The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 13, 1899, Page 25

THE SUNDAY. CALL i v hiefs nates for fifteen minutes and then he pays me a lovely compliment. Then the urchins came running and shouting; ladies wa ed their handkerch! he ruminates for another fifteen minux(aes} and cooks up another fine thing. from the balconies; the whole city was vivified th a leaping and joyous ires y v] ike?' she asked ‘enthusiasm. The Athenlans—as dragomen or otherwise—had preserved an It is too tiresome. Do you know what kind of man I 1 ;xnd o O that in the white dust - v e . a il Cole- -dor for th iti softly and confidentially. And here she sank back in her chair unt! ardor for their glorious traditions SoAn knew Trom the tingle that ner head was but a few inches from his which lifted from the plaza and floated across the old Ivory face of the head. Her sleeves touched him. He turned more wooden under the spell palace there were the souls of the capable s s of the past. Coleman DEtho orris root and violet. Her courtiers thought it all a graceful pose, was almost Intoxicated with it. It seemed to celebrate his own reasons, DLt Coloman believed otherwise. Her voice sank to the liquid siren note of his reasons of love and ambition to conquer in love. | = a succubus. “Do you know what kind of a man I like? Really like? I When the carriage arrived in front of the Hotel d’Angleterre Coleman like & man that a woman can't bend in a thousand different ways in five found the servants of the place with more than one eye upon the scene in minutes. He must have some steel in him. He obliges me to admire him the plaza, but they scon paid heed to the arrival of a gentleman with such the most when he remains stolid; stolid to my lures. Ah, that is the only an amount of beautiful leather Juggage, all marked boldly with the initials kind of a man who can ever b: hear: among us women of the world. “R.C." Coleman let them lead him and follow him and conduct him and His stolidity is not real; no; it s mere art; but it is a highly finished urt use bad English upon him without noting either their words, their salaams and often enough we can’t cut through it. Really we can't. A then We or their work. His mind had quickly fixed upon the fact that here was ; actually come to—er—care for the man. Really we may. Isn't it the probable Leadquarters of the Wainwright party, and with the rush of funny?”’ his Western race fleeting through his ve he felt that he would choks A the end Coleman arose and strolled out of the room, smoking & and die if he did not learn of the Wainwrights in the first two mint e e s o “Bafore the door clashed softly behlnd It was a trazic venture to attempt to make the Levantine mind understand e Thnana lithe Teantly, pertiaps a little loudly. It made eVery something off the course, that the new arrival's first thought was to estab- man in the griliroom perk up his ears. As for her courtiers, they were lish a knowledge of the whereabo! of some of his friends rather than to entranced. In her description of the conquering man she had easily con- ewarm helter-skelter into that part of the hotel for which he was willing trived that each one of them wondered if she mright not mean him. Bach to pay rent. In iled to thus impress them; failed in dark wrath Ihan was perfectly sure that he had plenty of steel In his composition and but nevertheles \d.. At last he wae simply forced to concede the trave| that seeemed to be a main point. . of files of men up the broad, red-carpeted staircase, each man being loaded Coleman delaved for a time in the smoking room and then went to his with Coleman's luguage. men in the hotel bureau were then able to oWl e Y e < ha was somewhat puzzled in his mind by a pro- comprehend that the foreign gentleman might have something else on his jection of the beauties of Nora Black upon his desire for Greece and M mind. sed their eyebrows languidly when he spoke of the Wain- jory. His thoughts formed a duality. Once he was on the point of sending wright p: gentle sury ad not yet learned that they were 115 card to Nora Black's parior, inasmuch as Greece was very distant and gone some time. They we n some excursion. Where? Oh, he cotld not start until the morrow. But he suspected that he was holding really—it was almost laug’ d—they did now. Were they the interest of the mctress because of his recent appearance of impregna- sure? Why, ves—it was almost able, indeed—thy were quite sure. e ety T e e emeataf her fascinations. If he now sent his card it Where couid the gentleman find out about them? Well. they—as they had was a form of surrender and he knew her to be one to take a merciless ex ras possible—the American Minister might acCvantage. He would not make this tactical mistake. On the contrary, know. Oh “that was very simple. 