Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-01

can help it. Now. what are you going
20 do about that"
Victor Porle slipped his wine As
though it were the first drink Of long
and harassed day.
Il fear" he sighed that you have
been preiudiced against me"
Il don't think it's a matter OF preiu-
dice Martin retorted. Il have con-
.fidence in Lord Ardrington, and I have
adopted his statement Of the past as
being the truth. He tells me that yod
utterly failed to support your wife,
that you left her to earn an unworthy
living in some low-class South Amer
lean dancing hail. that when you came
to see her you were brutal, that size
spent her life In terror Of you. You
may have changed since then-I hope
so--but I look upon any attempt upon
your part at parental claim over
Laugita as ridiculous"
Solomon GTaunt glanced up from his
plate
Hold on young man" ne enioincd.
You haven't got it all right yet. There
| was never a greater scoundrei IN South
! America in these days than the pres
ent Lord Ardrington."
Then there were probably three Of
| you together" Martin declared bluntly,
because he says exactly the same thing
| about you"
| Victor Porle drank long and vora-
| ciously He waited until his glass Was
/ filled up and he drained it again. HIS
/ cheeks seemed to grow only little
I paler, but there was a slight moisture
| upon his forehead
| 1t is a great pity he regretted,
when old partners and companions
| fall out. So far as my friend Sole
| v,,o,, TsroY1,.f ae1d r14y-caIF ore concerned
we never hesitate to confess that VIC
have had our ups-and~downs. We
chose an adventurous career early In
life-and." ne exclaimed, with sudden
and unexpected tremble in his voice,
we have had 1T We have killed
sooner than be killed, We have stolen
rather than be robbed. A black enough
record ours, no doubt, but we have
tested life"
incidentally" Solomon Graunt an
nounccd. with a greedy upward glance,
we have never tasted a better saddle
of lamb"
Eating" Victor Porle observed, lis
The second good in life"
AND the third?" Martin veutured
Women. l SUPPOSED Victor Porle
admitted in his colorless tone. Here
we bow a little perhaps to popular
prejudice. Solomon and I share what
YOU would perhaps call the barbarian
sense of woman's place in life
All, I see that you are listening IT.
tentIy. my son-in-law" he went on.
with an ugly smile, land I shall not
conceal from you the fact that such
women as have drifted into the lives
of my friend Solomon and me we
have generally had to fight for. We
have lived in lands where women were
scarce. We have fought for them and
used them for beasts of burden do
mestic slaves or amusement. We nave
had no time for sentiment. we nave
never lived in soft places"
Martin was listening with obvious
rcnuenance to his hosts diatribe. He
had the air OF one hemmed in by cir
cunstances, an unwilling listener,
conventional prisoner. eager for escape.
You may speak with authority on
drink and food he exclaimed. but
when you begin TO talk about omen
YOU are worse than the mad SWINE"
Solomon Graunt leaned a little back
in his chair. slipping his wine.
THE first two are enough, he &c
/ clared. 'All men quarrel about women.
| Let us leave them alone. Such lamb
Such asparagus. My friend Victor, you
are marvelously served.
Zone is always we'll served II one
| knows what one wants--in life as III
/ the restaurants" Victor PORE pro-
/ nounced. Il know what / want--the
/ heSt-and I order accordingly. Now
we will drink Turkish coffee and the
| NECTAR of men and gods--brandy. Son.
in-law, must see more Of you. Here
| is alr address Here we are always 10
be found. You must change your mind.
/ You must bring my daughter 10 see
| me.
i drew from his pocket little handlGi
of letters. and replaced them, keeping
/, only single envelope, on the BACK OF
/ which he wrote slowly and unfalteringy
| two addresses. One number at inc
/ Milan Hotel: the other the ADDRESS OF
| some lawyers in Lincoln's Inn. lie
pushed the envelope across TO Martin.
Put that in your .pocketnooE, NJ
| enioined. We are closely connected.
| MI Martin Barnes. We must not
| part in ignorance of one anothers
! whereabouts,
| Martin. with the envelope in MS
| hand, was gazing not. at the address
| but AT the inscription printed upon
| the fiap-~"ulrich and Cogden, Plym-
| outh For a moment only the ia
| miliarity OF the name struck him
/ Then he glanced up at his most
| lis that your yacht lying OF Lyn-
| ton?" he demanded.
A Too Hasty Revelation.
| The moment the words had escaped
his lips ne realized his error. The face
/ of Victor Porle seemed suddenly 10
have become inscrutahle. Both men
we're wonderful. Even their expression
were snhinX-ike Nevertheless Tor a
single second the light of murder
famed in Victor pories eyes as he
looked at his guest,
"A yacht he said. is the last luxury
in life I should be likely to indulge in
Why do you ask me such question,
son in ~law?"
Because / have just come from
Devonshire. and In q little bay where
STEAMSHIPS