Evening star., 1924-02-24

detail of this picture. 1t was so con-
spicuously in life what I had heard
of these Americans; this idle. de-
cadent breed of women; soft, STEPPED
IN luxury and useless.
The girl sat in the hotel drawing
room, visible from the staircase.
II wss early IN the afternoon. The
ptace vas nearly deserted. The hunt
ing folk, assembled here in Somerset,
wefe all at distant meet Of the
hounds at Haddon: in the saddle from
dawn and until the night should fall.
But this soft creature sat in a great
chair piled up with cushions; and an
immense American motor awaited her
outside.
The fur coat thrown open among
the cushions of the chair must have
cost a fortune; the smart gown was
from a Paris shop on the Rue de la
Paix; the very Pekinese dog in the
hollow of her arm was worth the
price of a polo pony at Tatterhalrs.
1t wasn't SO much these evidences
of luxury that impressed me. One
may have the best. if one is able. 1t
was the conspicuous effect of these
things on their possessor. The girl
Was quite YOUNG, dboul twenty, L
imagine; blonde. slender and dainty,
with big blue eyes and an exquisite
mouth. For a doll she was perfect;
but for any mortal use as woman
she was an absurdity.
1 broke out with what 1 thought
when we were in my sitting-room on
the floor above.
Did you see that girl, Barclay?".
The big man turned about and
looked at me with a rather strange
expression; I thought he was going
TO make some comment But he evil
IDENTIFY decided to reserve it.
Yes Sir James. Do you know who
she is?"
II know what she is" I replied;
shes a hothouse orchid, and about
as useful in the world as the Pekinese
dog in her lap
Barclay squinted at me. He is
big man with a face wrinkled by the
tropics.
Don't be deceived about the Pekin-
ese dog, Sir James" he said; 'the
Pekinese dogs all right. He's kept in
every shop in China to warn against
thieves-you can't slip in on Pekin-
ese dog"
Dash the dog" replied. IT'S the
girl l mean; of what earthly use
could such a soft creature be to any
body"
Barclay looked down at me. 1
thought the strange expression on his
face was even more peculiar.
"A silk rope looks soft" he said,
land it is soft; but it's the strongest
rope there is
81 don't know what bally rubbish
you're talking" 1 replied: "but I
know you're all right. or Marquis
wouldn't have taken you into Africa
with him. Marquis is no fool, if he
is chief of the criminal investigation
department of Scotland Yard. And
he wouldn't write me now to take
you on this expedition"
I'm pretty good stuff for such a
job, Sir James," he went on; but
I'm not the best stuff for it,"
x = x K
T SUPPOSE 1 looked a bit puzzled at
this, and Barclay saw it. He
turned and went over beyond our big
table, which was covered with maps.
] think he had assembled every map
in existence on Central Africa I
meant to have a years big game
hunting in the heart of that con-
tinent. When 1 wrote Marquis for
man, he indicated Barclay; and /
had him down here at this hotel in
Somerset to plan out the route.
Barclay sat down in a chair be-
yond the table. But he wasn't think
ing of the maps.
DO you know" he said, "why Sir
Henry Marquis went into Central
Africa?"
after young Winton, wasn't he?"
] replied. He'd taken shot at his
uncle, old Brexford, and got out of
the country, as 1 remember. / sup
pose Marquis thought the reputation
of Scotland Yard was at stake. Had
to find Winton, you know. Did you
find him?''
Barclay got up, spread out one of
the maps and put his finger on a
point on it.
I'VE found him right here, on this
plateau on the old elephant trail.
But if we'd been a little later we'd
never found him. If he'd got into
that immense forest to the south,
he'd been out of Marquis reach. Our
expedition was tagged; / had a touch
of the sun. We couldn't have gone
on"
The mans voice grew firm.
you have got to keep the sun out
of your face; helmet and a spine
pad aren't enough-the open road to
the brain, for suns rays, is through
the eye and the sponge bones of the
face.
He made a sort of bob of the head
downward toward the drawing room.
-Ever see this girl before, Sir
James?"
Used to see her at polo at Hur-
f, 1ingham," 1 replied, ION the days
Rugby played. This young Winton
was on the team-wanted to marry
her. didn't he? Wasn't that the row
with old Brexford?"
"Yes," Barclay said. "It all started
from that Brexford hated Ameri-
cans; wouldn't hear of it; went into
a devils fury; stopped at nothing"
$50 young Winton took pot-shot
at him, and cleared, eh?"
Barclay didn't seem to regard my
comment. He went on in sort of
reflection: But there was one thing
7 couldn't understand. Why didn't
he take the girl with him-that is, I
couldn't understand it at the time"
] laughed.
I can understand it. She couldn't
leave the cushions; she was too soft"
Barclay was looking at me, his
mouth open. a sort Of vague wonder
on his big sun-seamed face.
The pose and the expression Of the
man annoyed me.
whats wrong with you?" I said.
ssUUbof GRO vor gaming at tT'