1t was wh“ & . he would go to bed and think of war. o know had apartments in the hotel. Was he There was a long silence as they walked up and dowh ‘t‘-‘e‘:,::imf gfz%"‘t T Creatity he foand it easy to fasten his mind upon the prospective in? Ah, t ; “Do you know,” said Nora at last, "I like you, Rufus COIeMaT, o 1", war. He regarded himself cynically in most affairs, but he could not be So Coler al emancipation and with. the grime o know any good reason for it either, unless it is’ because you are Ul .. oinjcal of war, because h ceen none of it. His rejuvenated imagi travel still u -what violently upon the secretary o bru Now, when I was asking you if you were to be in London ¥ fion began to thrill to the roll of battle, through his thoughts passing all the Hon. The dner of ka, the United States Minister to perfect new I was Helt «Why, what did the lightning in the pictures of Detaille. De Neuville and Morot; lashsd Greece. om his desk e scer from behind an accidental bul- g cried Coleman, feigning amazement. ‘““WhY, battery horse roaring over bridges: grand cuirassiers dashing heaulons wark of books and government ¥ es. certainly, Mr. Gordner i I say” _ against stolid, invincible red-faced lines of German infantry; furious and is in vou woul v 4 to Qrecoesnips “It fsn't so much what you sald,” began Nora slowly. Tk}f“a,fz?'nf:r‘l. Moody grapplings in the streets of little villages of mortheastern France. Directly Colemar introduced into another room, where a quist answer to h y cha er.” “Oh, well, don't let’s talk about 1 41 There was one thing at least of which he could still fee] the spirit of a s rolling a cigarette. looked him frankly but carefully in the ounces her trip to It's too fou —you are a disagreeable person sflrg;’! i, Coleman debutante. In this mattér of war he was not, 100, unlike a young girl en wrights?’ said the Minister, immediately after the ques- In the morning, as the vessel steamed up the Irish Channel, TOUTIN, parking upon her first season of opera. Walkley the newct mOFHRE 50 myself am immensely concerned about them at present. father tully co was i, keeping furtive watch on the cabin stairs. After two BOUIS 1" maod sitting quaintly upon Coleman and cackled with astonishment € 2ot themselves into trouble.” ribbled a message on a card and sent it below. and glee. Coleman's usual manner did not return until he directed Walk- “Really 1d Coleman. to the club and drowns K. A " <s Black had a headache and felt too 1l to come on deck. 5 B T0 o 0 HEAT S big state and then he snubbed him according to the “Yes, That little professor is rather—er—stubborn, lsn’t he? He wanted ing room. The three card players glanced up. grn T P e onday editor of the New York Eclipse. Parenthetically it to make an expedition to Nikopolis and I explained to him all the possi- itter? adked the wine merchant. “$ou look anery- DiLE; o fot take his wife and daughter ey A eonan now recalled Nora Black to his mind at all bilities of war and begged him to at leas o think of her for a moment with an ironical complacence. He with him."” the T fact Coleman had purposely wreathe i it wason isfied expression, so he was for a moment furious at the B A ates Nas “ ‘Daughter,” murmured Coleman, as If in his sleep. When the traln drew out of the station Coleman felt himself thrill. “But that little old man had a head like a stone and only laughed a " “s & in 3 e T he girl” he thought to himself. “She has succeeded fn __ When the traln &rew odf ot t0€ T {%0ve “war and Marjory—were In me. Of course those villainous young students were only too delighted & ' ese beggara Inugh at me.” He mused that f he had another P85, [OG0 %4 v, resce -and he could Uit with one lance at both gods. a prospect of war, but it was & stupld and absurd thing for the man to wowld show her how disagrecable o detestable o scampleh e {PRLS% Brca ine game o play and no man was ever so blessed In vace: take his wife and daughter there. They are up there now. I can't get a [Continued.] s under some clrcumstances 7oy S M8 was smiling continually to himself and sometimes actually on word from them or get a word to them." Coleman remained cool. “I've never been decorated for informing peo- with which he had accepted the comradeship of the helle of the voyage Homs Mo N e wloud. This was despite the presence in the compart- o e or e T ™ i Nikopalls?” ha askied L fellow passengers who preserved in their uncomfortably The Minister gazed suddenly in comprehension of the man before him. Thight have been somewhat overdone. Perhaps L e e the stares of the other men in the smok- meRs OF 78 [T OF POriiny manners many of the more or less ridicu- “Nikopolis is in Turkey,” he answered gently. SHitions of the Enellsh first class carriage. Coleman's fine humor Turkey at that time was belleved to be a country of delay, corruptio L for any sacrifices. LS aved Lim once into addressing one of these passengers and the man turbulence and massacre. It meant everything. More than @ half of th oy, a payment for any sacrifices. . | i responded simply with a wide look of {ncredulity, as If he discovered that Christians of the world shuddered at the mame of Turkey. Coleman's ot he twas traveling in the same compartment with a zebu. It ““'q“fl Cole- Iips tightened and perhaps blanched, and his chin moved out strangely man suddenly to evil !l‘m;mr_nnr] he wanted to ask the man guestions con- gnce, twict hrice. “How can I get to Nikopolis?"’ he said. airs,” he observed, “but I should say that you were artist as I am.” proportion v she refiected upon this reply. Then of a sudden she ing room, no use in being angry with vou, Rufus You always Rlack. he thou : & 1 y wistful company was hor But,” she added, ch RiTat'e the matter?” persisted the He was annoyed at n “ho seemed now te he reading his discomfiture. As for Nora ght of her wistfully and angrily as a superb woman whose lous tr: condition, and so until the The M . laughed. “Do 17" 5 : e fican | ol . . aug o R lat it . cerning his edycation a % T smiled. “It would take vou the better part of four da t steamer was belng slowly warped, (6 the |s00in% rain arrived at Dover h s in danger of collapsing.” On ¢ you could get there, but as a ma Fact you can't pet there at.the e passeng CrOWUeCHS = 2 g i present tim A Greek army and h army are looking at each other From the sides of the river at Arta—the river is there the frontier—and . Nikopo Jens to be on the wrong side. You can’t reach them. The forces at Arta will fight within three days. I know it. Of course I've moti- gation at Constantinople, but with Turkish methods of communi- about as far from Constantinople a w York is from N Coleman arose. “They've run themselves into a nice mess’ he sald crossly. “Well. I'm a thot ed.to you, I'm sure. The Minister opened his eyes a trifle. ‘‘You are ont going to try to reach them you?"’ “Yes,” answered Coleman, It. Friends of mine, vou know At the burcau of the hotel awaiting him from the alert of read: “State Department gives out b somewhere; find them. Bclipse began to smile with serz verse? Whereupon able astonishm sidized act as co pondent for the a dragoman and the; “I'm going to have a try at stractedly, \e correspondent found several cables > of the New York Eclipse. One of them 1 plight of Wainwright party; lost en Coleman perused the message he Could fate have ever been less per- And it was to the consider- covered and instantly sub- bsence at the front, would > took unto himself t a speed in Athens. ans. - He ¢ uring h e whirled himse f some | that caused a little ¢ upon the i pavement and w this surprising his hotel. He had a en his dragoma of oriental be- tily and help- wil which he could o rme i lessly here face in the m d with agony. I 1 had been ordered by om New York was 1 v to *h tinned meats. chocolate, ¢ patent food. br: tobaccos. medigin rd other things. went bed that night vlacid. The train back to s was to start in the early morning. and he felt the satisfaction of a st. Before he in_the streets, He felt that on own great au ywds cheering exultan ad done in the mornin man wha L dropped & to and the cheerf = moved him the celebration of the people wa n accompaniment to his primal reason. a reason of love and as in the theater t compa 3 > arose once auri dy a.map of th ninsula and get nalled into his n of Nik i respondent array and a tunic come of T i ride gins in t pockets—and