The Washington herald., 1921-10-09

DR. ANAToLE LEsCAUT, sitting alens
~ In his consulting room, experisneee
sense of fatness, almost Of boredom. wnieh
troubled him. he had anticipated that when
the war was over, and he was released nom
his terrible and exhausting held nospiiA
work, he would return to his civilian prse'
tiee, take up once more the old interesA
and retire, not too late In life, to niue
farm, where be proposed to cultivate pA'
cidity and certain herbs OF heaifng. bu''
though no man more than he rejoieed at the
coming Of peace, there had come Win II
this sense Of hatness- younger man
might have struck into new lines OF re-
search or discovered the lacking stimulus In
doubtful excitements; but Lescaut was on
the verge of fifty; he had sown his wild
oats and become an entirely decorous cid-
rem. And there remained, Il seemed, only
this emptiness, q most depressing prospect
for man still capable Of endeavor and keen
enjoyment.
he switched OF the light in his consulting.
room, put on his hat, and went out, telling
his housekeeper that he would not be back
to dinner.
But, nonieur," she protected, IT have
prepared for yeu q beautiful meal; there
are eggs with the wine sauce that yeu Lore,
and . chicken rs plump, declare, as the
baby Of Marie, my daughter" The doctor
paused.
"wm there b. enough for twoT' he
asked.
"of . certainty. yes"
Then viii dine at home, and bring
with me N. N.vette."
The few streets through which the doe
tor passed on his way to the house Of
Niyette, the lawyer, had q deserted air,
partly, no doubt, because the evening was
cold and threatened snow, and partly, as
Lescaut sadly reflected, there were fewer
people in Dourlaix than there used to BE-
he had q sense Of personal loneliness and
almost homelessness that was new to him.
Before the war he had been well enough
content with his bachelor life, his friends
and his profession.
NIyETTE greeted him with enthusiasm,
= and in three minutes was ready to return
with him.
you have brought me comfort, friend
Anatole," he said. That, ] suppose, IL
part Of your business. Ny wife, a you
know, is away, and without her the>kitchen
goes to the devil. And am hungry. This
cold nips me. / feel myself growing small
and DID,"
Nivette ratified on In his usual way, and
the doctor listened when he felt inclined
and thought Of something else when he
did not. The lawyer was q man of i'm
mense good nature, a quality, he declared,
which stood in the way Of his professions!
success. Nevertheless he had done very
we'll, and there were few cases Of litiga-
ton In Dourlaix In which he did not take
q part.
The dinner was exeellent, and when the
gaufrettes for which the Doctors house
keeper was famous, he said:
Now, Anatole, let rs talk"
81 have been listening to you," said the
doctor.
But you. also, are capable Of speech"
"At present, my friend, an not capable
Of anything. take no interest in work,
and not much, as you may have observed
in my friends"
"You have not yet recovered from your
e1ertions during the war"
"On the contrary, have recovered com
pIetely." Nivette looked at him.
'Is 1t possible that at your time Of
life" He paused.
WELL" said the doctor.
That you have fallen in love?'
at Is not in the least possible. an
merely suffering from a reaction for vhicl
can discover no correcting stimulus"
..Th. condition sounds dangerous" SAT-
Nivette.
at is extremely unpleasant" said tn
Doctor.
IF may express an opinion, this con
dition results from living alone.
Nonsense" said Lescaut.
81 assure you that my wife is constar
stimulus to me. Without her I should
gut in tvo-lost."
That is true" said the doctor. smil
ing. Madame Niyette is wonderful
woman"
.I hear your telephone bell!" cried NJ
x.t,. Now we shall be interrupted
what a life, doctor"' Lescaut hurrie'
away to the hall, and presently returned
Lookinr a little perpleIed.
NYTHING serious?' Nivette aske'
n Ieseaut sat down, cracked valnu
and peeled it carefully.
.sIf illnesses turned out to be as serioV
q. most people imagine them to be, Il
vorld would soon be depopulated.
Do you know anything Of Madame Cortol
Who lives in the old house in the Rue d
CafIlou1F'
Madame Corton; the old house in Il
Ru. des CaiIloux," the lawyer repeate
"Yes, can give you some information
., nv business, you understand, to kno
something about everybody. Madame Co
tom has been living in the Rue des Caillo'
for three months. She is an English
woman who married one Of our natiol
IA. a. NOW n widow. Her only son died