Evening star., 1924-06-02
One Year to Live
By JOHN HUNTER

just making love to me, and I was
finding it little boring. Won't you
sit down.
"CarissimaI' exclaimed Felice, in
Elise smiled at him. 'It is true.
You make love delightfully."-. but one
tires. Now both of you sit down and
talk to me. 1 want to be amused"
They seated Themselves and Felice
He felt annoyed with Elise. She was
too clever.
They prepared to go at last. drift
ing by easy stages to departure.
then turned to Ahmed.
Il am more than glad you came
this afternoon. Ahmed. More glad
than I can say" There was a soft
gratitude in her eyes which Ahmed
was easily able to misconstrue.
Come again, won't you?"
He bowed over her hand.
He and Felice left together.
When they had gone. Elise leaned
above her head at arms length.
Those two, Neppo," she siiid, will
quarrel about me today. They will
have an awful row. Don't you think
1T is amusing?"
Neppo chatterer.
On the way down to the street In
the elevator neither Ahmed nor Felice
spoke. Felice hummed a little Groom
ing song or italy.
When they reached the pavement.
Felice would have raised his hat and
turned away, but that Ahmed stopped
him.
II would walk with you a little
way" he said: There is something
"It will wait" answered Felice air
"It will not wait" Ahmed's eyes
were very hard.
..1Tsa. Es.ice : shrugged shrugged his shoulders.
They turned into the St. Honorc
and strolled in the sunshine. Felice
felt pettishly annoyed.
1T is Of La Phaiene I would
"a very beautiful woman"
she is the woman 1 love. mon
sieur."
Felice smiled, looking straight
ahead THAT does snot concern me-"
sieur. that insist on emphasizing it
to you. When a man cherishes some
thing beautiful and wonderful. he
does not like to see it soiled by un-
Felice had a thin. cane In his hand,
and for moment She had a heated
desire to slash It. across Ahmed's
cheek.
Monsieur is pleased to be compli-
Il intended an insult" answered
THAT was clever of you. I should
hardly have dreamed you capable of
such subtlety-having seen you in
the company Of the lady you wor-
"No?" Ahmed was as restrained
as Felice. only in his restraint was a
burning, throbbing anger. well
some straight words. should es-
TEEN it immensely II you would cease
to see La Phalena"
Felice laughed aloud. "of course,
you hardly expect me to obey that
shall call it so-command?"
II not only expect it. 1 shall en-
Felice stopped. He spoke incisiveIy.
Nov listen, We have talked suf-
ficiently. I am her friend. You are
her friend. So long as she Is willing
to see me, so long shall see her.
But certainly take on myself the
task Of protecting her from her foes.
This afternoon, when I came in, she
was genuinely pleased to see me, and
her manner showed that my arrival
uation which was rapidly becoming
embarrassing and, perhaps, even
dangerous. I say to your face, mon
sieur, that your intentions towards
her are dishonorable. that you are a
scoundrel."
Felice was no longer. the suave
cosmopolitan. He spoke tremulously.
You are lfar!
Ahmed knocked him down. It was
swift, done without thought. People
passing stopped.
FeIice picked himself up, gathering
his gloves and cane with meticulous
care.
The gathering little well-dressed
crowd did not hear what he said, SO
soft was It.
"This Is hardly the place-hardly
the place" He was breathless, vi
brant with rage. "But-we have a
way, my people, in these affairs. My
representative shall call on you, mon
sieur. Meantime I will wish you
good afternoon"
He stopped a passing taxi
Ahmed walked slowly away.
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