The Washington herald., 1921-03-20
Adele looked at him steadily out Of her
gray eyes, that betrayed no secrets

the patois OF the blacks-Dut IL n
eight o'clock" A--...
Eight o'clock. Grandemont sprangI
up. In the moonlight he could see
the row of hitching-posts outside
the gate. Long ago the horse OF
the guests should have stood there.
They were vacant.
A chanted roar of Indignation, a
just waxing below OF affront
and dishonored genius came from
Andres kitchen. filiing the house
with rhythmic protest. The beauti-
ful dinner. the pearl of a dinner.
the little excellent surperb Jewel
Of a dinner! But one moment more
Of waiting and not even the thous-
and thunders Of black pigs Of the
quarters would touch IT,
They are a little late" said
Grandcmont, calmly. They will
come soon. Tell Andre to hold back
dinner. And ask him IL, by some
chance. a bull from the pastures
has broken, roaring. roaring, into
the house"
He seated himself again to bis Gig
arettes. Though he had said 1t, he
scarcely believed Charleroi would
entertain company that night. For
the first time in history the invita-
ton Of a Charles had been ignored.
So simple in courtesy and honor
was Grandemont and. perhaps, 50
serenely confident in the prestige
Of his name, that the most likely
reasons for his vacant board did
not occur to him.
Charleroi stood by q road travel
ed daily by people from those
plantations whittier his invitations
had gone. No doubt even on the day
before the sudden termination Of
the old house they had driven past
and observed the evidences Of long
desertion and decay. They had look
ed at the corpse of Charleroi and
then at Grandemont's iavitations.
and though the puzzle or tasteless
hoax. or whatever the thing meant
left them perplexed. they would not
seek the solution by the folly of a
visit to that deserted house.
| The moon was now above the
grove and the yard was pied with
deep shadows save where they
lightened In the tender glow Of
outpouring candle light. A crisp
breeze from the river hinted at the
possibility OF frost when the night
should have become older. The grass
at one side of the steps was speck-
ed with the white stubs of Grande-
monts cigarettes. The cotton-b bro
ker's clerk sat In his char with the
smoke spiralling above him.
| doubt that he once thought of
the little fortune he had SO impot-
entity squandered. Perhaps IL was
compensation enough for him to sit
thus at Chsrleroi for a few retrieved
hours. Idly his mind wandered in
and out many fanciful paths OF
memory. He smiled to himself as a
paraphrased line of Scripture stray
ed into his mind: "A certain poor
man made a feast"
He heard the sound of Absalom
coughing note of summons
Grsndemont stirred. This time he
had not been asleep-only browsing
Mine o'clock, M'shi Grande," said
Absalom in the uninfected voice oi
good servant who states a fact
unqualified by personal opinion.
Grandemont rose to his feet. In
their time all the Charleses hat
been proven, and they were gallant
losers.
Serve dinner" he said calmly
And then he checked Absslom'i
movement to obey. for something
clicked the gate latch and wa
) coming down the walk toward tn,
house. Something that shuffled il:
feet and muttered to itself as Il
game. II stopped in the current o.
light at the foot Of the steps anC
spake, in the universal whine of tn,
gadding mendicant.
kind sir. could you spare a poor
hungry man, out of luck, a little {,
eat? And to sleep in the corner o.
a shed? For"-the thing concluded
irrelevantly-I can sleep now
There are no mountains to dane,
reels in the night; and the cope
. kettles are all secured bright. Th'
/ iron band Is still around my ankle
and a link. IL 1t is your desire
should be chained
It set a foot upon the step snt
t drew UP the rags that hung upon tn
limb. Above the distorted shoe
caked with the dust OF a hundret
, leagues, they saw the link and th'
iron band. The clothes of tn,
tramp were wreaked to piebald tat
ters by sun and rain and wear. 4
mat of brown, tangled hair snC
beard covered his head and face. ou
of which his eyes stared distracted
ly. Grandemont noticed that he car
ried in one hand white, SQUARE
card.
What is thatr' he asked.
/ Il picked IT up, sir. at the side o.
the road" The vagabond handed thu
card to Grandemon,. Just a littl'
to eat. sir. A little parched corn. ;
tortilla, or a handful OF beans
Goats meat I cannot eat. when
cut their throats they cry like chill
dren."
r Grandemont held up the card. I
was one OF his own Invitations {,
I dinner. No doubt some one had css
1t away from a passing carriage af
a ter comparing 1t with the tenantles
house at Charleroi.
A From the hedges and highway
i bid them come" he said TO himself
softly smiling. And then to Absa
lom: Send Louis to me"
!, Louis once his own body-servan'
. came promptly. in his white jacket
This gentleman" said Grande
: mont. will dine with me. Furnis
him with bath and clothes. In TWEEN
ty minutes have him ready and din
!. nef served"
Louis approached the disreputabl
y guest with the suavity due to a visi
tor to Charleroi, and spirited hir
away to inner regions.
promptly, in twenty minutes, Al
i salon announced dinner. and, a mo
: ment later. the guest was ushere
into the dining hall where Grande
Il mont waited, standing at the hea
: Of the table. The attentions q