Evening star., 1926-10-03

seemed to float to an upright position
She said, tom, please see Mr.. Sorby
to the elevator. and order taxi. I'm
| going out"
| 1t was magnificent. but she could
not leave it there-she was too an
| cry. She now addressed the startled
Sorby: DO you suppose" she said,
that because / do not want to be
| married to Mr.. Robinson l therefore
want to see him cheated by a band
| of rascals? And as for your clients
| being wronged, my conviction is that
they are quite as dishonest as you
are. hope l don't do them an in
justice. Hurry that taxi, Tom.
have an errand to do"
Sorby could read a mind but not
/ soul, so that he often found himself
knowing just what people were going
to do without the vaguest clue to the
emotions that led them to action.
Now he knew at once where it was
that Clarissa was going in such a
| hurry.
Il would point out to you, Mrs
Robinson" he said. that it would be
a gross breach of honor to repeat
what l have just told you"
"Honor!" cried Clarissa. "a Mr..
Sorby on honor. Good heavens."
And she went into the next room and
slammed the door.
X X X X
WITHIN 20 minutes Clarissa and l.
! for she insisted I should still ac-
| company her. drew up before the
| Spanish palace which she had built
| A car was standing before the door
a car which had once been hers. She
gave it a long glance and observed to
| me that the tires We're no longer
whiteWashed. AS we went up the
| low stone steps and into the grilled
vestibule her brows contracted and
her eyes kept moving from point to
point in growing dissatisfaction. l
could not myself have said what it
| was that was wrong, but I saw the
entrance looked different.
Castles, the butler, opened the door
and she said instantly: Really. Cas-
ties, should think for your own sat
isfaction you'd have the doorstep
from lack Of water. Is Mr.. Robinson
in?"
Castles, I had always noticed. had
a great talent for ignoring. He ig-
nored all the first part Of Clarissa's
address and responded merely to the
last. Mr.. Robinson was in the
library.
Castles opened the library door and
/ saw again the darkly paneled room
and the old books apd the splendid
portrait by an unknown artist Of the
Infanta Eugenia Clara in silver bro
cade looking haughtily down from the
mantelpiece-the room in which for
years Clarissa had been wont to pour
tea at exactly this hour.
But l think that what Clarissa saw
1,nt HI NtL Io,
tea was being dispensed. On either
side of the fireplace Robinson and Ro-
land Parks were sitting. with whisky
and cracked ice and several bottles,
opened and unopened, of soda wa ter
at hand.
Roland saw us first and sprang up,
more in anger than in sorrow. He is
one of those sleek, brown men, we'll
turned out, we'll fed-well turned out
by other peoples Wallets and we'll fed
by other peoples cooks, SO that his
smooth, healthy face is unlined by
any form of care; and yet. of course.
even his untroubled existence is sub
! ject to occasional annoyances--like.
| for example, the entrance of Clarissa.
| He did not conceal the fact that he
| was vexed.
why. Clarissa," said Robinson po-
litely. but to my ears little too non
committally.
Are you just going out, Robin
| SOM" said she. II saw the car at
| the door"
No. I'm sure you'll be disappointed
to hear that l am going out. Mrs.
| Robinson" said Parks. He turned to
his host. "If I find 1 can't get the
| car back for you. Jim. :"
It's all right" said Robinson.
| y X X X
CLARISSA had never yet avoided
~ combat, and she now rushed into
this one. "One moment" she said.
| Just one moment, Roland" She used
his first name, not in intimacy, but
as a person might find herself recall
ing the first name of q former serv-
ant. II have come here, Robinson"
she went on. ''at some personal in
convenience to tell you something you
ought to know. Are you going to
send me away in a taxi, while that
| man uses your carr"
You should give us warning of
your visits" said Roland. "Unfor-
tunately I have been promised the
| car for the rest of the afternoon and
evening. Some people. you know,
have great respect for promises ~
| At this Robinson got slowly out of
| his chair. The hair at the back Of
his head stood out in little wisps and
| peaks. just the way 1t used to be-
! fore Clarissa took charge.
| Have the car back in 20 minutes
Rollie." he said. Anything of mine
| Clarissa can have if she wants it."
And only five minutes ago." said
| Roland, you were saying how pleas
to h> bo4 ~ to- y
| And before the thunderbolt could
strike him he went out and shut the
| door behind him. From the fact that
| Robinson did not deny the assertion
| l suppose 1t was true.
"Sit down. C1arissa," said her hus-
| band pleasantly.
| But Clarissa was In no mood to sit
| down. How can you have that man
here again" she asked. that CRATER,
! that dead beat?"
| Look, Clarissa.' Robinson said
gently, while you were with me 1 did
all I knew how to make you happy
| changed my friends. and my way
| of living and my servants and my
tailor. and the way spoke. 1
| changed that some, too. But didn't
| succeed. l didn't make you happy.
| and you left me- All right. There it
was. But you oughtnt to expect to
, control my life just the same when
you're gone"
| Control. Oh. Robinson" cried
Clarissa, deeply hurt. as all dominat-
ing people are at the suggestion that
| they attempt to influence the free flow
of other peoples lives. You wound
me terribly when you say that.
| never tried to control you l only
tried to throw you with more interest
| ing people, to give you more impor-
| tant interests. Didn't you feel your
| life with me was more worth while
| than before?"
We'll. l always enjoyed having you
| round <Nlor.fooo bo