Evening star., 1922-09-03


40 much as . hint Of Hector.
He was in and out Of half dozen
situations. At thirty-hve he drifted
into what had the appearance of per-
manency-a desk in the office of Mil
Ter & Crowdale, the house and estate
agents. Hector had, in addition to
his two pounds week. some ninety
pounds a year from investments in
herited under his fathers will.
49, ~
AT forty Mr.. Bywash had no vices
"A and no virtues. He was merely
negligible.
And suddenly. at forty, thus cir
cumstanced, thus equipped and thus
inclined, astounding and tremendous
things began to happen to him.
He took his annual fortnight's holi-
day, as he had taken twenty years
before 1t, at the great seaport town
of Stormouth, an hours run from
Tidborough. on the main line from
London.
Only two other persons were in his
compartment There was a man, a
huge obese creature with a heavy,
british face He had enormous hands
great, big, red. sledge-hammer
hands. His face held tho expression
of q malevolent and threatening
smile.
Uncomfortable, apprehensive, fasci-
mated, Mr.. Bywash slid his eyes to
the ferocious mans companion,
woman, and knew Immediately and
poignantly extraordinary and mys-
terious and alarming sensations.
Her face was pale. with a creamy
pallor, and IL had eyes of dim gray
gray with the pearl and exquisite
lgrayness Of the last Aim that lifts
above tho down, and shining stuff
about the lower lids. CTears"
thought Mr.. Bywash dreadfully.
Tears! oh, my, she's crying!"D And
she had soft black hair that stirred
and lifted in the windows breeze.
And she was talking, talking, talk
ing She was imploring.
Mr.. Bywash could not hear what
she was saying. Scarcely the murmur
Of her tone was discernible to him.
But all too frightfully clear the fact
that she was begging. begging, i'm
ploring, entreating.
Mr.. Bywash watched, with all these
never before experienced feelings
swelling and surging within him
yearnings. longings, cravings, high
desires of brave and reckless actions,
awful sensations, terrible agony. Re-
gret, realisation, notifications, for
all tho fine and shining and valorous
things that he most terribly desired
to be-
He thought, what would not be?
oh, what am r.
There answered him that mock
which in his boyhood had so tortured
him. The rhythm Of the train blared
it denantly and exultingly at him:
Some talk of Alexander, and some Of Hercules.
OF Hector and Lysander and such great names
And while he writhed it went on:
IF you had the pluck, you'd interfere.
You'd strike that hulSing brute.
You'd protect that poor creature.
She'd turn to you, Bywash. She'd ad-
mire you. shed cling to you, she'd love
you-if you had to pluck. Bywash."
imploring. beseeching. and the man
basilisk, imperturable, synical, sinis-
ter, with never a word, with only
that reserved. ferocious threat.
'Tnterfere" Knocked the new voice
within Mr.. Bywash. Look at those
butcher hands of his and interfere.
Go on!"
Once while he stared the man
looked up and caught his eye, and
directed upon him full look; and
Mr.. Bywash dropped his eyes and
turned away his head, and louder
than before the beaten rhythm of the
train greeted him..
and some Of Hercules,
OF Hector and Lysander and such great names
He rroaned between his lips.
Imagine itr mocked the voice.
Imagine It! You daren't even be
caught watching"
THE. train ran into stormouth ter
L minus. The man hicked open the
door and stepped out. The woman
followed him. Her skirts brushed
Bywash. He made most frightful
effort. He said and knew, It as he
said IL for the ludicrous squeak that
it was-he said:
"Can help your
She didn't hear. She was passing
up the platform In the mans wake.
Mr. Bywash followed along, keep
ing safely behind. What was he go
ing to do? He didn't know.
Mr.. Bywash lost his bearings after
some fifteen minutes Of many cross
inxs. He recovered them again as he
found himself approaching the dis
trict in which lay that Princes Park,
where 1t had been his habit on former
visits to lounge away the hours lis
tenine to the band. Tho couple
turned down street he remembered
walking on his way to the park. The
houses here were in q solid row on
either side.@ Their doors opened d.
rectly onto the pavement by two
y,eps, but without approaches. Be-