Evening star., 1912-11-17

At any rate, it was journey that he could
not take for sometime yet. 1t would be
rather amusing. however, to go down there
with Who am r. air; to challenge each
YOU remember me, Siro' Mavbe he would
have the good luck to hear one of them say,
"Of course do! You are James Sylvester.'
WHY, are you sniling'' Mrs. Beldon
asked, with twinkle of her dimples.
"Was [? think had plunged into day
dream"
Il can see already that you have an i'm
agination" said Mrs. Beldon. Perhaps
you are writer? | don't seem to remember
any novel or short stories by James Sylves-
ter
He did not feel at that moment as if he
were writer. He remembered the bad luck
he had had when he was trying to pose as a
singer and resolved to try no more expert
nents. For all he knew. Mrs. Beldon would
be expecting him to write a sonnet to her
dmples. Besides, if Jimmy Sylvester were
writer, she would know it. An alert Young
woman like herself would be sure to follow
the devious ways of current literature. He
resolved to speak the truth as far as he could.
Il am afraid l can't claim to be much Of a
writer, Mrs. Bedon, he said. "Really. |
cannot describe my profession better than
by saying that just now am by way of being
soldier OF fortune, out OF commission. |
hope III have enough money left to get to
New York That depends on the doctor
and the hospital. Once there, shall find
something to do, if it's only teaching French
in girls school, | hope | sha'n have to
come to that.
"You speak French beautifully she said,
"but l doubt" she added, looking full in his
attractive face. IF you could get any discreet
principal to engage you,-that is, unless YOU
happen to be married, Mr.. Jimmy SylveS-
ter There was a curious intonation in her
voice as she asked the question.
NO, | am not married. he said unhesi
tatingly. "A soldier of fortune has no right
to wife.
"Plentv of people in this world take things
to which they have no right she said, and
again her tone was peculiar. He wondered
if she was thinking of his name, and again he
felt the obstinate impulse to prove to her
that he was Jimmy Sylvester.
"No. my strong right arm is not fit to sup
port wife yet. he said idly, looking at his
bandages. "This is the second broken arm
| have had, Mrs. Beldon: only the other
time it was the left one. l remember it hap
pened at school, over dozen years ago.
Another boy and | were Damon and
Pvthias pair, always together, breaking
bounds whenever we could manage II. once
we were out in the woods, seeing how high
we could climb in the tallest trees without
the boughs breaking under us. \ thunder
storm was coming; but either we didn't
notice it, or we had set ourselves some silly
stunt of climbing certain number of trees
before we gave it up and went back to the
school. Well, I'd climbed into the very
tallest one, when-Zip! the thunder cracked
and a shaft of lightning came. 1t SCARED
the tree. and. without touching me, gave
me such a fright that | went tumbling. My
blessed Damon, under the tree, tried to
catch me. If he hadn't, might have had
something worse than broken arm. As for
him, he was knocked unconscious, and |
thought he was dead. And after I'd got
back to school and got help for him, one of
the first things they told us was that we'd
be punished for what we had DONE just as
soon as we were fit for punishment"
Sylvester was not looking at her as he
spoke. He was talking in a reminiscent,
lazy tone, pleased because he felt that he had
hit on another fact belonging to Jimmy Syl-
vester.
"What-what was the other boy name?'
asked Mrs. Beldon.
"I've forgotten"
Forgotten friend like that"
He looked at her now. There was GER