The Washington herald., 1914-05-31
tcop,rislt. ma,

THE Honorable Algernon Knox
stroiled from his uncle's house n
Grosvenor Square to Piccad.lly and
entered his club in very bad temper.
He summoned one of his friends to join
him st the small luncheon table which
he had selected. with gesture winch
was almost peremptory.
Hello, Algy," his friend remarked, as
he seated himself. Whats wrongf
perceive cloud upon =-ur sera-c
countenance." y-
The Honorable Algernon laid down the
menu which he had been studying.
Everything is wrong.i he declared firm
ly. Look at me-"
His friend obeyed him literally. An ex-
his features.
DO 1 or do not look Ii a fool?" the
Honorable Algernon Knox demanded
portentously.
His vis-a-vis sighed without going
so far as to make definite statement.
Algy," he said, IT would yet feel In
clined to swear upon my oath-that
you're not such a fool as you look
Alyernon Knox rose deliberately to his
feet and walked to a mirror at the
farthest end of the room, where he stood
for a moment as though his object were
to rearranee his tie. He was young
man of not uncommon type-taH, IN
ciined to be pale. with rather large. olIe
eyes, and a forehead which certainly
did recede little. al effect which was
perhaps heightened by his carefully
brushed-back hair. His features might
have beer called pleasant. but they
might also have been called vapid.
There was nothing about him which 1e-
noted intellectually. He returned TO MS
seat s
sammy" he announced. II am about
sick of itr'
HIS friend. who was hungry. and
patheticany.
Every one of my asinine relatives, :"
Algernon Knox continued, seems to
have his knife into me- / have been
down, as you know, into Stanfordshire.
Tried to get INTO Parliament. Not an
earthly chance"
Had to read a newspaper one day IN
the train" Sammy Forde confessed. Il
read you weren't exactly hit there"
Nature" Algernon Knox insisted
firmly. never meant me to stand up
and address a lot of yokels and trades
people. But what knocked me was the
newspapers on the other side, instead Of
attacking my politics, all the time made
fun of me. They ridiculed my speeches,
although / never said a word that the
agent hadn't written out for me Then
WACA ScAhS boShs NCncIdlcu uHCic
goes for me. I've just had 1t out with
him. In our younger days he said
pompously, the fool of the family en-
tered the church. Nowadays. we can't
even get him into Parliament"
''oh. that was nasty!" his friend ad-
mitted, shaking his head.
Il have made up my mind" Algernon
Knox declared. grimly, TO treat my
fanily-for the present, at any rate
yrrf1 fol
any Of them"
Sammy Forde nodded sympatheticalIy.
Quite right to take a firm stand. Algy,"
he agreed, but what about your allow
ance? Isn't that in your uncle's hands
until you are twenty-nver'
Tt is" Algernon Knox asserted.
Furthermore. the silly old ass declared
his intention this morning of reducing
II by half"
Then what will you DOR Sammy
Forde asked.
IF we should happen to meet this
evening" Algernon Knox replied. 81
may tell you. I am going a little way
into the country. and I am going to
think
Sammy Forde whistled softly. MILAN
grill room for supper. 1 suppose7"
I am not sure" Algernon Knox an
swered. Some OF these habits Of ours
become almost a tyranny. I may 20 to
Imano's"
His friend stared at him blankIy. ~By
Jove, Algy," he remarked, you are in
earnest New leaf altogether. eh?"
You wait," was the significant re-
ply. .-
Half an hour later. in his small one
seated motorcar. shaped like a torpedo,
gray and close hung to the ground.
Knox sped OF into the country.
"D-d hard luck on any one," he NUT
tered more than once, TO have all these
silly professions showed down ones throat
because one happens to have an uncle
who's an earl and a cabinet minister and
a father who led the House of Lords. I
hate politics. anyway"
The remainder of his reflections were
obscured by an incident for which he
was scarcely to blame II was on his
homeward way, when he was still about
thirty-fve miles from London and the
hight was beginning to fail, that he
crashed into motorcar emerging from
an avenue on the wrong side of the road.
HIS next recollection was of coming to
himself In most charmingly furnished
sitting-room. with the straneest- looking
woman he had ever seen in his life bend.
ing over the easy chair in which he was
reclining.
You are better7" she asked anxiou.,x
speaking slowly and with distinctly for.
eign accent
He sat up and looked around him In |
a dazed fashion.
You ran into my motorcar," she
explained. My man admits that he |
was on the wrong side Please Dc.
not worry. Sit here quietly for q |
little time. II you would like to LET
your friends know. there IL the tale
phone"
"Awfully good Of you" he said. .I
don't think I'm hurt at all"
Il do not think that you are" she
agreed. "Perhaps-do you think that
In half an hour you would be we'll
enough to go? Your car is uninjured. !"
It was not only her words, but a
strange sort of anxiety, traces of |
which he seemed to see in her face.
which puzzled him. He looked at her
more closely. She was intensely pale,
with eyes which at first had seemed /
black, but which now he saw to be
blue. Her eyelashes were very long, I
her eyebrows black and silky. Her /
hair was arranged in an unusual man
her. At first he had thought her too
thin. Now, as she bent over the easy
chair little. he found her figure per-
lection. But her face puzzled him. It /
was like a painting he had seen some I
where.
Say ;he word" he begged, "and I'll /
Gould I have brandy and soda. do
you think?"
She pointed to a table You see. had |
heaps of things brought in. I will mix
,ne for you"
He uatched her at her task. Her fingers