Evening star., 1922-11-05
e :::;::::;: ::::$ HIS WIPES VISITOR '::;;


his terribly tragic little short stories.
ana encourage and console him-and
refuse, with imperturbable friendli-
ness, to fall in love with him.
He was curiously unchanged
through all his changes. The twenty
pounds or 80 he had put on hadn't
made him look older; had served only
to accentuate the plump, cherubic look
Of boyish innocence there'd always
been about him. He talked about
himself a lot, just as he'd always
done. taking the same pleasure in
his great adventures as he had In the
little ones of long ago.
Emily shot an uneasy glance at
George now and then: for instance.
when Charley spoke offhand of the
foremost American actress as Ethel
she wondered whether George was
saying to himself. Ass" But ap-
parently George was not. He seemed
to be enjoying the gossip of the
theater as much as the tales Of Capri
and Tahiti and other wondrous places
the playwright had inhabited.
Emily herself didn't talk much.
They drifted back occasionally into
reminiscence; but since this. of course.
excluded George. they didn't go far
with 1t.
George had spoken of being busy.
of the amount of time he'd have to
spend upon a case that was coming
of going off and leaving them to their
~.
she wished he would or not. intrinsic
cally she wasn't specially anxious to
be left alone with Charley, but If
0eorge was staying away from his
work in order to watch them she was
furious with him.
Only It didn't seem like that. The
two men got around to the war. at
last, and the humble but absorbing
parts they had respectively played in
1t, and after an hour of this she bade
them good night This was insin
cere, SO far as it was addressed to
George; for she fully intended stay
Ing awake until he had come to bed
and asking him a few questions, but
her modest share of the unwonted
alcohol made her sleepy and she never
knew how late the two men and the
bottle Of Scotch sat up.
She got no chance next morning.
either, for a private talk with George
before they met their guest. and. in
consequence, Georges calm announce
ment of the days program and his
total elimination of himself from 1t
fell upon her like a thunderc!ap.. She
caught him alone a few minutes after
breakfast end asked him what he
meant by it.
Il don't mean anything by it," he
protested. 81 have got to work all day.
just as I told you. Hawkins under
stands it. all right. told him about
it last night. He's got to leave this
afternoon. and there's no good Sun
day train from here. SO it seemed de-
cent to say that you'd drive him over
to Rockport. You needn't take him
to the club to lunch unless you like.
but thought it might be a pleasant
change from sitting around the
house."
You're simply throwing me at his
headr' she protested.
She detected q touch or brarado in
the way he said: Nonsense. He
came to see you. didn't he?' But
Charley was already coming down
stairs with his bag. SO there wasn't
time for anything more.
Well, the events of that day were
in Georges head, whatever they turn
ed out to be.
.~EORGE bade their guest a cordial.
~ almost paternal, farewell. and.
clapping his hat a little too much on
one side of his head for a Sabbath
morning and an hour when he was
certain to meet their neighbors going
to church. strolied down the street in
the direction of his Office.
1t was o'clock that evening VIXEN
she stopped their car at the curb after
her return alone from the fifteen mile
drive to Rockport. George was re-
clining. very much at his ease. upon
the Gloucester swing on the veranda.
Hello he called to her. You