Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

to think that the magic name of Cod
man had been the talisman that had won
for his design the coveted prize and it would
have seemed like deliberately picking a
quarrel with ones own good fortune to have
discarded his lucky nom dart, after it had
served to bring his work into the limehght
of recognition.
well we'll, Miss Marion, if you can talk
as delightfully."- as you can write, you would
be very charming young woman to meet.
| wonder if she is an author or a poet! A
trained writer of some kind, unquestion-
ably" he decided, as specially well turned
sentence caught his eye. "And so you adj
mire my work. Um-you pay compliments
so delicately | am almost inclined to believe
you are telling the truth. No, am sorry
can't claim even remote kinship with you;
| though on second thought I'm rather glad
that | can't
For the next half hour the unfinished
sketch on Christie drawing board remained
untouched. Lights, shadows, and values
were for the time forgotten, as he sought to
arrive at some positive decision that in its
| fulflment would in no wise offend the
promptings of his personal inclination. One
moment he tried to persuade himself that
| it would be far better to ignore this un-
known young woman's rather elusive letter
| than to send her the requested autograph.
| Very likely she was some sentimental trlfier
with a penchant for writing to artists, ac-
tors, or anyone who had the least claim to
distinction; "but-but | don't believe it,"
he declared aloud, "and no one but a cad
would entertain such slanderous doubts Of
the writer's sincerity 1t would be down.
right churlish in him, he argued, to refuse
to send his autograph which the fair sup
plant requested SO frankly and prettiy.
/ f,,fi off TO nd, 70 n
digniied yet gracious reply to Miss Cod
mans Charming letter. Christie at last
succeeded in composing a note that was
quite to his satisfaction.
THERE is a common saying among the
sporting fraternity that "A good loser
is one man out of hundred and Hutton
would have reluctantly acknowledged to
himself that he was not likely to prove even
poor type of the zone man." To be sure,
the game had not yet been played out. The
final curtain on the little comedy that
Latham had proposed trying out had
not yet been rung down; but the end was In
sight. Christie was apparently playing the
leading role with all the blind faithfulness
that Latham had predicted he would. That
was the sore point with Hutton. The price
of the dinner be hanged! He had dropped
twice the amount on the wrong horse many
a time without whimper; but that Amos
Christie seemed bent on ultimately making
himself the laughing stock of his friends
when the story leaked out touched Hutton
to the quick.
al should never have believed" he con-
fessed to himself, "that Christie would walk
into any such fool trap! A man who has
been the idol at score of social functions
when flesh and blood girls swarmed round
him like butterflies, and never SO much as a
mild Irritation whispered about to his dis
credit-and to think of such man writing
letters for the last two months to girl who
doesn't exist, is maddening! Latham must
be wizard at composition to have led
Christie on in this way. Talk about Othello
using witchcraft! The Moor wasn't mark
er compared to Latham! Umph! here
comes Mephistopheles now, probably to tell
me that he has received another fool letter
from poor Christie. It's too but Hut
tons explosion was cut short by Latham's
exultant greeting.
Hutton, my boy, | am aware that it is
in exceedingly poor taste to crow over ones
success; but matters are moving SO swiftly
that | should say that only about two more
of Miss Marion ]. Codman's seductive let
tiers will be necessary to induce our suscepti-
BILE friend Christie to declare himself. 1t
seems almost Incredible does it not? But
Il