The Washington herald., 1921-01-01
Continued From Yesterday.) }

u y
ease in that cheap cafe as though
she were only in the Palmer House
lChicago, with a souvenir spoon al
ready hidden in her shirtwaist She
was natural. Two things 1 noticed
about her especially. Her bell
buckle was exactly in the middle oi
her back, and she didn't tell us tina,
a large man with a ruby stick -pif
had followed her UP all the way
from Fourteenth street. Was Ker.
ner such a fool? wondered. And
4 then / thought of the quantity OF
striped cuffs and blue glass beads
that 100000 can buy for tht
heather, and 1 said fto myself thai
he was, And the Elise--certainly
that was her name-told us, mer.
rily, that the brown spot ca .hei
waist was caused by her landlady
knocking at the door while she (tht
girl-confound the English Ian,
guage) was heating an iron ovel
the gas Jet, and she hid the iron
under the bedclothes until the coast
was clear, and there was the piecs
lof chewing gum stuck to IT wher
she began to iron the waist, and
well, 1 wondered how in the world
the chewing gum came to be there
don't they ever stop chewing It'll
A while after that-don't be inn
patient, the absinthe drip is coming
now-kerner and 1 were dining al
Farronis. A mandolin an6 a guitar
were being attacked; the room was
full of smoke in nice, long crinkly
layers just like the artists draw the
steam from a plum pudding on
Christmas posters, and a lady In q
i blue silk and gasolined gauntlets
was beginning to hum an air from
the Catskills.
"Kerner," said 1, you are a fool"
"Of course" said Kerner, II
wouldn't let her go on working
Not my wife. What's the use to
wait? She's willing. 1 sold that
water color of the Palisades yester-
day. We could cook on a two-burner
gas stove. You know the ragouts
1 can throw together? Yes, 1 think
We will marry next week"
| "Kerner," said 1, you are fool"
Have an absinthe drip?" said
Kerner. grandly. Tonight you are
the guest of art in paying quantI-
ties. think we will get a fiat with
a bath"
Il never tried one-I mean an
SDSlnthe drip, said l.
The waiter brought it and poured
the water slowly over the ice in
the dripper.
TT looks exactly like the Missis-
sippi River water in the big bend
below Natchez," said I. fascinated,
gazing at the be-muddled drip.
There are such fats for IS a
week." said Kerner.
You are a fool" said 1, and be-
gan to sip the filtration. What you
need 1 continued. 'is the official
attention of one Jesse Holmes"
kerner, not being a Southerner,
did not comprehend, so he sat, SEN
timental, figuring on his fat in his
sordid artistic way, while 1 gazed
into the green eyes of the sophistI-
Gated Spirit of wormwood.
Presently 1 noticed casually that
procession of bacchantes limned on
the wall Immediately below the cell.
ing had begun to move, traversinR
the room from right to left in a pay
and spectacular pilgrimage. did
not confide my discovery to Kerner.
me artistic temperament is too
high strung to view deviations from
the natural laws of the art of kali
somining. slipped my absinthe
drip and sawed wormwood.
one absinthe drip is not much
but said again to Kerner, kindly:
You are a fool" And then. in
the vernacular: Jesse Holmes for
yours"
And then I looked around and
saw the Fool-Killer, as he had al
ways appeared to my imagination.
sitting at a nearby table. and re-
Sarding us with his reddish, fatal
relentless eyes. He was Jesse
Holmes from top to toe; he had
the long, gray, ragged beard. the
gray clothes of ancient cut. the ex-
ecutioner's look, and the dusty
Shoes of one who had been called
from afar. His eyes were turned
hXedly upon Kerner. shuddared
to think that 1 had invoked him
from his assiduous Southern duties
L thought Of flying, and then kent
my seat, rejecting that MANY men
mad escaped his ministrations when
1t seemed that nothing short Of an
appointment as Ambassador to Spain
could save them from him. I had
called my brother Kerner a fool. and
was in danger OF helf fire. That
was nothing; but I would try, TO
save him from Jesse Holmes.
The Fool-Killer got UP from his
table and came over to ours. He
rested his hands upon it, and turned
his burning. vindictive eyes upon
kerner, ignoring me.
You are hopeless fool" he said
10 the artist. Haven't you had
enough Of starvation yet? offer
you you one more opportunity. Give up
thls girl and come back to your
nome. refuse, and you must take
the consequences"
The Fool Killers threatening
tace was within a foot of his VIC
eln s. but, to my horror, Kerner
mlaue not the slightest sign of be-
ing aware of his presence.
We will be married next weAl. "
ne muttered absent-mindedly .rwItb
my studio furniture and Some sac-
ond-hand stuff we can make ont q"
You have decided your own fats"
said the Fool-Killer. in a low hnt
terrible voice. You NAV cons,der
yourself as one dead. You have
mad your last chance"
In the moonlight" went on Kar-
ner, softly, I'VE will sit under tbe
skyhght with out guitar, and sing
and money" u priUe
On your own head be it" hissed
the Fool-Killer, and my scaIn
prlckled when I perceived that nei-
ther Kerner's eyes nor his ears
TOOK the slightest cognizance Of
Jesse Holmes. And then knew that
ior some reason the veil had been
iltted for me alone, and that I had
been elected to save my friend from
obstruction at the Fool-Killer's
hands. Something of the fear and