s parted for tr fust ec all the exaspe: nrot come prenared to vie h nor to tion_the lim me with its view with adm : ar-away snow olive grove shore. He w ot stirred by P: fleld high on the black shoulders of the mountains across the gulf. No; he Gwished to go to Nikopolis. He passed over the graves of an ancient shot, hardly dimmed. through the The train went at a race the gleam of w mighty minds 0 Clouding ages. No; he wished to go to NIKopc “You Didn’t Hurry Yourself,”” She Said as He Joined Her. adiant. Adieus were falling as dead leaves fall from a great tree. The stewards were handlix rall hills of luggage marked with flaming red labels. The ip was firm inst the dock before Miss Black came from her cabin. as 3 » time gazing shoreward, but his three peculiar friends y nudged him. *““Wha “There she is!” ‘“‘Oh, Miss Black?”’ He ked toward her. It was impossible to tell whether she saw whether it was accident, but at any r e suddenly oved toward the stern of the ship. Ten watchful gossips had an’s travel in her direction and more than half the passengers defe He wheeled casually and returned to his three friends. e colic-stricken with a coarse and vet silent merriment. Coleman e Was over. usiness of an Englis Her face w [ nsta compe him coming v we was glad that the v After the polite to the w from Lon comg an e ; along the I custom-house the travelers iting train. A nimble little theatrical agent of some dashed forward to rec Miss Black. He had & pent engaged for her and he bundled her and her maid - of enthusiasm and admiration. Coleman passing ora’s voice hailing him. 1fus; iere she was, framed in wriage window, beautiful and smiling b Ivery near-by person turned to contemplate this vision. “Oh ‘ing, “1 thought I was not going to get He held out his hand. *“Good-by.” plenty of room in this compartment.” See- fixed in observation of her she moved tment, Rufus,” she said. moc cha s he poute ing that som a short way b on | ian met the New Thank: 1 prefer to smoke id Coleman. He went off abruptly. ernally by On the way to London he brooded In his cornér on the two divergent to know cmotions he had experienced when refusing her invitation. At Euston in Lon he directing a porter, who had his luggage, when k at his shoulder. “Well, Rufus, vou sulky boy,” she the Cecil. If you have time, come and see m - dear Nora,” answered Coleman effusiv. “But, ear them and the nimble little agent was ng. The maid was directing the establishment of a mass of luggage d in a four-wheeler cab. Well. put me into my carriage, anyhow,” ora. “You will have time for that.” fterward she addressed him from the dark interior. you must come to see me the minute you strike London again— that to the popu inner C ook Coleman fré , won't you? I'm craz 1. “Why, T don’ B Lknow that asn't been meeti g anybody honest brot awn up 1 bi icl u ask he L 'l see her. row, T suppose n the smoking room, hows when the a Colem Upon it was w: “ome d_and look up ard bent ¥ ind w to death. Come along a ave - hum of con- tated a moment, and then smiling gorgeously upon him she said, puffing at his cigar. He CHAPTER VIIL rative mexits of eertain As soon as Coleman had planted his belongings in a hotel he was ind arose. Men powled in a hansom briskly along the smoky Strand. through a dark city was made d e walls dripped like the walls of a cave and whose passages were uminated by flaring yellow and red sign: Ikley, the London correspondent of the Belipse, whirled from his. r with a shout of joy and relief at sight of Coleman. ‘“Cables,” he othin’ but cables! All the people in New York are writing cables R h: wires groan with them. And we groan with them, too. The; got all these duffers very much exclted.” come in here in bales. However, there is no reason why you should rea 1 the girl. **You dont care, do you™’ fhem all. Many are similar in words and many more are similar in spirit. absurd to be watched all ‘the Hme.” “'he scnse cf the whole thing is that vou get to Greece quickly, taking with . abhorred being watched in this case. “Oh, you of money and enormous powers over nations.” he nanced for a moment. “Aw—e friend of . “hin Aces the row being? for an introduction. Of course I told “The most astute journalists in Europe have been predicting a general European smash-up every yvear since 1578, sald Walkley, “and the proph- weep. The English are the only people who can pull off wars on sched- You didn't hurry yourself, own were twinkling. A icken sod, was coming from “Oh, another Willie, Tell him no. Tell him to run away,’ tle time, and they have to do It in_odd corners of the globe. I fear the id Coleman diffidently—"'he would prob- war busines )1; getting (ur‘kr—rgd_ 'l"h;;e s So¥row in e lodges of the a box. lone wolves, the war correspondents. owever, my boy, don’'t bury your ““ H Wine bottle on the stage instead of T voris hlapket. This. Gresl business. 