The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-06

his interest. It was, to say the
least, q trife odd that he should
want me to drive to Pine Cone on
the very morning Of my APPOINT
ment.
] was half-minded 10 refuse TO
drive with George, then decided
that this refusal would only serve
to point any suspicion that Paul
Dabney might be entertaining Of
me, so ! agreed meekly to the ar
rangement and set on in due time
seated in the break cart by Georges
substantial side.
He was undoubtedly a comfort
to me. and kept him chattering all
the way. He had lost the air Of
s bravadO he had shown on our first
drive together. for The Pines had
been, to all appearances, a place of
supreme tranquility since ROb5ie's
death.
His talk was all OF. the country
side. a string Of complaints. The
roads needed mending, the fences
were down, Government didn't do
nothin' for this yere DO place"
He pointed out tall, ragged, dead
pine near a turn in the road, I re-
member, and grOaRed, "Jes a tech
to send that tree plum oveh yeah
on the top Of US all missy" This
complaint was one Of q hundred
and stuck in my mind because Of
later happenings.
We logged into Pine Cone at II.
and ! occupied myself variousIy till
the hour Of the appointment. when,
with a sickish feeling Of nervous
suspense, forced my steps toward
the drug store.
went in through the hy-screen
door and passed the saltwater
fountain and the counters where
stale candy and coarse calicoes
beckoned for a purchaser, and I
went on between green rep tas-
selled portieres to the damp, dark,
inner room, where the marble
topped tables, vacant OF food.
seemed to attract by some nv
terious promise a swarm Of d.
and sluggish flies, whose mourEfpI
buzzing filed the stagnant air.
There was one person in the i,a
cream parlor-a man. / novel
doubtfully toward him and he lifted
his head. This head was a replica
OF the pre-Raphaelite figure of
Christ, a long. oval. high-browed
countenance, with smooth. long
yellow hair parted IN the middle of
the brow, with oblong eyes, long
nose, a mouth dropping exagger-
atedly at the corners, and a very
long, silky, yellow beard, also par
ted in the middle and hanging in
two ripping points almost to his
waist. He was dressed in a rusty
black suit, the very long sleeves of
which hung down over his hands.
At sight of me he turned pale,
rose, the dolorous mouth dropping
more extremely.
Madame" he said in the lisping,
clumsy speech Of those whose sup
ply Of teeth falls short Of linguaa
demands, ''is as prompt as the JUS
tice of heaven" And he bowed and
cringed painfully.
sat down opposite to him. and
gave the languid. pim9ly-faced
youth who came an order Tor tvc
plates of ice cream. / vas hor-
ribly embarrassed and cOphised.
but by a mighty effort l maintained
an air of self-possession.
The priest should have kno~T
him for a renegade priest anywhere
sat meekly with his hidden hands
resting on the table before him, and
his great, smooth lids pulled down
over his eyes. Once he looked up
for an instant
Madame preserves her youth"
he lisped, "as though she had lived
upon the blood Of babies" And he
ran the tip Of his tongue over his
lips
This horrible speech was, no
doubt, exactly suited to the taste
Of my counterpart. I knew that
was expected to laugh, and
dragged my lips across my teeth in
imitation Of the CHASTITY smile. It
passed muster.
He fell upon his fee cream wher
it was brought to him like a starved
creature. and then / noticed ~
horrible ,lefOrmity NJ his hapF