Evening star., 1914-09-27

as soon as released.
All this was perhaps to be expected, but what did
surprise the unconditional surrender of Dex-
ter, who sat next me, and commonly regarded
the member of quartet most imperviouS to Sentl
ment. He revealed his unwonted state of mind by
dividing his attention exclusively between the face of
hostess and his champagne in which he seemed to
be perpetualy toasng her in silence. The climax of
the little comedy reached after dessert when ris
ing in his place. he raised his glass hgh waved it
toward the lady the head of the table, and offered
3The most charming of novelists who can give the
atmosphere of fact to romance, and the glamour OF
romance to autobiography
Mrs. Jason's self-possession did not desert her,
though the blood mounted to the roots of her hair.
Calvin's face darkened like thundercloud, and he
bit his lip Harding shot murderous look at Dexter,
like that to which he had treated Calvin hour be-
FORE Berkeley angry, but controlled the express
sion of his feeling was as shocked any of them at
the fellows impudence, and pulled him down rather
rudely. As he dropped into his chair he snapped at
soto
@We1, why not tell the truth and shame the devila"
The party broke up pretty promptly after coffee.
Dexter having given it its death stroke Indignant
/ at his misconduct, I walked home with him,
embracing the opportunity to deliver a lecture This
seemed to have some efect for he shook my hand at
parting, and promised to write Mrs. Jason apology,
turning the whole thing off pleasantly uttered
the impulse of the moment without thought that it
could be mistaken for earnest
@Its arotten lie old man. said he @but I'll do it. not
you think it will please her There, that enough2"
He kept his word. Later he showed her response,
"a gracefully couched assurance, doubtless quite
sincere his note, that she had never imagined any
could seriously entertain preposterous suspi
he had hnted at, and that she hoped he would
think no more about the incident.
Nov that had actually met friendly footing
~ the woman believed to be the heroine of her
dramatic serial. found myself attacking the conclud
chorto orxxoa had
written, condemned it trash, and tore it 1t
such web as might have woven about some lay fig
ure heroine of my creating not the glowing, glo
rious esh-and blood woman whose melodious voice
Pshaw! l am writing good deal as wrote
then my revised version Yes, there is deny
ing it, too had fallen under the spell that had be-
witched my competitors AS reread the earlier chap
tiers of 3Agathas Problem, it in the glare of
ght and instead of merely following words, my men
tai vision caught vivid picture of every situation
with her in the center of it. This fction this
the real thing 1t she who asking us i'm
pecunious Bohemans to tell her how to give away her
mlions-she- Jason, Our Mrs. Jason-nry Mrs.
Jason, if you will
Oh, well, that was mere frivolity, idiocy drivel!
What that she should her lovely eyes toward
me, except as angel might smile down upon beggar
outside the gates of Paradise? l good as the
rest but what any of u.s. companions for such
as she? Besides why should she-how could she-look
upon any in that way, tied up as her fortune
by the will? No, she must continue to stand there
for worship from afar,-beautifu radiant, per-
fecty poised with her coloru past and her future of
infinite possibilities
Tut! tutl There go again! I am older now, and
happily married. 10 these many years; yet the pulses
of that period start aresh recall the spirit with
which tackled my task when fully conscious that it
had real meaning and was leading somewhere.
l found my key to Agatha's problem in the endow-
ment of university chair for the study of practical
eugenics the professor having to spend nine months
of every year travelling among strange peoples and in