The Washington times., 1918-07-28

8oAHA voice,
zzzg.z2zzzzzzszsszZ II was a hotel dinner in
an English cathedral city. and faithful to
its type. The green venetian blinds were
drawn down, and the incanuescent gas was
shaded with pink paper. The walls were
covered with a material that is supposed
to simulate Jacobean oak panelling; it may
be acquitted of any actual deceit.
The room was full, and at the small
tables were many of those middle-aged or
aged women that seem to haunt the pro-
vincial hotels of this country. They are
class by themselves. They wear brown
skirts and a totally different blouse in the
evening, and grandmamma has a grey
woolen shawl. They speak in whispers
and peck patiently any odds and ends that
the waiter gives them. They have an air
of defective vitality and chronic discon-
tent. They nearly all suffer from catarrh
and use eucalyptus on their handker-
chiefs.
Observe, too, their surreptitiousness.
When the elderly lady, hand to mouth and
eyes glazed with terror, has given the
waiter an order, so hushed as to be almost
inaudible, and then proceeds to build up
a screen at her right hand with the wine
list and cruet-stand, you may be pretty
certain that there will presently be little
weak whiskey-and-soda on the far side OF
the ENHANCEMENT.
There were two walters in the room.
The elder of them was English, had been
there for years, and under the favorable
influence of a cathedral atmosphere had
already grown much of the manner and
appearance of an arch-deacon. The
younger, a sadeyed Italian of eighteen,
had only been at the hotel two months,
but he looked every inch an acolyte.
1t was the archdeacon who had placed
that plate of alleged turbot before young
Maurice Haynes.
"Turbot, is it?" said Mr.. Haynes. "In-
teresting relic. Now take 1t back to the
cat again and bring me something to eat"
Suddenly from the little table next to
him came a wild burst of laughter. 1t
broke out like a discharge of steam from
a locomotive. It bubbled with pure Joy.
It stopped abruptly and then started again
uncontrollably. 1t broke up all the holy
calm of that table d'hote.
Withered virgins of fifty turned round
10 look at this laughing girl. some with
sniff of disapproval, others compelled to
wan, responsive smile. The archdeacon-
waiter seemed panied. The acolyte was
proceeding with his work with apparent
calm, when suddenly the laughterinfection
smote him full in the midriff. He dropped
a helping of cabinet pudding, put hand
over his mouth, bolted into the passage,
slapped his leg, exploded, and was asked
what the devil he thought he was doing.
In the dining-room the girl still laughed at
intervals.
Control yourself, beg" said her fus-
tered German governess. ''It is hysteria.
Hosh! hosh! Ruhig! Celia! 1t is so
rude"
Celia shook her head.
Cant help it, Fraulein," she gasped.
Anything about a cat makes me laugh"
And she relapsed again.
Maurice Haynes had not had the faintest
intention of being amusing. 1t was out of
The bitterness Of his soul that he had
spoken. He had already declined to be-
Iieve that over-diluted meat-extract with
some armorial bearing in stamped carrot
constituted Julienne soup. This supposed
turbot was more than he could endure.
He was an artist, a real creative one,
and he had been travelling all day; on the
morrow he was to begin the presentation
portrait of a scholarly canon with a fine
head; nowy if ever, dinner was a positive
necessity. He sent for the manageress.
The manageress was all black satin and
superciliousness when she arrived, but
only the black satin was left by the time
Haynes had finished with her. He was
under the impression that he was being
merely firm; but ii seems to me that when
you tell the manageress of the principal
hotel in a cathedral city that she is not fit
to cater for a troop of performing 1eas,
you go beyond firmness.
At any rate he was effectual. He re-
ceived Immediately more :urbot than had
ever been given TO one man at one time
since the foundation of the hotel. His
helping from the Joint was such that he
was almost (but not quite) ashamed to de-
mand a second. And the omelette aux
fines herbes, which came as a peace-offer-
ing at the end of the repast, was exclusive
matter for NJ. Haynes Esq, only, and not
in the contract.
His sunny temper returned. He con-
suited affably with the head waiter on the
grave question of port. And now, for the
first time, he turned his head TO see who
the cheeky kid was who had laughed at
his righteous indignation.
He saw a tall girl of fifteen with an
elderly governess. The governess was
peeling walnuts, and the girl was eating
them; this seemed to argue devotion on
the part Of the governess. The girl had
an Irish beauty of dark hair and blue eyes,
and her face followed her every thought
with marvellous expressiveness. The
mouth was sweet and sensitive. Haynes
thought she had lovely color, but would
be the devil to paint.
One lightning glance showed her that
he was looking at her; she flushed slightly,
knowing that she had been really too aw.
full but she also smiled, because she re.
membered the cat.
Mice kid" thought Haynes.
When she had gone, the effect was much
as il the incandescent gas had been low
cred. There was no longer any young