Evening star., 1919-10-12


which the Rambler wrote three sun-s
days ago. There he had been takes
In to lunch and given with oth6es
things iced tea in a silver goblet that
had belonged to John Carlyle of Alex-
andria. At the forks of the road ho,.
paused. His resolution was to take.
the right-hand fork and press on to :
Montpelier. .
But the locust trees in the garden
of the house of Oakland waved to him.
the tall chimneys of the old houso !.
curtsied to him and the dear old win.
dows. set with little panes of glasa
smiled at him. His resolution broke
down and his feet carried him up the
hill to Oakland. Charlie Hooff and his
attractive wife handed him one Of
John Carlyle's silver goblets. But II 4,
was not iced tea that it contained yhis
time. Far from 1t. There was mellow.
ness and frarance and thrill in IL
Dr. Coats. who owns Fairfield. an.s
other old Snowden estate close by.
came up In his buggy. Glimpsing tho 4
shlning goblet and catching the per.
iume that arose from it he complain. !
ea OF feeling little downhearted. or
II having chill coming on, or some.s
thing like that And in a few seconds
ne smacked his lips so that his gentle
morse thought he was saying "Red.
dup. Another stranger Joined tha
party and took up a silver Roblety
that mad belonged to John Carlyln.
ton architect. Phil was at Oakla1A
making sketches Of colonial mantsly
pieces, china closets. stair railinRa,
celllng cornices. etc. to reproduet
tnem in rich mans brand-new "cO-
loniaI' house. Then, two of Mrs..
Hooffs sons, Mark Alexander Smith
and Courtland H. Smith, Joined the
party to show the Rambler the wAy.
to Montpelier. Mark is a college attn.
Iete of the foot ball kind and soon
goes to West Point. Courtland was
on the track team Of the University OF
Virginia. Mark. CORTLAND, Phil and
the Rambler set out for Montpelier.
crossed the shady stream. passed
through the old gray gate and uisaer
the shadows of the enchanted oaks.
1t was Courtland who climbed the
steps to the arched doorway ana
Changed the old bronze knocker. II
was he who introduced Phil HootOn
and the Rambler to Miss Eleanor Fit1-
gibbon, formerly OF Pittsburgh. but
Prince Georges county.
A Eyes" and "No" Man.
John BARTON PAYNE, who sue
ceeded Ed Hurley as chairman Of
the shipping board, is known in WASH
mo" man. That is, he makes decisions
quickly and wastes no time in .ex-
planning them. MI
Withal, Payne is one of the most
courteous men in the whole govern.
ment service. But since he must be
interviewed by a hundred or two hun
dred men day, he cannot spend much
time In spilling fiattering words and
wishing his visitors well.
The one grief of Payne's life 10 that
he never has been able to think Of =
better way to close an interview than
to state his decision in the matter ~
hand and let 1t go at that. Because n
has not been able to contrive . moro
cordial ending for conversation he
often gets into hot water.
The other day a man with whom
Payne had had many dealings drop-
ped in to see him and when Payne
closed the interview with a quick de-
cision and indicated that there was
nothing more to be said. the visitor
went away and wrote the chairman q
huffy letter saying that he had not
been treated exactly cordially. Where.
upon. Payne sat down and wrote . 70.
ply, expressing his deep regret ana
dissertating on the problem of CLOSING
interviews in a manner worthy Of =
permanent record In the government
archives.
4 deeply regret" Payne wrote, that
the shortness Of the day and constant
pressure of waiting people to be seen
and their matters disposed of. made
me manifest impatience to you after
the subject of your visit had been dis
posed Of.