Evening star., 1915-02-02
WHAT WAS &oR $:

so must something elsa mans
rights, my dear She looked at me
keenly. Surely you let your brother
smoke in the house?" she demanded.
Bob prefers to smoke in the base
ment,'' l answered. loftily.
Gee whizw 1 had Jim staring at
me by this time. and. really. 1 was be.
coming quite angry. well, III oet
he spends precious few evenings at
home" Jim's voice was queerly IN
dignant.
Indeed, you're wrong. l retorted; l
remembered was visiting. and curbed
my rising temper. Hes home almost
every evening. He loves 1T in the base ,
ment. It's warm and electric lighted
and he fools with Bum and has Rufus
in, and thoroughly enjoys his after
dinner smoke there" / ended with a
triumphant smile.
And his pal, Phil Bruce. Does he
have him there" Jim asked.
For no earthly reason 1 found o., MY. ny
we don't see much of him. He I
broke off lamely. To be perfectly
Phil does not come up oftener, but l
didn't intend the Prices to know: be-
cause they must we'll remember that
at one time Phil used to visit my old
home rather frequently.
For some cause the atmosphere was
rather chilly for the balance of the
evening and l was quite relieved when
bedtime came.
Mary was lovely next day, and took
me about the city, which was most en-
joyable, but in the evening 1 felt
curously uncomfortable, though jim
did not light a cigar. ard there was
no smoke and ashes to worry me. But
he was 80 srouchy' I'm sure Mary
was deeply humiliated. 1 do hope
| their marriage is not proving failure.
And, do YOU know. l didn't stay my
visit out? l got worrying over all
had to do to prepare for the guild: and
decided to go home Thursday. l ar
| rived there on the . o'clock, quite un-
heralded. l knew Bob would be SO
pleasantly surprised.
When / turned into our street l was
| quite amazed to see light in our
drawing room. Ny brother had planned
the room for living room, but as
simply detest this newfanGled notion
of having no spot set aside for COM
pany he had cheerfully agreed to re-
serve this room with it's artistic fire.
! place for special occasions. Presum :
| ably one had arisen this evening.
| A fire was burning in the crate. Be-
| fore it, on my cherished oriental rug
! (my only one), lay Rufus. Bob sat
| on one side OF the fire with his legs
| comfortably stretched out on my
! beautiful antique ottoman On the
| other side, similarly sprawled, was
| Phil Bruce. Between them. curled
F., into a ball on the velvet cushioned
| seat of a rocker, was disreputable lie
Bum. lost in happy cat oblivion. 1 sup
pose, of terrifying broomsticks.
| I was boiling. I was on the point OF
tapping. sharply on the window pane
| tSlrouSh which I peeked when Bob's
voice reached me.
Phil" he drawled. isn't this great
| like old tines-when we used to lounge
! before the fire at Mrs. Browns, dream
ing? Great dreams, eh?'
| You bet" Phil emptied his pipe into
my card receiver. retilled and relighteG
it, adding when he settled back in his
chair and puffed q moment. And, like
most dreams. mine went up like that
old man" He threw his head back
and the coils of smoke he sent upward
/ slowly vanished into nothiugness.
| Then they were silent / felt they
We're dreaming now, and experienced