The Washington herald., 1914-11-15

passing scenery 10 indicate progress, only
the bumps and teeterings, the sweryes
and slitherings, and the nauseating
belches Of noise made by the HON. Event
ually the wheels ceased to run upon ir-
regular ground and glded on asphalt
| This must be New York
At Seventy-second street they turned
or Broadway and crossed Central Park.
At the eastern gate Mrs. Nen's chauf-
feur checked his car alongside a whale
like mass, from which Willie EnsIee's
voice was heard shrilly calling through
the rain:
"Good-by. Mrs. NeT. Good-by. Alice:
Good-by, Mr. Wa-er-Forbes. AwfuIIy
glad you could come. See you again. Go
on to Miss Cabots house" This last
to his own driver.
Mrs. Mem and Alice cried in unison:
"Good-by! Had lovely time! See you
soon"
And out Of space came the disembodied
voice Of Persis as from a grave: Good
| by. Mrs. Nefr! By-by. Alice! Good-by.
Mr.. Forbes
'Good-by, P-Miss Cabot"' he called
Her voice trailed away as If it were her
soul going 10 death. and his voice fol-
lowed with an ache OF despair in It. Mrs
Mem caught the pathos lowering over tho
| cries Ike overtOneS sounding above and
beyond tone Of music. She said:
Too bad you let Willie take her awav
from you: it's not too late yet II you've
any ambition"
Forbes smiled DULY. and Alice said:
things
Il had set my heart on that love
match" sighed Mrs Nen.
Better begin at home" said Alice, with
unusual cheer
Mrs. Men changed the subject Wen
get out at our house. if you don't mind.
and the man can take you to your hotel
That's mighty kind OF you," said
Forbes. He helped them to alight prom
lsed 10 call, and re-entered the car. On
his way TO the hotel he pondered what
Mrs Men had said. 1t cheered him until
ne realized she was still assuming that
he had a respectable income. II she had
| known the truth she would have thought
him as unfit for Pers's az she thought
! stowe Webb unfit for Alice. She would
have approved Persis' theory that sucl,
a wedding was impossible
II Is doleful travel that takes one homo
from an unaccomplshcd errand-onl,-
Forbes vas not returning even to hi;
home. His home was as shistv as a Meth
odist minister's At present il was a ho-
tel, and after that the army post
Only yesterday he had been trying t.
! cOncoct schemes for postponing the DAT.
OF his return to duty; now he was rc-
| solved TO anticipate 1t.
! ther erosion OF the bank account-ard
took the subway and the ferry to Gov
! ernOrs Island.
And finally he was alone in his quarters,
and the dark closed in and he turned o.
| the light. and set about the establish
| Tnent Of his effects with all the fanatic
neatneSs and order a West Point train
! ing could give a man.
He put his coats and overcoats on the
. hangers, and the trousers in their hold
! erS, fiat and creased, and set his shoes our
in rows, and the boxes OF belts and spurs
and the sword cases, and the various hat
/ boxes. He took on his civilian coat and
waistcost-and found in the inside pocket
| that perfumed nightcap.
! And then he wanted Persis, He thirs+-
ed and hungered for her. He fevered for
! her. He called himslf names reasoned
! laughed. cursed. tried to read, 10 write:
/ but ''PersiS' Persis, Persis," ran among
/ his thoughts like a tune that can neither.
I BE- seized nor forgotten. He put out tho
light, flung up the curtain and the win
dow. and a soft breeze moving from tha
| ocean UP the hay seemed to pause like 4.
: serenader and Groom her name. The torch
| Of the Statue Of Liberty glowed like 4
; chained star. and II seemed TO be that
planet which was Persis and which he
could not reach.
! Only last night she was in his arms. in
, cried to him for help from her love: and
ne had given her up-given her back
to herself,
He had kept her pure that Enslee might
take her intact! His nobility seemed very
! cheap to him now. He repented his viz
& tue II he had taken her then he co-lJ
have kept her for his own. Now that she
4 had escaped she would never risk the
I danger again. She had told him So And
she could be very wise, very cold, very
resOlute.
That night vas a condensed eternity.
The next mornings duties were performed
! in kind OF somnambulism
The second day brought his commission
as captain He glanced over it lstlessly
and tossed it aside.
For years he had fretted for this doc
Ument. focused his ambitions on il. un-
braided a tardy government for with
holding II so long. And now that il was
here he sneered at the aCcolade of il. TIL
increase Of pay was a mere sarcasm: il
brought him no nearer his planet thar
going to the roof and standing on tiptos
would have done. The cOmmandant con-
graduated him. His feIIow-ofTicerS
wrung his hand. He was no lorEer To
ne called Mr.. Forbes hut Capt
Forbes He had title. Eut what wa-S
tn" good Of il? II did not even make him
a rival OF Enslee, whose only tito was
lslIlic W lllls.
Now and then the p7ofundity OF his
gloom was puickened with resolutions to
seek Persis, to storm her home and carry
her of. Perhaps that was what she was
waiting for. He hsd often read that
women love 10 be overma stored. Then his
pride would revolt. II was not bis way
of cOurtsIlp.
Besides. il Persis cared enough fkr him
to grant him an interview she would seek
Il --VF IL
the hotel and found him gone. PeNhapE
she was afraid to call up the post \and
have him summoned. Women do not like !
to call up men's organizations; II is hike
visiting them.
No, she had undoubtedly crossed him
of her books, as he ouSht - cross he-'
of his. He ought to write erre-woryr
Dropped under her name, as under that
OF a soldier who was out of the service
And so he tossed hope and despair like
a mad jUgglcr who cannot rest On the
third day. when he came from the parade
ground, he was informed that ne had
been wanted on the telephone. He was
to call up such a number. Yes, sir,
was lRdy's voice, sir
1t must be Persis No. it might be an
operator in 4 hotel. 1t might be her maid
1t might be anybody. 1t proved to be
the telephone girl in the Office of Senator
TAFT.
In = moment. by the occult influence OF
the telephone. the unknown woman van
ished and Senator Tait's soul was in COM
muniCatiOn Ei-h hts The .elial heart