Evening star., 1924-03-16

Of irregular shape, full OF
cozy corners and grouped easy
Il chairs inviting TO intimacics,
and Lit by rose-shaded lamps EN-
Madded in the carved ceiling, and
screened from the outer world by
thick, rosy curtains. was perfectly
empty. Warm and we'll cushioned
and softly carpeted, it waited in
silence with its discreetly voluptuous
engravings and statuettes. its silver
trophies of sport and its gigantic
ferns and palms, for the end of din
ner, when 1t would be comfortably
filed by ladies' and gentlemen who,
until they went up in the lift to bed.
had nothing to do except digest and
play cards.
The dining room was separated
from the lounge by a glass wall,
through which the diners. aided by
their high priests, priests and acolytes,
could be seen dining with dignity and
ceremony. Not a sound came from the
dining room through the glass wall.
its inhabitants might have been an
optical illusion.
On the other side OF the lounge
was a much smaller apartment, called
by the hotel proprietor the sunroom.
It's semi-circular front wall was
wholly window. and if there was
any sunshine this room caught it and
imprisoned 1t and presented 1t to the
persons who cared to occupy the row
Of easy chairs ranged in front of the
vast expanse Of glass. The sunroom
was cold at night. On this night its
curtains had not been drawn nor its
lamps lit.
Through the window the nocturnal
pleasure town offered itself with its
piers and its promenade all festooned
and jeweled in electricity. and its
motors gliding to and fro, and little
ragged boy crying evening papers In
the east wind just under the window.
The sun room was not quite dark,
partly because of the radiance from
the streets and partly because Of the
radiance from the glowing lounge.
Within It, gazing forth at the magic
spectacle Of the town, could be seen
q young man in dinner jacket.
He was tall, with a small head, he
had race and distinction: he had evil
IDENTIFY done alt that was proper in
his station and age. from fighting in
tho trenches to joining the right
clubs. And although he held himself
carelessly and was ever so little
negligent in his attire, he had the
authentic chic which the most metric
ulous and earnest dandies In Paris
try in vain to match. He gazed at
the town for quite a long time and
then turned and gazed into the
brightness Of the lounge. He was
waiting. The lounge was waiting.
Then a fat, middle-aged woman
With dirty dress and dirty apron,
sidled apologetically into the lounge.
carrying q dirty tool box. Her tools
consisted chiefly of. various brushes
and rags. She knelt down before the
great patent stove that burnt coal
economically and yet brightly near
the middle Of the lounge, and gar
nished and tidied and rubbed the stove
and swept its hearth, and sidled
apologetically out again She knew
she was an eyesore in the rich room
and ought to be ashamed Of herself for
being visible in paradise.
And once more the lounge and the
young man waited. Then q bell rang
and the lift went up. The lift shaft,
In the lounge itself, so that the
trafic and burdens of the lift might
provide interest for the loungers in
the lounge.
THE lift descended, bearing a
woman. 1t was a pity that the
lounge happened to be empty of
sightseers, for the young woman was
worth Witnessing. A blond. and not
worry tall, she had q face lovely in
form and tints, giint;ng brown eyes
and hair, and a smile that was habit
nal. The arched curve Of her eye
brows added to her agreeable and
eager expression a note of thrilled
surprise. Having a perfect complex
ION and lips she had, Of course, plenti-
fully employed rouge and powder.
Having the most adorable fingernails
she had, Of course, most deliberately
painted them. She was magniflcent1y
dressed: her jewels, though few,
might have been pawned for at least
. thousand pounds
She glanced questioningly round
the empty lounge with a look half
Innocent and half initiated, half
5Aunty and half bashful. The truth
was that she had been married nearly
three weeks, and this was not the
hrst hotel of her honeymoon; there
fore she considered herself an old
hand, learned in the worlds ways,
omniscient on the subject Of love
and husbands, and not on any account
70 be mistaken for part OF a honey
moon couple. But also she had her
doubts concerning her competence as
4 woman Of experience, and her great
knowledge sometimes frightened her.
Nevertheless she knew that she was
utterly delicious and all-powerfuL
Satisfied that there really was no
body in the lounge, she tripped up to
tho glass partition and spied eau
tiously upon the dining room Then,
puzzled, she crossed the lounge again
and peered into the twilight Of the
sun room.
"Ah! There you are! 1 was won
dering where you'd got to-"
She spoke so vivaciously and
chArmingiy and lovingly that you
would have thought that, the place
being quite deserted, the young hus-
band would have sprung at the young
wife and kissed her on the spot.
But no! The young husband did
not move. He did not even look at
tho young wife. He glared aside-at
nothing. His mouth worked. He bit
his lip. His hands dug themselves
into the very deeps of his pOcke cts.
He was In a state OF considerable
emotional disturbance. Whereas the
young wife. whose intimate acquaint-
ance with the male sex was limited
to . week or two, and who surely