Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-20

light and hailed me- Would take
him up? I could not see the mans
face distinctly, but there was some
thing in the voice that was familiar;
somewhere, in some distant memory,
had known that voice. It was the
voice of gentleman by some vague
quality remaining in 1t. And SO, un-
certain whom j had before me, I took
him up. But when he had climbed
beside me into the seat 1 was dis
illusioned. His drenched clothes had
about them the doors of dirty ship,
and the man was drunk His voice
was thick, and he had the abominable
familiarity OF rum-soaked creatures
LIE talked: he was going q long
l. i way; he had landed in England
on this afternoon; he was going to
see his godchild. I would be sur
prised, I would be amazed to know
who his godchild was! How far did
I go on the road? I hoped to get rid
of him, and so told the truth.
would turn at the next crossing for
Red House, sixty miles to the north.
The creature Uttered. That's
luck" he suffered in the laugh:
there's where I'm going"
L stopped the car and turned a flash
on him. What mysterious creature
had 1 taken up?
At first I was unable to attach a
memory; a foul, sodden face ap-
peared under a dirty cap: red-lidded
eyes, blue sagging jowls, a nose swol-
len with liquor. and a slack mouth.
1t was the face of the worst human
derelict L ever saw. and yet it's abom-
nations were laid down over some
thing that was we'll bred in the beast.
The creature had one time been
gentleman, but a gentleman gone
with every loathsome bestiality to the
pit.
DO you know me, eh, what?" The
sodden voice was in a sort OF friendly
whine.
And all at once did know him.
Good heaven" I said. tits Back
martini
"Righto," The whine went up into
a little triumphant note. Lord Back
martin Of the Downs in the old day"
He buttoned his rain-soaked rag Of a
coat, and drew his f1abby body to-
gether in the seat.
The best back in England. if / do
say it . did you see me in the match
with the Americans in ninety? Great
polo, believe me they win now.
these Americans, but we rode 'em off
in ninety. Did you see me pick out
the ball in the last chukker and
carry It through to their goal with
every DEVILS son of them after me?
Did you see that game, Ell, what?
Were you there?" I was there. and
did see it!
The goals were coming up slowly.
and one-all was the score up to
within three minutes of the last bell.
Hudson of the Americans was carry
ing the ball toward the English end.
Victory was in their hand, when Lord
Rose cut the ball out by a sort of
accident and shouted to Backmartin
to take it. And he did take 1t like a
god; the ball went like an arrow;
nearside and offside were alike to
him. He had the fastest pony in
England; no one of the Americans
could reach him; the ball. like a
bullet. crossed the goal before the
bell rang.
Backmartin was the hero of Eng
and on that day.
The Downs Joined Red House, where
a daughter was newly born to the
sporting squire who was brother to
Sir Hector Bartlett, and so Backmar-
tin had stood-at the next week end
in the little chapel at Red House. as
godfather to her.
And here he was.
1 fumbled about the levers and got
the car ahead.
What should do with him?
He was unspeakabIe. His reputa-
ton TOR seven years in England had
been beyond words; and for seven
more. years his name had not been
mentioned. He had been in China, in
the Malay Peninsula, in. the South
Seas.
The creature was unspeakable
And here he was riding with me on
a journey to his goddaughter. was
twisted in Satan's fingers. If L put
him down should have no line on the
plan that he came with. And how
could 1 take him on?
/ considered the thing as we raced
north, and while the creature driy-
eled.
There was a fortune in rum
running just now northwest of the
Barbados If he could fit a ship. His
goddaughter would no doubt be glad
to help him-he mentioned a pen
sioner In her house as the alternative.
60 that was what the beast was
~ after. And I carried him forward
on that purpose; to force a levy for
his rum-running by the threat. of
sitting in her door,
could have killed the creature and
thrown his rotten carcass into a.
ditch. My fingers itc>ed for a clutch
on him. But when thoue>S the mat
ter calmly out, there seemed, 49,
all, only one thing to do. must hold
him under my eye until 1 could get
him out of England-when one fought
the devil one needed to keep him in
the light
took him on!
There is a long fiag-paved terrace
on the garden side of Red House, with
easement doors entering the library
and the drawing room. 1t was very
nearly midnight, and the strange
events that set out to write down
here were on their way. The night
had cleared; the air was warm and
sweet as from distant hay fields; the
stars were out.
And II waited on this terrace for
the woman denied me!
She had gone moment to make