Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01

~ Ohm STRANG looked about him with
interest. He was glad he had come to
this part of the town alone. He was
glad to be alone in this queer, scented
corner of Agiers. He sensed romance,
~ adventure about him. The scent OF
lemon, orange and wild flowers was intoxicating.
His eyes dropped, and he smiled as though he
were thinking of a girl. He loosened his collar
and tie and took off his coat.
"Algiers keeps a hot Winter" he murmured,
and turned to look across the bay. How blue
the sea- how blue the sky how warm and beau
tiful the world was!
John Strang was 81. and an athlete yet. He
had been boxer and sportsman for as long
as he could remember, and his deep chest and
broad shoulders testified yet to his strength.
He turned from his contemplation of the sea,
and continued to follow the wall, which was
a foot taller than himself. He swung with 1t
around corner and stopped short.
Before his eyes there was dangling leg. A
very smooth and shapey leg with small, bare
foot, with pink tinted heel and toes. The instep
of the foot was arched, the curve of the ankle
instantly provoking. John looked up.
D ECLNING along the top of the wall there
was young girl She was looking down
at him with lustrous dark eyes. Her black hair
hung about one shoulder from which her loose
cotton blouse had slipped and her mouth was
small and red as the pulp of pomegranate.
She swung her leg lazily towards him. and John
smiled at her. He picked up the sandal lying
in the grass and said:
Little one with the bare feet"
He stopped, stretched up to touch her fingers,
but she drew her hand away and pressed with
her toes against his neck.
Come up" she whispered in French. Dare
you?"
John scrambled up. The girl slipped off the
other side and John jumped down after her
into a raised garden shaded by orange trees and
many sweet-scented shrubs. She was standing
beside bush, her hands her hips, from
which her full skirt hung to her knees, her
eyes upon him. He saw now that she was half
white, half Arab and not more than II.
"You beautiful creature who are you?"
Ssh J!
Half expecting her to run away John took
a step towards her. But she held her ground
until she had compelled him to come close.
john slipped his arms about her warm body.
. She pulled aside the blouse. Johns
knees gave beneath him, and he plunged his
lips into that warmth, and in that moment
breathed deeply of a drug she had concealed
within her bosom. He knew his senses were
Keeling and he tried to draw away, but the girl
with the bare feet crushed his head to her
breast. All about her was the sickly
odor of the drug, and John swooned.
IT was cool, and the stars twinkled derisively
from the immense vault OF heaven When
John Strang recovered consciousness. He was
lying in the gutter of narrow road. He was
coatless and hatless and his clothes were torn.
He felt sick from the effects of the drug, but
he quickly came to realize that he had been
tTicked and robbed Every dollar he had had
upon him was gone, every trinket he had pos
sessed!
AS the cool breeze blew away the last effects
of the drug John sat up and groaned. He got
to his feet and leaned against lamp post. He
swore softly and started off in the direction
of the town to report the robbery at the police
station But as he went he remembered more
,,ixy4<glu evarvtl1in0 that had haDpeued reYnan-