Evening star., 1924-11-16

Tr was low wooden house painted
white; three long windows with
palegreen shutters opened on a
L terrace. AS he stood looking, a pro-
CeSsion of walters came out rolling
large round tabletops. like a :frieze
of Greek warriors bearing shields.
The sight annoyed Rawley-most un-
reasonably, for If you rent your house
YOU rent your tenant the privilege
of marrying her daughter from 1t
If she happens to want to. But
Rawley found himself exclaiming in
wardly: "A wedding. What an
outrage"
He had bought the house 10 years
ago for his mother, but she had died
before they had even moved in. After
her death he had gone on his eXpedi-
tion to the Caucasus, and then the
war had interviewed. He had come
home in 1918 and had spent a year
in planting and painting. But by the
time the house was ready for occupancy
he had begun to grow restless and
had gone off to Central America.
Then, when for the third time he
was ready TO settle down, wonder
full opportunity for taking over an
other mans shooting trip to East
Africa had tempted him. This time
he decided to ront the house-shoot-
ing In East Africa being an eXpen-
sive luxury.
He had thought himself eXagger-
atedly courteous in telegraphing his
tenant that he was coming down to
get out some stuff of his stored in
the attic and therefore he had been
irritated by her answer, which was:
please come some other day. My
daughter being married tomorrow"
He couldn't come any other day
hQranSa Iot y
ing. The best he could do for her
was to come in the morning. and get
away by noon. AS the wedding was
at O'Clock, he couldn't see why
he should cause the slightest incon-
venience.
1t was June. and the garden was
looking beautiful. The grass paths
were like strips of emerald velvet
and solid waves of perfume came to
him in the high hot sun. Suddenly
he found himself wishing he wasn't
going to Africa-he would rather be
living quietly in his own house
II only these horrible Bruces-
Gould ii be that he was getting
old? He couldn't remember how old
he was-3l or 80 his last birthday ?
lie walked along with brow slightly
contracted trying to calculate from
the year of his birth, when he came
dPoit d SoLtllS man seated on a stone
bench within the semicircle Of a
cedar hedge.
His elbows were on his knees, his
head and his hands were alike hang
ing down, and he was swaying very
Sllghtly from side to side Rawley
did not need to be told that this
young man was in trouble.
What's the natter" he said.
The young man looked UP, show
tried to arrange into an expression
suitable for meeting a total stranger
Nothing, he answered, but not as
II he really wanted to be believed
w mats the matter?' said Rawley
again, in exactly the same stern tone
There it was, he thought: If you
rented your house YOU might find
people in agony in all your favorite
corners.
THE boy stood up. fumbled in his
pocket and produced his cigarette
case and, having taken 1t out, SEEM
ed to forget what he wanted with it,
His pale blue eyes fixed themselves
slowly on the newcomer. Aren't
You Mr.. Rawley?" he said. II think
you were once kind enough to give
me letter to that fellow who was
Rawley was always being asked for
such letters in the interests OF men
who. having failed in civilized con-
ditions, jump to the conclusion that
they will do better in the wilds.
"Oh, yes" he said, cropping for the
facts Aren't you Bill Severidge's
nephew? Let me see-you did not
go after all-you got engaged-or
something" Then a light broke. Us
this your wedding that I'm interfer-
ing with?"
1t seemed a harmless question but
was not well received. The young man
sank down and covered his face with
his hands. She's just changed her
mind" he said.
Great heavens" cried Rawley, "at
this hour And glancing up at the
house he saw that the tables were now
being set and walters with punches of
gilt chairs in their hands were coming
out on the terrace.
All his antagonism now concentrated
on the Bruces-what people. Not only
having a wedding in his perfectly good
house, but trapping the nephew of a
splendid fellow like Billy Severidge, do
ing him out of a trip to Yucatan and
then throwing him over at the last mo-
ment. He became instantly a partisan
Of the young man, whom, just a moment