Evening star., 1923-04-22

| SoIleHoW. HOL 10 WOrTy OF care.
She had whirled catherine-wnee ell
fashion. head over heels. from end
to end of the stage, and stood with
her thin arms stretched up straight
| in a gesture Of triumph. her mouth
still parted in that curious, empty.
1 expectant smile.
The curtain fell
II want to get out" said McManus
| sharply. TITS this closeness."
The audience had begun to stream
out. Two men who loitered in front
of Uloth in the aisle exchanged
laconic comments.
| "A live wire, eh, what?'
The face of the second man who
spoke was bloated and full of a
weary intelligence.
Life itself, my dear fellow: life
| itself"
| r X *k
IILoTH took a months holiday and
- McManus went with him down to
the house on the Scotch moors where
he was to have spent his honeymoon
For week they tramped the hills
| together, stalked deer and fished in
| the salmon river. McManus was like
a man who hugs a secret pleasure
| whose eyes are continually turned in
| ward on a desire.
On the eighth day he disappeared.
He left note behind him. He had
| to go back to town. Cloth was not to
bother. Cloth followed in three days
| At McManus' lodging house he
found a room Uttered like that of
some young fop. with half-opened
boxes. new suits. shining unworm
shoes and boots.
On the mantelpiece Uloth found a
letter. which he read deliberately.
The handwriting was a woman's.
4 large and sprawling. and signed with
a single. undecipherable initial. 1t
! agreed to a meeting at the Carlton
before the turn"
| Uloth waited in the Carlton lounge
! an hour later. Then he saw McManus
before he saw the woman. though for
every one else she obscured McManus
utterly. She walked a few PAGES
ahead, bizarre, fantastic figure, her
head with its crown of diamonds lift-
ed audaciously. the same fixed smile
Of childish pleasure on her painted
face.
McManus walked at her heels. The
well-cut evening clothes suited his
lean figure. Though he was thirty
| Ave, he looked like a boy on the
| threshold OF his first romance.
| Uloth was overwhelmed and trans
| fixed by an insensate anger This
woman had trapped his friend.
She could not have overlooked
Uloth. He stood right in front Of
her ana his height and his rugged
| face must inevitably have drawn her
attention to him. Her eyes, blue as
kittens, met his with a kind of
bonhomie as Of one who expects and
| accepts admiration. The uncompro-
missing enmity that replied seemed
to check her. She hesitated, then
| passed on, still smiling, but mechani-
ca1ly McManus brushed against Uloth
without recognition.
From that moment Uloth was pos
sessed by a purpose. McManus, his
friend, was not to end like those
others.
He chose his table so that he faced
| her. McManus turned in her direc-
| tion as though hypnotized.
Twice she met Uloth's eyes. still
| with a family puzzled amusement.
Then she spoke to. McManus, laugh
| ingly, and McManus turned, and a
moment later he came across. He was
| radiant.
What luck your being here, old
| man! i didn't know you went in for
| frivolity Of this sort. Come over and
join US. We're just having a bite be-
| fore the show. You remember Mile.
Labelle. don't you?"
Uloth left his table at once, his
manner composed and suave.
It's DR.. Cloth, my old captain"
McManus said. I'VE don't need to in
| troduce you, mademoiselle."
! "Ce cher docteur &c don't like
me)," she complained pathetically to
! ! McManus. "'E sit opposite and glare
like a 'ungry tiger. Believe me,
+, grow quite cold with fear. Tell me
why you don't likek me, monsieur
| He was only waiting to be asked"
McManus broke in, laughing.
| She jerked jeweled thumb at him,
appealing to Uloth. "'E as cheek,
| that young man. e send in is card
| to my dressing room, saying e got
| to meet me. AS though any one could
just walk in!' She leaned across to
Uloth, speaking earnestly. you save
me dance. helm? Monster 1e docteur
Is an artist, perhaps. e know I can't
dance at all. Nor sing. Nor nozzings.
Just enjoy myself. You think don't
deserve all I get. heinz
Il think" said Uloth, smiling, that
there are others in your profession
who are less fortunate. mademoiselle." !"
Eats true. I ave been lucky. I
shall always be lucky. Everybody
knows that. Zey say, Our Gyp, she
will have a good time at 'er funeral
No, no, Monsieur Uloth. will not
drink. II drink I might dance ERE
on the table-and ze company is so
ver respectable"
Obviously she knew that the Sc
verely elegant men and women on
| either hand watched her with q
covert. chilly hostility. But there
was something oddly simple in her
acceptance Of their attitude. Therein
lay her power. She was herself. She
didn't care.
She rose to go at last.