The Washington herald., 1914-08-16

] RdHsOu. AAdaNdP.
"Oh, l suppose SO" said Barlow. That
and that tale of mine in the current
issue of the Epoch, l guess"
81 wish you'd read from The Magic
Cup said l. "Rawson seems to con-
slider that your masterpiece, even if it
was done in your apprentice days"
"Rawson does me too much honor,
said Barlow. rising abruptly. Forget
it, old man-forget it.
Who that has ever read it could for
get it?" said Rawson, peering into Bar
lows face through his half-closed eyes.
"Oh, tush, old fellow" laughed Bar
low. You'll have me down with an
acute attack OF sweIled head if you don't
stop" Here his face grew serious.
Look here, Rawson," he blurted out,
suddenly, Twelve got favor to ask
OF you, and that is that you don't say
anything more about the-about the
The Magic Cup Fact is. old man,
that story is Connected with a rather
tragic episode in my life, and 1--we
tried to forget it myself can't tell
you the whole story, or why it is hate
to be reminded OF the book. 1t was a
failure-and-well I'll he obliged to you
if you'll drop it"
Surely" said Rawson. I'm sorry to
have brough: up anything painful You
will at least cred. me with amiable in
tentions-
That's all right, my dear fellow"
Barlow rejoined promptly. Il am sure
the intention was good. and l thank
you. You didn't understand, that's all"
And he made of toward the bathing
houses.
How a crook does hate to be re-
minded of a crime he doesn't know
whether he has committed or not"
grinned Rawson.
Crook" I repeated "Oh, come, now,
BilHe-that's going some. isn't it,"
Some" said Rawson.
The authors reading that night was
delightful Most authors are not good
readers, but Barlow was ideal He cap
tivated even Rawson. who sat before
him with several hundred others. in
cluding even the servants. who thronged
the verandaS and listened through the
open windows. and drank in every word
that fell from his lips. His dramatic
rendering OF scenes from "Madcap Mi
Ram" were really enthralling, and in
one or two OF the shorter tales he
brought out comedy that had for its
very subtlety been lost TO the reader
of the printed page. He impaired to
the writings OF Barlow a very genuine
tenderness OF pathos that | had never
myself found there. nor was he at all
loath to the giving Of encores. Numer-
Gus things handed to him from the audi
ence he read upon request. smiling af
fably, and evidently enjoying himself
quite as much as We were enjoying his
almost perfect work. The audience fair
ly went mad over him: in short. if Bar
low the writer had been a demigod,
Barlow the interpreter OF Barlow had
become a god Of full Olympian stature
1t was long after midnight when the af
fair broke up, and as the party ad-
journed for the night we UNANIMOUSLY
voted Richard Henry Barlow an eminent
success.
He's a wonder" said Rawson, as the
hero of the evening bade US goodnight
and proceeded upstairs to his apartment
He has imagination, and the scale on
which he works is one OF true grandeur
It's almost pity to knock the head off
an idol like that-but it must be done.
Wen take off our coats, now, Jenkins,
and get down to business. It's time to
clean up"
looked into Rawson's eyes, and rec
ognized the fash-that always comes into
them in moments OF action.
"Wh-what are We gug-going to
clean up?" l asked, growing immediate
ly excited.
Come along with me, and I'll show
you" said Rawson, leading the way up
stairs. not to our own rooms, however,
but to the floor above, where in one COR
ner of the corridoI, in a small semi-in- |
side room, BarlowS valet had his quar-
ters. The room had only one window,
a dormer affair, opening out upon the
roof, about fifty feet from the iron FIRE
escape leading down to the laundry
yard. Its door was half open, and all
was dark inside. As we entered the
room, Rawson very quietly took in the
lay of the land, and then went into hid