Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-25
MAGAZINE SECTION for June 95, 1915


end with her. What natural voice she
had too, that girl-no break in the reg
listers! All, well, she lacked character!"
Lewis inclined his head and | thought
ghost Of a sarcastic smile curled his lip
"Life is full of such ironies," he said
"Well, Bill was gone for four years, and
l cut his coupons, and his bankers sent
him his income. Then he came back. y
II DON'T remember his coming back"
said Charlie.
NO." said Lewis. "He slipped in
quietly one winter day, and came straight
to my Office. l can still feel his hand
shake. | remember saying to him be-
lieved he could kill man with his bare
hands; and he grew suddenly sober, and
startled me byanswering, did, last year
He didn't want to talk about it, either,
but finally got it out of him that he was
travelling up some river into the Vale of
Kashmir, l think, anyhow, in that re-
gion, wherever it is,-and fell in with two
women, an American and an English
woman, who were journeying up there
too. They had insisted on starting off on
the expedition alone, when the rest of
their party refused to go, and when he
fell in with EN- they were already getting
pretty sick of their bargain, for one of
them had heard some of the natives plot
ting to rob 'em-or so she fancied. Bill
stuck by and joined forces, and suddenly
they were facing mutiny. He didn't
wait to be attacked. He waded in and
wrung the neck of the leader till he was
dead-just with his bare hands-and
tossed his body into the river. Then he
took the knife away from another who
came at him, and intimidated the gang
into sailing EN- back to town. At least,
that's what | gathered. 1t was like pull
ing teeth to get Bill to tell what he did,"
Tank took drink and felt of his neck.
IL don't like your little friend he said.
Sounds more like gorilla to me-"
mo; he could be gentle as nurse
with those hands of his" Lewis answered.
al remember once somebody said to him,
I'D like to be as big as you are, so |
could trim few people know and Bill
answered, If you were as big as am,
you wouldn't want to trim EN-
"But that's not getting on with the
story. After I'd got Bills tongue loosed
that far, saw him getting red in the face,
and soon he out with the news that he
was going to marry the American woman.
ashes from New England, he said.
'Low-heeled shoes and too much class to
know there's such place as Broadway,
and full of interest in things, and sport
from the crack of the gun. I've batted
around my share, and l know what l
want now. It's her, and couple of kids
or more, and Gods acres for 'em to run
in, and college for the lot. Bah! this
stuff And he looked as if he were
going to throw my roll-top desk out of
the window upon the curb market below.
"Of course l said l wanted to meet
her, and of course that's what he wanted
me to say.
"'Shell be in on the next boat he
told me. But there's one thing I've got
to do first, and you've got to go with me
and help. I've got to go up there he
gestured north, and l knew he meant
Broadway and be sure l can tell the
pack of EN- to go to hell. | suppose
Mazie's gone there already he added"
well, she had" said Otto
"Thats what | told him." Lewis con-
tinued ale slumped bit in his chair