Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-04


A FTER dinner, so far were these opti-
= mistic words justified, that Victor be-
came quite agreeable An old German lady
sat down before the immense concert grand
piano, and crashed out Wagner-hke chords;
while Victor, whose voice was very husky
andlittle proceeded with avery strange sound
from his large, wide open mouth. However,
that didn't matter, as his mother, with her
eyes rolled to the ceiling, heard him with an
ecstasy that would have distinguished her
boys voice above fog whistle.
They never stop, those songs. But after
an hour or two Victor did, and when it was
done she proposed that we should go in body
to the new picture gallery to see the famous
portrait of her darling boy by Chartran.
mol" shouted the darling boy. "The por-
trait can go burn! I'm going to the stable
to see my new bullpups."
"But, my dear, Lii doesn't care for pups.
And you can't expect young lady to go out
in all this fog"
His glance replied, "If Lii doesn't care for
the pups, she can go burnt"
But l fastened to restore peace by pro-
Tossing fanatical taste for pups. So out we
went, through the cold, wet dark, to look at
a heap of little, blind, squir1ning things.
Victor put one on my bare neck, and roared
when screamed.
On the way back to the house, Mrs. Cobb
squeezed my arm enthusiastically. "You've
made such hit tonight, Dear-at least I'm
sure, from the dear boys tremendous spirits,
that he's delighted with his little fancee.
Cheer up, little one: between us We'll make
him forget that horrid showgirl-you'1 see!"
And then, always with the same note of pas
sion in her voice, she went on topierce thevery
center of my dreams which as it happened
lay in the region of her dreams as well.
60 it was Henry Stuart that brought you
~ home? And you met Mrs. Vanhuysen?
[ suppose YOU know who she is-but no, of
course, you don't know anything yet. But
| can assure you the name of Vanhuysen-"
she stopped to take long breath; then, re-
covering herself, what was she like, Dear"
"She was very polite. She said she knew
my Aunt Elizabeth"
$50 you brought in the Duchess? That
was very tactful of you, Dear gratifying,
most gratifying. And Mrs. Stuart, was she
there? Mrs. Mecklenburgh Stuart, my
dear!' She smacked her lips religiously over
the syllables, like Uncle Porthaven sampling
his hundred-year-o claret. Don't tell me,
Lii, that you don't know that name!'
Mrs. Stuart wasn't there. She had just
been called away by a message to her brother
in Baltimore, who is dying. I thought all
the time, you know, that it was you"
"Her brother the Bishop! All! if it were
my brother, my dear!" Her eyes, gluttonous
of so much grandeur, dedicated her brother
seven times to the tomb, if SO high a title
might be cut upon his marble. She drew
long breath. $50 they're coming to see you?'
Miss Carroll asked if she might come,
and Mrs. Vanhuysen said she hoped they
might see mel there"
"Ah. and of course the invitation includes
your chaperon. Though 1 won't go, the
first time. No, III wait. But Miss Carroll,
that made such hit in London this year,"
"Yes. l saw her at Brent, when l was
there with my aunt"
$50 she saw you with the Duchess? Oh,
it's really turning out quite too splendidly!
And Henry Stuart, too! So you took him
for Victor?"
"Yes-you see, he took me for Miss Car
roll
very romantic very charming little
adventure that has landed you Immediately
among the very people want you to know.
Henry Stuart! He's been making himself
quite famous lately with his aerop1ane.
And, besides that, among the young lawyers
they say he's quite the c1everest in New
York Yes there is a resemblance" And her