Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-15


ness, to thrill him through and through with his dis
coverv-and then to send the girl scurrvng off to
nounce her engagement to another man, Scurvy, he
called it. but scurver still that it should be the very
engagement he had fastened to San Marco to bring to
its proper close,-"I will, and Mendelssohn.
He sat gloomily down on the bed What could he
do? What save keep his word, given the seventeenth
floor of an office building in New York: No man had
yet had to question the good faith of Ainot
His dead father the beginning of his career, had
sacrificed his fortune keep his word, and gone back
with smile to begin all over again What could he do,
Nothing grit his teeth and the thing through
He made up his mind to this he bathed and shaved.
and prepared himself for his debut in San Marco So
that when he finally left the hotel and stepped into
San Sebastan-ave he cheerful with logged, boy
stood on the burning deck cheerfulness.
A DOZEN negroes, their smiles reminiscent OF tooth
powder advertisements, vainly sought to cajoe
him into their shaky vehicles With difficulty he avoid
ed their pleas and strolled down San Marcos main
horoughfare On every side clever shopkeepes spread
the net for the eagle the dollar. jewelers. shops
flashed, modistes limited milners begged to present
their latest creations.
He presently to a street, where
humber merchants catered to the Conev instinct that
turks the aluent Of tourists. There g,dv
souvenir stores abounded The ugly and inevitable
alligator fallen from his proud estate to rese slipper
wallet, cigar case, umbrella stand photograph album,
and Lord knows what, was head1ned IN this street.
Picture postcards hung in focks, ntvpe galleries be-
sought, newsstands, soda water fountains and cheap
boarding houses stood side by side And few feet
Ninot upon "The Oldest House in San Marco
On his way back to the hotel in front of one of the
dazzling modistes' shops, he a limousine
drawn up the curb, and in it Jack Paddock friend OF
his college days Paddock leaped blithel from the
chine and grasped Dick Mnot by the hand.
you here?~ he cried.
@Fooish question. commented AIinot
Eyes, know, said Paddock Been here SO long my
man..
Same here Mnot stared at the car. Il say, Jack,
did you that writing felton,
Paddock laughed I'm not writing much fiction
now" he replied. @The car belongs to Mrs. Helen
Bruce, the wittest hostess in San Marco" He came
closer. "A1y boy, he conided, Il have struck
thing essentially soft Sometime soon in with all
the doors and windows closed and the weather strips
in place, Il whisper it to YOU I've been diving tell
somebody"
And the car
part of the graft, Dick. Here Mrs. Bruce
W. Did | mention she the wittest-of course 1
did. Want to meet her: Well, later then You're at
the Pax, suppose. See you there.
Minot moved on from the irnmnence of Mrs. Bruce.
moment later the limousine sped by him. One seat
generously filed by the wittiest hostess in San
Marco Seated opposite her. Paddock waved airy
hand. Life had always been the gayest of jokes to
Paddock
I IFE was at the moment quite the opposite to Dick
Alinot. He devoted the next hour to sad intro
specton in the lobby 1t not until he his
way IN to dinner that he again Cynthia Aeyrck.
lhen Just outside the dining door he encountered
her. still all in white, lovelier than ever in her cheek
flush of excitement, doubt put there by the most