Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01

He smoked cigarettes, and once, when they
had a puncture, he was very quick and eager
about changing the tire. Nov, don't you soil
your hands. mister, can do it like a FASH"
he said. and he did. The boy said he intended
working his way overland to the Pacific Coast.
where he would try to get job of some kind
on an ocean freighter. and that, If he did, he
would go on around the world. But do you
speak any foreign languages" The boy did
not. Across John Holden's mind flashed pic
lures of hot Eastern deserts, crowded Asiatic
towns, wild, half-Savage mountain countries.
AS young architect. and before his uncle died.
he had spent two years in foreign travel study
ing building In many countries but he said
nothing of this thought to the boy. Vast plans
entered into with eager, boysh abandon, a
world tour undertaken as he, when a young
man, might have undertaken to find his way
from his uncle's house in East Eighty-hrst
street downtown to the Battery. How do I
know-perhsps he will do It," John thought.
The day in company with the boy had been
very pleasant, and he had been on the alert
to pick him up again the next morning; but
the boy had gone on his way, had caught a
ride with some earlier riser. Why hadn't John
invited him to his hotel for the night? The
notion hadn't came to him until too late %
Youth, rather wild and undisciplined running
Wild Ell? wonder why never did it, never
wanted to do it.
II he had been bit wilder, more reckless
that night, that time when he and Lillian
IT'S all right being reckless with yourself,
put when some one else Is involved a
young girl in q small town, you yourself
lighting out" He remembered sharply the
night, long before, as he sat with Lillian on
the porch before her fathers house. Lillian
had seemed rather stunned when he walked
away even though 1t was O'Clock in the
morning She had been rather like a per.
son waiting at railroad station for the
coming Of train. There is blackboard and
q strange man comes out and writes on it,
Train No. 2s7 has been discontinued
something like that
Well, 1t had been all right, everything had
been all right.
Later, four years later, he had married q
New York woman Of good family Even in q
city like New York, where there are so many
people, her family had been well known. They
had connections.
After marriage, sometimes, 1t is true he had
wondered. Gertrude used to look at him some
times with an odd light In her eyes. That boy
he picked up In the road-once during the day
when he said something to the boy, the same
queer look came into his eyes. It would be
rather upsetting II one knew that the boy had
purposely avoided him next morning. There
had been Gertrude's cousin, but OF course he
had said nothing to her. Why should ne have?
She was his wife. There had been, he had
heard, q good deal Of family objection to the
cousin. He was reputed to be wild, gambler
and drinker.
Now Gertrude was dead She had always
seemed very well. but suddenly she was at
tackled by q banning kind Of slow fever that
lasted nearly year. Sometimes she seemed
about to get better, and then suddenly the
fever grew worse. It might be that she did
not want to live. What notion! John had
been at the bedside with the doctor when she
died. It was at night, and as the boy was
asleep, he was not called.
There had always been, in some vague, in
definable way, kind Of accusation in the at
titude toward him Of his uncle, the architect.
and Of his aunt. They had left him their
money, but It was as though the uncle had
said, as though Lillian during that night long
ago had said
Had they all said the same thing and was
Gertrude his wife saying 1t as she lay dying?
A smile. "You have always taken such good
care of yourself. haven't you, John dear? You
have observed the rules. You have taken no
chances for yourself or the Others" She had
actually said something of that sort to him
once In a moment Of anger. a.
TN the small town 10 miles from Caxton
there wasn't any park to which a man could
60 to Sit II one stayed about the hotel, some
one from Caxton might come in. Hello, what
are you doing here?" 1t would be incOnvenient
to explain: II didn't want to 60 to Caxton
in the daylight. I want the kindness Of eve
ming light for myself and the people may
see there"
John Holden's boy-he was but 12-one
might say his character had not begun to
form yet. One felt in him sometimes a sort
Of unconscious and casual self1shness, an UNI
awareness of others, rather unhealthy sharp
ness about getting the best Of others. 1t was
a thing that should be corrected in him and
at once. John Holden had got himself into a
small panic. II must write him letter at
once. Such a habit gets fixed in a boy and
then in the man, and 1t cannot later be shaken
off. There are such lot of people living in
the world! Every man and woman has his
own point Of view. To be civilized, really, is
to be aware of the Others their hopes, their