Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-15

under his arm, he had paused before
some florists shop, the bitter snow
chilling his thinly clad legs, and Won
dered how there could be roses in
midwinter.
The girl cried over those flowers.
But the gift did not rid him Of the
Internal speculation. Twice he be-
came lost because he saw only the
pavement: and half a dozen times he
was brought up sharply by some
canal opening Unexpectedly at his
feet. II his theories had been solids
there would have been many mys-
terious splash in the Venetian canals
that morning; for one by one his
theories went overheard. We all have
our Ponte del Sospiri. our Bridge of
Signs. and William was crossing his
At 2 o'clock that afternoon they
took the steamboat for the Lido. Will
liam was deeply puzzled, for there
was no sign OF recent tears. She
was gay. He had yet to learn that
woman with mortal hurt can laugh.
She led him to the bench on the star
board bow. thus placing the Giudec-
ca at their backs. Two birds with
one stone was his comment; for this
bench was the choicest. From it one
saw the rainbow city sink back into
the soft wells OF the September mists,
and a little later, when they were
halfway across the lagoon, the lord
~ snow crests of the Dolomites came
into view.
Throughout the afternoon he found
himself being led. In vain he waited
for some word regarding the cpl
sode of the morning. 1t seemed in
credible that this butterfly creature
was the woman he had seen in tears.
She pumped down into the fine
white sand and built castles. COM
mented upon the variegated costumes
OF the bathers and the equally varie-
gated physiques. She recOunted
amusing incidents among her
scholars. His bewilderment contin-
ued to grow until it served to rem
der him monosyllabic. There wasn't
a crack in this astonishing armor OF
hers. And he had started out with
the idea Of making her forget her
troubles. But as they sat down in
the pavilion for tea and cakes, later
he heard her gasp painfully.
what Is II!
She pointed out to sea- William
turned and saw the yacht Elsa Dor
ing southwark down the blue Adri-
attic, serenely beautiful in the Sep
TENDER sunshine.
Forget it, sister. Things like that'll
happen anywhere. When woman
travels alone she's a hard row to hoe,
believe me. But there's more good
men than bad. Gee! If those cooked
hats hadn't been in the way. I'd have
whaled the daylights out of him. You
can't talk to that kind. They're like
hyenas; they don't understand >pet-
ting. You have to beat EN- UP. And
now. you're not standing alone: Will
lie Grogan's in your corner"
He laid his big. warm hand over
hers. 1t was the first time he had
ever ventured to touch her in this
fashion. She smiled family and with
drew her hand.
Presently, as her gaze wandered
seward again. this hand stole up
unconsciously and rested where the
little chamos bag lay hidden. Upon
the observant William the act had
the effect of stab. Why hadn't
they left him in his smelly cellar.
among his drains and pipes and un-
spoiled dreams?
What was in that chamois bag?
What lay in the past back of it.?
After all. had ii been Ruth that
night" Was he letting his magma
ton establish. as fact something
which had never happened? She
might have met ColburtOn casually
in New York, and he had taken ad-
vantage OF ii that morning in the
Piazza. Colburton was not above
that; that was his particular style.
There was nothing in, all this. to in
dictate that Ruth was the young wo-
man who had come flying out OF the
restaurant.
He stared at the yacht again. SOM
berly. The old wives prescience
which" every Irishman has tucked
away somewhere in his soul. warned
him that he had not seen the last of
the Elsa. This occult knowledge
elated rather than depressed him. A
good fight somewhere along the route
he had no objections TO that.
Ruth, as she studied that homely
face, freckled and sunburnt. with its
beautiful eyes singularly idealizing
the comic background. not too far
away, not too near, just the table
between, knew that here was a prom
i'm nf ,vit CHI haI a,