The Washington herald., 1914-10-25
CcOpyasht, laGl


the reverse reason. Hospitality had
been dispensed on a lavish scale at his
own home in the South before his faith
er's death, but the servants there were
negroes, slaves, or descendants OF
slaves, and he knew just the right mix
ture of affection and tyranny to adminl
lister to them. But where servile white
foreigners, with their curious humil-
tiles and pomposities, bowed heads and
elevated eyebrows, he had not learned
just how much to demand and how
much to concede
He was glad that there was no valet
to unpack his things, for he was afraid
that his secret wardrobe might not pass
such experienced inspection. He laid
out his own pajamas, brushes, and
clean things against the morning.
Ten Eyck, who shared the same
bathroom with Forbes, came in to bor-
row match for his pipe, noted Forbes
industry, and quoted one of the few
classics that he still read-Rabelais !:
"Panurge had it right when he said, 7
am never so well served as when
am my own valet I tell you, Forbesy,
we millionaires may have our little
troubles, but we escape the worst of
EN-, eh, John DIP"
Il wish you'd cut out that talk about
my being a millionaire" Forbes broke
in, impatiently.
Millionaire is a newspaper tern" |"
Ten Eyck explained, "for anybody who
is worth more than a few thousand
dollars"
"But Pm not worth anything and
never shall be-" Forbes confessed.
TN not rich at all. I've nothing but
a few hundred dollars and my plea
yune salary
Ten Eyck took the great denial with
out emotion. Then I congratulate
you on being one of the poor but hon.
est, instead of the criminal rich"
'Tm poor, but Pm not honest" I"
Forbes said; I'm obtaining courtesy
under false pretenses."
"RotI" said Ten Eyck Money
couldn't buy what you,Ie getting, and
the lack of it couldn't lose what you've
gained. They like you You belong.
That's all there is to It"
81 wonder"
"Of course that's all. What does
anybody here care how much you've
got or haven't got, so long as you're
congenial and aren't proposing to
marry anybody"
Forbes lifted his head with a quick,
startled movement that did not escape
Ten Eyck.
What / say goes along the line,
Forbesy. You were good to me when
was sick in Manila Don't you go
and get sick here. Don't fall in love
too far, Forbesy. 1 like you mighty
well and-naming no names-I like her
mighty well, but don't get false notions
in your head, and don't put false no.
tions in hers"
About my money, you mean%
'Umm-humm"
you think that money would make
a difference to her"
ElCk W.
water make any difference to a fish,"
But if she loved"
my boy, you can keep a mighty
sweet canary in a mighty little cage,
and it will sing away like. mad and be
very fond of you; but you can't keep
a bird of paradise there-or sea-gull
can you"
Il reckon not" said Forbes.
''You understand me, don't you, old
mani"
q get you, Steve"
They sat and smoked a long while
Then Ten Eyck yawned, and gripped
Forbes shoulder hard and went out,
pausing to look at him sadly.
Forbes sat smoking his cigar till it
was gone. Then he made ready for
bed, blew out the candle raised the
curtain, and paused to stare blankly
into the dark mass of green hill or a
great cloud, whichever il was, piled up
againstS sky sprinkled over with al
powder Nof little stars. Among them
was one planet whose name he did not
know. As he watched, it moved with
imperceptible stealth out of his sight |
behind the hill.
He gave up Persis as completely as he |
gave up the planet. ~ A few days ago
he did not know her name. A fewI
days more and she would have slipped |
from his sky.
The only dream that Forbes knew
that night-or remembered, at least
was a dream of his latest garrison, and |
the same bugle humming like the sin
gle nagging morning fly that frets a
sleeper awake.
He leaped from his bed, and was as
tonished to find himself standing in a
strange room with an open window
facing an unknown landscape.
At night he had seen his room in
vast shadows clouded about a meek
candle The window had shown him
only blur of gloom against sky of |
star-dust
Now he found himself in a sumptu-
ously furnished chamber. whose win
dow framed scene of royalty ordered |
0eauty-a great lawn as level and al
most as spacious as a parade-ground, |
and bordered with a marble balustrade
that seemed to run on forever regard
less OF expense. Marble statues and
bronzes and fountains were here and
there. And up noble hill a stairway,
as beautiful as sea-gulrs wings.
SCARED to a parked space where a LITTLE
marble temple sheltered an image
which he judged to be Cupids.
Forbes crept back to bed. but only
TO reproach himself withs sloth. He
could not afford to miss a sunrise s,,ci,
,- 4k;e ,poffid he TberA ,,-a,.fl L ]