The Washington times., 1922-05-21

times to wish that her hair WE
not such a tiresome shade. ST.
looked at herself now with
tinge OF curiosity. II wondf
why I'm so especially happy t.
night. 1t must be because ",
have been 80 long in Biskra. IT,
been very jolly, but I was begir
ming to get very bored" ShE
laughed again and picked up her
watch TO wind. II was one o.
her peculiarities that she would
wear no jewellery Of any kind.
Even the gold repeater in her
hand was on a plain leather
strap. She undressed slowly and
each moment felt more wide
awake. Slipping a thin wrar
over her pajamas and lighting
cigarette she went out on to tho
broad balcony on to which her
bedroom gave. The room was on
the first floor. and opposite her
window rose one of the ornateiy
carved and bracketed pillars that
supported the talcony. stretching
up to the second story above her
head. She looked down into the
gardens below. 1t was an easy
climb, she thought, with a boy
ish grin-far easier than many
she had achieved successfully
when the need of a solitary ram
BILE became imperative. But the
East was inconvenient for solitary
ramble; native servants had q
disconcerting habit of lying down
to sleep wherever drowsiness
overcame them, and 1t was not
very long since she had slid down
from her balcony and landed
plumb on a slumbering bundle OF
humanity who had reused half
the hotel with his howls. She
Ieant far over the rail. trying to
see into the verandah below and
she thought she caught a glimpse
OF white drapery. She looked
again. and this time there was
nothing, but she shook her head
with a little grimace, and swung
herself up on to the broad ledge
OF the railing. Settling herself
comfortably with her back against
the column she looked out over
the hotel gardens into the night,
humming softly the Kashmiri
song she had heard earlier In the
evening.
The risen moon was full, and
its cold, brilliant light filled the
garden with strong black
shadows. She watched some that
seemed even to move, as IL the
garden were alive with creeping.
hurrying figures, and amused
herself tracking them until she
traced them to the palm tree or
cactus bush that caused them.
One in particular gave her a
long hunt till she finally ran It
to its lair, and 1t proved to be the
shadow OF a grotesque lead statue
half hidden by a Towering shrub.
Forgetting the hour and the open
windows all around her she
burst into a ripping peal OF
laughter, which WAS interrupted
by the appearance of a figure.
imperfectly seen through the
lattice-work which divided her
balcony from the next one, and
the sound of an irritable voice.
For Heavens sake. Diana, let
other people sleep IL you can't"
which, being interpreted, is
let Sir Aubrey Mayo sleep" she
retorted, with a chuckle. MY
dear boy, sleep IL you want to,
but don't know how you can
on a night like this. Did you
ever see such gorgeous moon?"
"oh, damn the moonv' "'
"oh, very well. Don't get
cross about it. Go back to bed
and put your head under the
clothes. and then you won't see
it. But I'm going to sit here"
Diana, don't be an idiot. Youth
go to sleep and fall into the gar.
den and break your neck"
''Tant pis pour moi. Tant mieux
pour toi," she answered flippantly.
II have left you all that I have
In the world, dear brother. Could
devotion 60 further?"
She paid no heed TO his excis-
nation Of annoyance, and looked
back into the garden. It was .
wonderful night, silent except for
the cicadas' monotonous chirping,
mysterious with the inexplicable
mystery that hangs always in the
Oriental night. The smells of the
East rose up all around her; here,
as at home. they seemed more
perceptible by night than by day.