The Washington herald., 1921-05-22

nyHE boy dressed In the blue OF the old
i army stood for q long moment gazing at
the interior Of the La Sale street station,
as one might look fondly on the scenes Of
childhood home.
He was q tall boy, and clean Of limb, bet
he was distressingly emaciated. Blue veins
stood out on bis hands as on the hands Of
an old lady, and his face was pasty white,
except for q highly flushed spot at the point
Of each cheekbons. In his gray eyes burned
the fires Of fever.
Despite all this, ecstag was evident on the
boys eorntenancs.
Chicago!
AT length he hailed q cab, and discountng
the plodding leisure Of the horse drawn ve-
hicles Of those days, was soon uptown.
There, while he svaitsd trolley car, the
same warm ecstasy sripped his heart The
nurJins thousands of State street wrapped
nun In the frs Of his city. Eagerly he
watched for his car, the same car that had
countless times whirled him from the down
town ONCE b his hor,s.
HomsI
How he counted ne street,-streets that
he knsv By heart And each block seemed
miie, each quarter Of an hour IN era. The
oid Conductor was gone from the car.
understand he died in Cuba" said the
new conductor to the boys query. San
Juan"
I almost died in Cuba. +" returned the boy
with wan smile. But not San jean
malaria"
These Laks Michigan breeses and home
eookin' II IN you up" said the other in
kindly sympathy.
Through the gathering dusk Of the early
evening the boy walked slowly up his front
Walk The combination of rheumatic pains
and excitement almost prevented his getting
up the 'front.' steps Of the tiny porch. The
house was dark, but that was not unusual.
The 'front.' door was locked, but no one had
known of his home coming. With a key he
admitted himself. The house was cold.
Suddenly an impalpable sense Of tb,nr.
amiss swept over him like a chill. He re-
memoered that there had been newspapers
on the front porch. He stepped into the
hvins-room of his home. Dust was deep
on the little imitation oak center table. In
the center Of the table lay a note. The boy
held a match to the gas light.
He looked at the lavender note name, fo,
a long time Doubtless he read the note .
score Of times. He stood moveless, his face
untouched BY any emotion. The same hish
flush burned at the points Of his cheekbones.
The same fires of fever burned in his rray
eyes
And then the boy suddenly dropped into an
old haircloth chair which stood beside the
table. He bent over the table, laying his
head on his arms, the lavender note fallen
from nerveless, outstretched fingers. For
hours he did not stir under the cold, white
fame Of the gaslight, nor did he make .
sound.
TUE man was sitting in the palm court
L Of the hotel, partakins of q late dinner. !,
In strange dissimilarity to the shabby
little room of the past was the glittering
palm court. Instead Of imitation oak, sleek
brown mahogany; instead of haircloth, blue
tapestry cushions, sensuous in their deep
less; instead of a wan gas fame, vast
chandeliers, bedazzling with their myriad
slectrics. All of this in a score Of years.
The man was one to be distinguished in
thy gathering of men. Standing, be would
have been tall, and without moving there
cIung about him the air of litheness of a
beast of prey. His hair was white, though
perhaps prematurely so, for he appeared
not above forty years of age. His face was
lean and gray, his lips thin and straight, be-
speaking an unshakable will. But his eyes
they were the glittering cold eyes Of the
panther, and in them lived . remorseless