Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

the same stars on which perhaps my dear
Henry was gazing as his boat slid out of the
darkened harbor.
SUDDENLY at an unoccupied table near
~ that where Victor and | sat together, a
lady and gentleman came and sat down
Perhaps shouldn't say a gentleman, either
an elderly, tired looking person with
something of the air of the theater about
him. who ordered only glass of milk and
sat slipping it as though counting the seconds
between each two sips. But the lady, who
was dressed in a long black satin wrap and a
very correct little straw hat, took no refresh
ment whatever. Then all of a sudden rec
ognized her. 1t was Fay come back!
Victor had not noticed her. She fixed her
eyes on him-large, luminous, imploring
eves-and waited.
Suddenly Victor turned as though he had
been stung, and met her gaze full in the face.
For an instant they remained staring at each
other, while watched them discreetly from
behind my lashes. Then, with a shuddering
effort, as though heaving weight far be-
You'd his strength, Victor dragged his eyes
away. But Fay's never wavered.
On the stage her presence had had its
startling, its moving, effect on the man who,
according to the limitations of his nature,
undoubtedly loved her. But here close be-
side him, leaning toward him with parted
lips and wide open, shining eyes that alter
nately threatened and implored- Though
no one but me seemed to notice the tact,
here at the highest moment of Mrs. Cobb's
triumph this insignificant little creature had
come to measure swords with her. For with
out any metaphor it seemed an actual fact
that those eyes held a sword Never in any
face have | seen so intense concentration
of the human will, focused, as 1t were, IN the
blade of light that streamed from those UNI
winking irises. "Come!' said the eyes. Il
love yOu-COrne.
Upon nv word, had to feel sorry for
Victor! To be sure, he was hardly an ideal
type, SO much was certain, and governed,
moreover by motives purely mercenary;
but he was human, just the same, and in
that moment he undoubtedly suffered.
Suffered! 1t was torments that he under
went, while his legs writhed themselves
about those of his chair and his shaking hand
returned continually to the champagne.
And, like his body, his head seemed galvan-
lied into perpetual motion, turned sidewise
to see if Fay were still looking at him, then
jerked away like a tooth; then, as though
by some irresistible law of nature, like the
sunset or the tides, back went his eyes to
hers-back every time.
his niue uId1lld, WHICH ldSleu perhaps
ten minutes, seemed by its very intensity
prolonged to as many hours. Then sud
denly beheld the tortured legs of Victor,
which quivered and then remained trans
fixed like those of a smitten beast. 1nvol-
unfairly turned and looked. There in the
brilliant eyes under the little dark hat, bent
as ever upon Victor, had gathered two shin
ing tears. Whether by art or by genuine
emotion, the effect was perfect. Thus soft
ened by sorrow, the eyes became of magl-
cal enchantment, of irresistible seduction.
Come" they said. "My beloved one, Gomez"
Suddenly Victor leaped to his feet. I'm
damned, heard him say under his breath,
If can stand this any more!'
HIS chair, knocked away by his hasty ges
! ture, fell crushed to the ground. From
flirting, from Dragging, or from laying down
the law, the attention of all was suddenly
reclaimed to him, as, stepping forward for a
half-dozen PAGES, he seized Fay by the hand.
Come, Fay" he said in a voice 50
changed | hardly recognized it as his.
Mother, I'm going! Goodbye
Had he suddenly gone mad and drawn a
pistol, the commotion could hardly have
been greater. The whole company leaped
to its feet, in clatter OF overturned chairs
and smashing wineglasses.
Ermentrude like the goose she is, began to