Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-14

Things for the present, Richards" his
master ordered, sharply. Bring the rest
OF the tweed travelling suit like the trou-
sers I have on and then see about pack
ing some clothes"
The man ceased his task He looked
around, a little bewildered.
do. / understand that you are going
out of town tonight. Sir Julien?" he
asked.
Il am going on to the continent by the
8 o'clock train,' was the curt reply.
Richards was a perfectly trained serv-
ant, but the situation was too much for
him.
You will excuse me, Sir Julien" he
said, but there is Lord Cardingtons din
ner tonight. and the reception afterward
at the foreign Office. I have your court
clothes ready.
His master laughed shortly.
II am not attending the dinner or the
reception, Richards. You can put those
| things back again and get me the travel
ing clothes"
The man seemed a little dazed, but
turned automatically toward the ward
robe.
Shall you require me to accompany
you. sir?'' he inquired:
mot at present." Sir Julien replied.
You will have to come on with the rest
| Of my luggage when l have decided what
to do
Richards was not more than ordinarily
inquisitive, but the circumstances were
certainly unusual.
DO you mean, sir, that you will not be
returning to London at PRESENT." he ven
tured to ask,
II shall not be returning to London for
| some time" Sir Julien answered, sharply.
Get on with the packing as quickly as
you can. Put the whisky and soda on the
table in the sitting room, and the cigar
ettes Remember, II any one comes l am
not at home
TOO late, my dear fellow" a voice
called out from the adjoining room. You
see, / have found my way up unan-
nounced-a bad habit, but my profession
excuses everything"
The man stood on the threshold of the
fiorid, untidily dressed, with clean
| shaver, humorous face, ungloved hands
| and a terribly shabby hat. He looked
around the room and shrugged his shout
ders.
What an Internal mess!' he excfaim-
ed. Come along out into the sitting
room, Julien. I want to talk to you.''
Il should like to know how the devil
you got in here!" Sir Julien muttered. II
told the fellow downstairs that no one
was to be allowed up"
He did try to make himself disagree
able the newcomer replied. However.
here 1 am-thats enough
Sir julien turned to his servant.
he directed, land let me know when you
have finished"
Sir Julien followed his visitor into the
sitting room, closing the door behind him.
His manner was not in the least cordial.
Look here, Hendricks. old fellow" he
| said, II don't want to be rude, but 1 am
not in the humor to talk to any one.
have had a rotten week OF it and just
about as much as I can stand. Help
yourself to q whisky and soda, say what
RI
The newcomer nodded. He helped him.
self to the whisky and soda, but he SEEM
ed in no hurry to speak. On the contrary.
he settled himself down In an easy chair
come to stay.
Julien" he remarked. presently, you
are up against it-up against 1t rather
hard Don't trouble to interrupt me.
| the first you'd have to resign There
wasn't any other way out OF it,
quite right" Julien agreed. There
wasn't. I've finished up everything today
resigned my Office. applied for the Chill
tern Hundreds and am going to clear
out Of the country tonight
I And all because you wrote foolish
| letter to a woman Hendricks murmured,
half to himself. "By the by. there's no
deqSt s0G IN t the wsr seD sspeo
There's nothing that the press can do
| to set you right?'
Great heavens, no!'' Julien declared.
NO one can help me. I've no one to
blame but myself. wrote the letter
there the matter ends"
And she passe It on to that shocking
| little bounder Of husband Of hers! What
, creature! Did 1t ever occur to you that
1t was plot?"
Julien shrugged his shoulders.
1T makes so little difference
you were In Carraby's way" Ken
bricks continued, producing a pipe from
his pocket and leisurely filing it. There
was no getting past you and you were a
young man. It's dirty business
IF you don't mind,'' Julien said, colby,
I'VE won't discuss it any further. So far
as am concerned, the whole matter Is
at an end. l was compelled to take part
they all knew. I suppose it's foolish to
mind such things. David" he went on,
bitterly, taking up cigarette and throw
ing himself into chair, "but year ago
1T was just after l came back from Ber-
lin. and you may remember 1t was the
fancy Of the people to believe that had
saved the country from war-they cheered
me all the way from Whitehall to the
Mansion House. Today there was only
dull murmur of voices--a sort of doubt
ing groan. I felt It. Hendricks It was
like hell, that ride!''
Hendricks nodded sympathetically.
II suppose you know that version OF
the letter Is In the evening papers?" he
asked.
MY resignation will be in the later is
Sues, Julien told him. 1T was pretty
well known yesterday afternoon. / leave
for the continent tonight
There was a short silence between the
two men. In a sense they had been
friends all their lives. Sir Julien Portel
had been successful politician, the
Youngest cabinet minister for some years.
Hendricks had never aspired to be more
than clever Journalist Of the vigorous
tyr hoy bod
than ordinarily intimate.
Have you made any plans?" Ken
! bricks inquired. presently. "Of course,
you think there might be chance Of liv-
ing 1t DOWN."
Not chance on EARTH" Julien re-
piled. LAS to what / am going to do,
don't ask me. For the immediate pres
ent l am going to lose myself in Nor
! mandy or somewhere. Afterward I think
l shall move on to my old quarters in
Paris. There's always a little excitement
to be got out Of life there"
Hendricks looked at his friend through
the cloud of tobacco smoke
IT'S excitement Of rather q dangerous
Order" he remarked, slowly.
II shall never be likely to forget that
am an Engiishman." Julien said. Per
haps ! may be able to do something to
set matters right again. One can't tell.
BY the by. Kendricks," he went on, do
you remember when we were at college
now you hated women? How you used to
try and trace half the things that went
wrong In life to their infiuence?'
The journalist nodded. He knocked the