The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1916-07-08

been at the back of Toye's mind al
morning. and now took charge il
front
Aylmer had talked some about a 1ot
in the war Office that enabled him tc
lunch daily at the Rag; but what biz
job had been aboard a German steam
er Toye did not know and was not the
man to inquire. II was no business Oi
his. anyway. Reference to 4 card
traded for his own In Southampton
Water. and duly filed in his cigarette
| case. reminded him OF the Rags prop
er style and title. And there he wan
eventually entertained to sound
workmanlike. rather expeditions meal
Say, did you see the cemetery at
Genoa?" suddenly inquired the vis-
itor on their way back through the
hall. A martial bust had been ad-
r'ired extravagantly before the CUES
ton
Never want to see 1t again, or Ge-
noa either" said Captain Aylmer
The smoking-room's this way"
Did you say you were there two
days!" Toye was cutting his cigar as
though 1t were a corn.
Two whole days and we'd had a
night In the Bay OF Naples Just be-
fore"
is that so! l only came aboard at
Genoa. | guess | was wise" added
Toye. 8 though be was thinking of
something else. There was no sort
Of feeling in his voice, but he was
sucking his left thumb.
Il say. you We cut yourself."
Il guess it's nothing. Knife too
Sharp: please don't worry. Captain
Aylmer. | was going to say only got
on at Genoa, and they couldn't give
me room to myself. had to go in
with Cazalet; that's how | saw so
much of him"
1t was Toye's third and separate in
dependent attempt to introduce the
name and fame of CaZalet as a natural
topic OF conversation. Twice his host
had listened with adamantine polite
ness; this time he was enjoying quite
the second-best liqueur brandy to be
had at the Rag; and he leaned back
in his chair
You were rather impressed with
him. weren't your" said Captain Ayl-
mer. We'll. frankly, | wasn't. but it
may have been my fault"
Il was only going to ask you one
thing about Mr.. Cazalet," Toye said.
and | guess I've a reason for asking.
though there's no time to state 1t now.
What did you think of him, Captain
Aylmer. on the whoie?"
"Ah, there you have me- On the
whole Is Just the difficulty" said Ayl-
mer. answering the straight question
readily enough. Il thought he was a
very good chap as far as Naples, but
after Genoa he was another being. I've
wondered what happened In
his three or four days ashore"
Three or four. did you say?"
And at the last moment Toye would
have played Wedding Guest to Ayl-
mer's Ancient Mariner.
Yes; you see, he knew these Ger
man boats waste 4 couple OF days at |
Genoa. so he landed at Naples and did |
his Italy overland Rather a good idea,
thought. especially as he said he |
had friends In Rome; but we never
heard of 'em beforehand. and | should
lave let the whole thing strike me bit
sooner II Id been Cazalet. Soon
enough to take q handbag and
toothbrush. eh? And | don't think I
should have run 1t quite SO fine at
ienoa. either. But there are rum
birds in this world. and always will
,e!"
Toye felt one himself as he picked
lis way through ST. James square.
I II had not been Just after lunch. he
would have gone straight and had a
for of course he knew the
My place for them. What he did was
0 slue round out of the square. and
0 obtain for the asking. at another
Id haunt. on Cockspur street. the
atest little timetable of continental
rains. This he carried, not on foot
ut in a taxi. to the Savoy Hotel
here 1t kept him busy in his own
Dom for the best part of another hour {
ut by that time Hilton Toye looked
lore than an hour older than on sit {
ng down at his writing-ta with {