Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-05-29

= ATKINSON went out OF barracks In
bad temper. AS was usual with
him, he spick and span to
the last degree, and he carried
himself with the slight swagger
which had come to him with his
mothers milk. No one who met him as he
marched along the principal street of the Irish
town in which the North Broadshires were just
then quartered would have guessed that his
pockets were innocent of the price of even the
cheapest Of drinks.
That that was 50, however, nobody knew as
well as HankinsOn himself. He was hard up
in . fashion which is not SO familiar to the
private soldier might imagine, and so
far as he could see he likely to remain
for some time.
There was little bit Of bother with one of
the numerous girls Hankinson had left behind
him. and Hankinson, being by way of what he
called gentleman, was unchee-fully behold
ing every penny of his small means going into
channels other than those into which he would
much rather have cast it.
And never until this particular night had he
been absolutely penniless. He felt the condi-
ton all the more because he very much
too proud to borrow trif1e from mate.
Hankinson knew his Surroundings; the other
men endured without liking him. they thought
him surly stand-offish. and not little con-
celted: Among the entire company there was
not one whom he could call friend and he
hated himself and every man because of it.
| IANKINSON marched down the street. look
ing neither to the right nor to the left. 1t
was o'clock of an early Spring night, and the
town was humming itself to sleep, as Irish
towns of the southwest corner of that strange
land delight to do.
Hankinson realized in DIM vague fashion,
mat he was in foreign land-just as much a
foreign land In its way as India or the Gold
Coast, or anywhere else outside England, and
a great longing came over his soul for the
Broadshire village wherein he. had spent his
life until he took up soldering.
he suddenly remembered the village inn
sign Of the Notified Cow, kept by Solomon Pegg
and the cool ale which, at request, would ap-
pear from the recesses of deep cellar. And
having the private soldiers thirst in the usual
degree, Hankinson felt that he would give a
good deal if he could be there and then trans
ported to Broadshire, or rather to that corner
of it where the Notified Cow stood at the edge
of a village green.
He laughed shortly and then, realizing with
dismal and damping certitude that Pegs es-
tablishment lay exactly $50 miles away, he
heaved a deep sigh and turned out Of the big
street into smaller one which led to bridge
that spanned the wide river.
Over the parapet of the bridge Hankinson
leaned, staring at the water which rippled and
fretted 20 feet beneath him. It was some
what lonely there, for all the beggars had gone
homeward long since and only few stray
glers passed him with soft murrnurs born Of
the mystic twilight; but Hanknson fancied
the solitude and in some sort appreciated it.
Overhead there was a darkly blue sky, into
which the faintest suspicion of moonlight was
just stealing; beneath him the water reflected
the light Of stars 1t was all very NICE and
it all blended very well with the hum of voices
from the neighboring streets. but
but it's not a bit like England, is it?" said
a voice which sounded close to Hankinson's
shoulder Quite right, my boy, it isn't
Harkinson turned sharply and angriy
around. 1t gave him disagreeable mental
wrench to know that any one had broken in
upon his reverie, and had used the very phrase
which he himself was just about to use.
What he saw when he turned was a man,
taller and bigger than himself who was at
tired in evening clothes, and wore light over
coat over them, and who. like Hankinson