boy; no
long, fat Havana, either. bottle Of
stout and few rags of plug-out;
that's the pace we'll travel this eve
ming. The United Romance and Ad-
venture Company is not listed at pres
ent. If it was. I'd sell few shares
on my own hook. The kind Lord
knows that I've stock enough and to
Spare" He laughed again. but with
out the leaven of humor. when the
fool-kller snatches up the last fool.
let rogues look to themselves: and
fools are getting scarcer every day.
"Percival Algernon! o age Of 20
cts! l wonder, does he wear high COL
lars and spats, or has she plumbed
| him accurately? She Is generally
right. But a man changes some in
seven years. I'm an authority when It
comes to that. Look what's happened
to me in seven years! First, Horace,
we shall dine. then we'll smoke our
pipe in the billiard-room. then we'll
softly approach Percival Algernon
and introduce him to Sinbad. This in
dependent excursion to Bagdad was
a stroke on my part; 1t will work into
the general plan as smoothly as II It
had been grooved for the part. Sinbad.
| might just as well have assumed
that name: Horace sinbad, sounds
well and looks WELL" He unused in
silence, his hand gently rubbing his
chin; for he did possess tho trick Of
! talking aloud. in a low fnonotona a