Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-02

Nord, in Paris, / entered the express
for London, l found ensconced oppo-
site the sea reserved for me a smartly
dressed. dark-eyed young girl of per-
haps twenty-five. rather petite and
very dainty. who was busy looking
at the pictures in Excelsior, and who
raised her eyes with covert glance.
There were not so many passengers
as usual that morning, and we were
alone. I was on my way from Carlo
to London, by way of Marseilles, and
had indeed only arrived at the Care
de Lyon an hour before, just in time
to take my coffee hastily and cross
Paris in a taxi.
The morning was gray and cold
Egypt, and rather envied my smart
companion her warm furs.
Soon after the tram had moved out
on it's rush to Calais We began to
chat, first in French and then in Eng
lish, which she spoke exceedingly
well. She had come by the Sud ex-
press from Madrid on the previous
night, it seemed, and was going to
London to join her brother. She was.
however, not Spanish, but had been
born at Wolmar, in Livonia, and her
name, I afterwards learned, was Ana
stasia Irmann.
x \ x
WHILE we were chatting a man in
wv a soft felt hat and travelling coat.
passing along the corridor. recognized
me, and. putting his head into the
compartment, addressed me by name,
inquiring how I was. and adding:
'See you on the boat, old chap"
1t was Jack Woodward, naval at
tache at our embassy in Constanti-
nople, on his way home on leave, no
doubt.
When he had gone I saw that my
pretty companion became more In
terested than ever in myself, and at
last she remarked:
It heard your friend call you by
name. Are you really the novelist?
pleaded guilty to having written
a few books. and with laugh asked
why my presence in that train should
be in any way remarkable.
"Oh, no." she FASTENED to assure
me. "Only-only-well, IL was
thinking-just thinking
thinking what. mademoiselle?
asked, much puzzled. In reply she
merely shrugged her shapely Shout
ders and laughed.
Nothing, M'sieur LIE Quexi I was
only thinking, because-wen. because
I have read your books in Russian,
in French and in English. My brother
will be so very interested when
tell him that have met you"
"Ah. mademoiselle. you really pay
me too many compliments" I de-
cIared in French. II am one OF many
English writer's"
True. But you are the one who
really knows things-who is cosmo-
politan, lives the life Of the world,
and who writes it as he lives. All,
m'sieur. I could tell you some very
strange things to put into one OF your
books, but
Dol beg Of you" said eagerly.
She shook her head. and her atti-
tude instantly altered. She took up
a French novel and turned over its
pages refiectively.
Having boarded the boat, settled
her in the best deck chair could get
by means of a tip. and though the
sky and sea were gray, I knew by
my experience of the channel that the
passage would be good.
Before we arrived in London we
had become increasingly friendly, and
she told me that I could send let
ter to her to the poste restante at
Charing Cross.
Though she was travelling first
class, was rather surprised, judging
by her exterior, when she told me
that she had been in service as French
Eoverness to a noble Spanish family
at villalba, outside Madrid.
"Really, mademoiselle," said as
the train dashed past Tonbridge, lit
is very clever of you to teach French
when Russian is your native Ian
guage."
mo, m'sieur. Is it not the same
with you, when you spoke Italian
first and now you speak English"
Her knowledge of my birth and OF
my past struck me as distinctly
curious.
AS the train at last ran over the
4 bridge at Charing Cross into the
station, / exclaimed:
Nov, give me an appointment.
Will you not lunch or dine with me
somewhere? You are interested in
me, mademoiselle; hence am inter-
ested in you"
She reflected for a moment.
Very well,' she replied. "The
Marguerite Cafe, in Oxford street.
"when?"
Next Friday, at seven"
"T shall be delighted to be there,
mademoiselle." 1 said.
VERY WE'LL" was her reply. Put
we are arriving" she said, looking
out apprehensively as the train vas
drawing slowly along the platform.
"Please do not appear to know me,
beg of you My brother will be await
ing Newell. there are reasons Why
do not wish him to know Of our
acquaintance have reflected. I
shall not tell him.
Certainly" I said, but in wonoei.
"Very we'll, We will now be
strangers"
And springing to the other side Of
the compartment. I pretended a COM
plete disinterest in my fellow-trav-
eler.
She alighted. and I saw that she
was met by a curiously ill-conditioned
man of low type, tall and shabby,
with a cropped brown beard-evi-
IDENTIFY a foreigner.