Evening star., 1924-06-22

row and learned that she was dead
her, I should be sorry: yes, by Jove,
would indeed be most frightfully
sorry, but would I go without my
meals, would I chuck my work.
would I feel that for me the end of
the world had come and that I de-
sired never again to eat. to work. or
take my sleep? Now then, would I?
NO" said James. 1 would not
obviously" said James, IT am not
in love with her.
Dash it- said James, IT am not
in love, and it is quite clear to me
that at this rate I never shall be in
love.
But can l." browsed James, by
no means contrive it? 1 imagine
subjects for my paintings and these,
on my canvases, I contrive; why
imagining the bliss of love, should
not I by artifice contrive it? The
reason" browsed James, els because,
whereas in my painting the crea-
lures of my Imagination understand
upon them my artifice, in this mat
ter of imagining myself in love there
is required a living parsonage who
could not possibly understand me and
could not, therefore,
But wait" browsed James Elsie
does understand me. Now, if I were
to explain to her BY goly," said
James, II believe she would under
stand"
James, in all this time, had never
communicated to Elsie any other
name than James. 1t was the unique
charm (to James) Of Elsie that she
was perfectly content merely to meet
him and to pace with him in, for the
most part, silence.
There's thing that I've been
thinking about" said James. "and it
is that 1 believe-I believe we ought
to go and have some tea somewhere
together. Oughtn't we?"
.'Oh. I'd love to-" said Elsie.
"Where?" said James
We'll, where said Elsie.
Beginning with the Ritz and de-
scending by stages to a coffee-stall
known unto him in Camden Town,
there passed through the imagination
of James about two dozen houses
OF refreshment, but in none of them
could James, unaccustomed to this
kind of thing, imagine himself with
Elsie. Ten minutes having passed
in this desolating review
Il tell you what wouldn't be so
bad" said James, I've got the run
of mans studio not far from here
where sometimes 1 go for tea, and
where they give you not half bad
tea What about that?'
"Oh, that would be lovely" said
Elsie Would he mind though-your
friend?"
Not a Bit" said James, and they pro-
ceeded silent through the park to the
main road, and thence to the house OF
James and to the studio attached to the
house Of James.
With his key James opened the pri-
vate door Of the studio.
"Oh, it's lovely" cried Elsie, tits per-
fectly adorable, I've never imagined
such place."
Not bad" said James.
And are those" cried Elsie, looking
round, your friends pictuesT She
moved, obviously entranced, from can
vas to canvas, some propped against the
walls, some hanging, one or two on
easels. why, they're wonderful, they're
wonderful!' she cried
mot bad" said James. fidgeting. He
had overlooked, in inviting Elsie to the
studio, the possibilities now afoot. and
the possibilities now afoot disquieted
him and alarmed him.
ELSIE from the end of the studio
IL turned very slowly toward James
She had taken root before a very large
painting in very noble frame Us that
one of your friends pictures" asked
Elsie.
: IT think So" said James, II believe
So Oh, yes, it would be-"
why, I saw it when it was on ex-
hibition!" =" said Elsie. II saw 1t three
times. I would have seen it 800 If
could have afforded it Is your friend
James Prince, the James Primer
"Eh?" said James.
1.-The James Prince?' said Elsie
At that moment there entered the
studio a manservant bearing upon a sill
yer tray the materials Of a very singu.
larry delectable tea
"Ah, here's the tea !" cried James, re-
lieved, and, fussing with the teapot y
believe" said James, 'that is his name
Get out! !" said James (this was in a
hoarse whisper to the manservant who
accustomed to James. got out).
You believe it is" cried Elsie ~Yo,
believe it is? But you must know"
well, as matter of fact, it is" sale
James "Yes, he is James Prince. Al
least that's his name" said James, as II
casting doubt either on the right Of the
personality to the name or on the right
Of the name to the personality.
Elsie, however, to the chagrin oi
James, paid no attention to this sinister
| and mysterious infection.
II think he is perfectly glorious! :!
cried Elsie. I've got a print Of tha
picture hanging on my wall. and it's 81
| wonderful to me that I can't bear t.
have any other pictures beside it, so
| took them all down."
"Oh, you shouldn't have done that
said James
II had to-" cried Elsie. But yol
know him? You mean to say he Is q
friend of yours! can't believe it."
Don't believe It," said James, making
an enormous effort to extricate himself
from this ENHANCEMENT. Look here, th'
fact of the matter is this Prince chaI
| isn't exactly a friend of mine. The fac
| of it is that II help him."
'Then are you," cried Elsie, are yo,