Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-30

last collar. the last pair OF shoes, and
sat upon the lid Of the trunk. He
e,rovled q little. The lock was always
bothering him. It was wonderful how
many things chap could take out Of
a trunk and how plagued few he could
nut back. It did not seem to relieve
the pressure if he added steamer
trunk here or a suitcase there; there
was always just so much there wasn't
any room for Truly, it needed wom
ans hand to pack trunk. However
his mother in the old school-days haG
got all his belongings into one trunk
was still an unsolved mystery.
Stubborn as the lock was, perseyer
ance oveTcame it. George then, as s
slight diversion, spread the ancient
Yhiordes over the trunk and stared al
it in pleasurable contemplation. Whai
a beauty it was What exquisite blue
what soft red, what minute patterns!
And this treasure was his. He leaned
down upon it with his two hands.
color stole into his cheeks. 1t had its
source in an old confusion; school
boys jeerirg mate seen walking
home from school with girl. It wa.
all rot, he perfectly knew, this wish
ing business; and yet he flung into the
sun-warmed, sun-gilded space an ar
dent wish, sent it speeding round tht
world from cast to west. Fast as heat
fast as light it Travelled, for no soone!
had it sprung from his mind than j!
entered the window Of room across
the corridor. Whether the window was
open or shut was of no importance
whatever. Such wishes penetrated anG
went through ali obstacles And this
one touched Fortunes eyes, her hair,
her lips; it caressed her in thousand
happy ways. But, alas! such wishes
are without temporal power.
Fortune never knew. She sat in 6
chair, her fingers locked tensely, her
eyes large and set in gaze, her lips
compressed, her whole attitude one OF
impotent despair.
George did not see her at lunch, and
consequently did not enjoy the hour.
Was she i'll? Had she gone away?
Would she return before he started?
He greeted the Major as one greets I
long-lost friend; and by gradations
George considered clever indeed,
brought the conversation down to For
tune. No, the Major did not know
where she was. She had gone early
to the ba2aars. Doubtless she was
lunching alone somewhere. Size had
the trick of losing herself at times.
Mrs. Chedsoye was visiting friends at
Shepherds. When did Mr.. Jones
leave for America? What! on the NOR
row? The Major shook his head re,
gretfully. There was no place like
Cairo for Christmas.
George called carriage, drove
about the principa! streets and shop
ping districts, and used his eyes dill
gently; but It was loves labor lost.
Not even when he returned at tea-time
did he see her. Why hadn't he known
and got up? He could have shown her
the bazaars; and there wasn't drago-
man in Cairo more familiar with them
than he. 4 wasted day, totally wasted.
He hung about the iouDging-room till
it was time to go up and dress for
dinner. Tonight Gas if tho gods had
turned Georges future affairs over to
the care OF Momus) he dressed as If
he were going to the opera; swallow
tail, white.vest, high collar and white
lawn cravat, opera-Fedora, and thin
soled pumps: ali those habiliments
and demi-habilim ents supposed to
make the man. When he reached what
he thought to be the glass Of fashion
and the mold Of form, he turned for
the first time toward his trunk. He
did not rub his eyes; it wasn't at all
necessary; the thing he saw, Or Tath-
er did not see, was established beyond
a doubt, ms plainly definite rs two and
two are four. The ancient Ybiordes
had taken upon itself one OF the po-
tentialities Of It's fabulous prototype,
that Of inTisibility; it was gone.
ITO be contirucd.)