, 1921-08-27
! MMEN PAsHA,s dinner vas Elren

to Miss Page. although it was os-
tensiSly in honor OF the British
Minister. whose wife sat on Immen's
right. and tested hat oriental's COM
posed politeness greatly. But at
times he would turn to Miss Page.
and she would murmur with him in
French. and he would have his re-
ward. The condition upon which
Miss Page had come TO the dinner
was that II should be an Oriental one
throughout. and so the table was &C
cordingly of silver. and each strange.
sticky curse was served in a golden
bowl. and each fork and spoon bore a
ruby and a diamond in its handle.
Diamonds and rubles are my
Jewels" Immen explained simply. as
one would say. "Biue and yellow are
my racing colors." OF that such a SEN
tonee was the motto OF his family.
A native orchestra played from a
balcony Of heavily carved wood that
stretched across one end CT the rom.
and behind n lattice beneath it shone
the bright eyes Of 1mmen's wife, who
was politely supposed TO have already
departed for Alexandria. but who in
reality was looking with wonder and
misgivings upon the bold women.
with naked faces and shoulders. who
sat at her husbands side, and talked
to him without waiting for him to
give them leave.
Miss Page and her family had been
spending the winter in Cairo. and
were to leave in the week. The hot
weather. or what passes for hot
weather In Cairo. had arrived, and
the last of Cooks dahabcahs was
hurrying back down the Nile, and a
few Of the court had already gone
10 Alexandria. and in two weeks the
Khedive would follow. 1t had been
a delightful winter. and Helen Page
had enjoyed it in what was to her 4
new way. She had reached that stage
when everything in life has found its
true value. There was for her no
more marking up or marking down.
II It would not sell for that it should
not leave her, or II 1t cost so much
1t was not work seeking after, and
she let it go. She still enjoyed dances
and functions; bu. the dances had TO
be very well done. and the functions
had to come in the natural order OF
things. She knew what bored her
and what amused her, and h knew
the worth of a cabinet minister's con-
v~ersation and the value of a few
words from royalty, and of a day
with her brother hunting for bargains
in the bazaars. She had arrived.
She left the officers of the Army of
Occupation to her sister. who was
Just out, and of that g when the
man who leads the cotillon was of
much more immediate Importance
than the gentleman with the star on
his coat. who could tell her sister
when the Italians would move over
the Alps. or the tall senators in
Washington who related such anus
ing stories and who told things to
Helen of such importance that she
would sit with her eyes cast down
30 that people might not see how in
.terested she vas. So 1t happened oc-
casionally when Helen and her good
looking brother were treasure-hunt-
ing on the Mouski that they would
have to jump out of the way of a
yellow outrunner in black and gold
and see their sister roll by seated
high in a cart with an Arabian pony
In the shafts and an English subaltern
at her side.
Once when this happened her
brother looked after the cart with a
smile, and said. i%ndulgently and with
that tolerance for youth which only
a Harvard Junior can feel:
wouldn't you like to be as young
as that. Helen?"4
His sister exclaimed. Indignantly:
well. upon my world And how old
do you suppose I ann"
81 don't know" the brother an
swered, unabashed. THE last time
1 asked you. you were nineteen. That
was years ago."
only four years. Does that make
me SO very old?"
But you've seen such a lot. and
you've been around SO much and all
that" he argued. That's what
makes people old. Helen. don't you
ever intend to get married."
Never" said the sister. "I am
going to live with you. and keep you
from falling in owe with a nicer girl
than myself. and we will promise
each other never to marry. but just
to go about like this always. and ex-
plore places and have adventures"
Young Page laughed indulgently.
Very WELL" he said. He had had
hopes at one time that his sister
The man who sat on Miss Pages
left at Immen Pasha's dinner was