The circle banner., 1917-11-23

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''How nice of you to come and SEE
your poor, lonely brotherI' she said
1--WE have done our best to spoil him
but I'm afraid he is very homesick
sometimes. hope you've come to stay
a long time and to learn all about Lon.
don, as John is doing. II you are half
as nice as he is, wen give you such a
good timer
From his great height, Stephen
looked down upon the girls upturned
face little austerely. She chartered
away, entirely unabashed.
81 do hope you're not shocked at my
bursting in upon your brother like
this! We really are great pals, and !
live only just across the way. We are
much less formal up here, you know,
than you are in the country. John, I've
brought you message from Louise"
| about tonight?'
She nodded.
"Louise is most frightfully sorry"
she explained, "but she has to go down
to Streatham to open bazaar, and she
can't possibly be back in time to dine
before the theater. Can you guess what
she dared to suggest?"
ST think I can," John replied, smiling.
"Say you will, there's DEAR" she
begged. 81 am not playing tonight.
May Enser is going on in my place. We
arranged it a week ago. / had two
fines to pay on Saturday, and I haven't
had a decent meal this week. But 1
had forgotten" she broke off, with a
sudden note of disappointment in her
tone. "There's your brother. 1 mustn't
take you away from him."
"We'n all have dinner together"
John suggested. "You'll come, of
course, Stephen?"
Stephen shook his head.
"Thank you," he said, 81 am due at
my hotel. I'm going back to Cumber-
land tomorrow morning, and my errand
is already DONE"
"You will do nothing of the sort !"
John declared.
"Please be amiable," Sophy begged.
eff you won't come with us, I shall
simply run away and leave you with
John. You needn't look at your
clothes" she went on. "We can go to
a grillroom. John sha'n't dress, either.
I want you to tell me all about Cum
berland, where this brother of yours
lives. He doesn't tell US half enough!"
John passed his arm through his
brothers and led him away.
"Come and have wash, old chap"
he said.
They dined together at Luigi's,
curiously assorted trio-Sophy, be-
tween the two men, supplying a dis
tinctly alien note. She was always
gay, always amusing, but although she
addressed most of her remarks to
Stephen, he never once unbent. He ate
and drank simply, seldom speaking of
himself or his plans, and firmly mega
tiving all their suggestions for the re-
mainder of the evening. Occasionally
he glanced at the clock. John became
conscious of certain feeling of Curl
osrty, which in "a sense Sophy shared.
''Your brother seems to me like
man with a purpose" she said. as they
stood in the entrance hall on their way
out of the restaurant. 'Like a prophet
with mission, perhaps should say"
John nodded. In the little passage |
where they stood, he and Stephen
seemed to dwarf the passers-by. The |
men, in their evening clothes and pallid |
faces, seemed suddenly Insignificant, |
and the women like dolls.
"For the last time, Stephen" John |
said, won't you come to music hall |
with us?"
'T have made my plans for the eve-
ming, thank you," Stephen replied,
holding out his hand. "Good night"
He left them standing there and
walked off down the Strand. John, look
ing after him, frowned. He was con-
scious of a certain foreboding.
81 suppose" Sophy sighed, as they
waited for a taxicab, "we shall spend
he remainder of the evening in the
usual fashion,
"Do you mind?" John asked.
mo-" she assented resignedly. "That
1lay will end by making a driving
diot of me. If Louise is tired tonight,
hough, / warn you that shall insist
lpop supper"
"It's a. bargain" John promised.
Well drive Louise home, and then I'll
axe you back to Luigi's. We haven't
een out together for some time, have
ve?'
She looked up at him with little {
rimace and patted his hand.
"You have neglected me-" she said.
/ think all these fine ladies have
urned your head"
She drew little closer to him and
assed her arm through his. John
lade no responsive movement. He was L
lied with resentment at the sensation t
f pleasure that her affectionate ges-
IRE gave him.
The curtain was up and the play in
rogress when they reached the box t.
nat John had taken for the season. G
The spell of it all, against which he S
ad so often fought, came over John y
new. He set his chair back against "
le wall and watched and listened, a
eritable sense of hypnotism creeping m
yer his senses. Presently the same 81
npulse which had come to him so b.
any times before induced him to turn pl
s head, to read in the faces of the au-
ence the reflection of her genius. He pl
i'd often watched those long lines OF