1ok Very: DEARUaInG, yery Do You Know What Kind of a Man I Like—Really Like ?" “T won't see him promising.” He then began to proclaim trains and connectfons. ‘‘Dover, this ultimatum. “‘Oh, all right. 1 (alais. Paris, Brindisl; Corfu, Patras, Athens. That is your game. You the packet crossing the channel, too, he almost returned to the usual Rufus snail’s pace, and if Coleman had an interest it was In the people who Nned i are supposed to skyrocket yourself over that route in the shortest possible Coleman since all the world was seasick and he could not get a cabin in the route and cheered the soldiers on the train. In Coleman's compart- t hurry to get rid of me 5 thme, but you would gain no time by starting before to-morrow, so you ‘which to hide himself from it. However, he reaped much consolation by ment there was a greasy person who spoke a little English. He explained They walked In the shadows. “How long can ¢ool your heels here in Lendon until then. I wish I was going along,” ordering a bottle of champagne and drinking it In sight of the people that he was a poet, a poet who now wrote of nothing but war. When a Rufus?” asked Nora softly. g Coleman returned to his hotel, a_knight fmpatient.and savage at beiig which made them siill more seasick. From Calals to Brindisi really noth- man Is in pursuit of his love and success is known to be at least remote zht off to Greece. First train. There's Kkept for a time out of the saddie. He went for a late supper to the grill- ing met his disapproval save the speed of the train, the conduct of some it often relieves his strain if he is deeply bored from time to time. P you know.” room, and as he was seated there alone a party of four or five people came of the passengers, the quality of the food served, the manners of the The train was really obliged to arrive finally at Patras, even if it was v who is going to fight? The Greeks and the—the--the to occupy the table directly behind him. They talked a great deal even guards, the temperature of the carriages, tire prices charged and the length a tortoise, and when this ha‘}‘)pened a hotel runner appeared, who lied for wF 1 before {hey arraved themselves at the table, and he at once recognized the of the journey. the benefit of the hotel in saying that there was no boat over to Mesa- g right over there. voice of Nora Black. She was queening it, apparently, over a little band. of In time he passed as in a vision from wretched Brindis{ to charming longhi that night. When, all too late, Coleman discovered the truth of Rufus,”’ said the girl, mournful and shocked. awed masculine worshipers. Corfu, from Corfu to the little war-bitten city of Patras and from Patras the matter his wretched dragoman came in for a period of infamy and S Something.” Presently she asked, “And aren’t Either by accident or for some curious reason she took a chalr back by rall at the speed of an ox cart to Athens. suffering. However, while strolling in the plaza at Patras, amid news- P to be 1 n any time at all?’ to back with Coleman’s chair. Her sieeve of fragrant stuff almost touched With a smile of grim content and surrounded in his carriage with all boys from every side, by rumor and truth Coleman learned things to his [ o answered, pufing out his lips, “I may stop in London for his shoulder and he felt appealing to him seductively a perfume of orris his beautiful brown luggage he swept through the dusty streets of the advantage. A Greek fleet was bombarding Prevasa. Prevasa was near ; way home. I'm not sure of it. root and violet. He was drinking bottled stout with his cgop' he sat with Greek capital. Even as the vehicle arrived in a great terraced square in Nikopoll The opposing armies at Arta were engaged, principally in an be? a face of wood. front of the yellow palace Greek recruits in garments representing many artillery duel. < 1. It may be In three or four months, or it may be a 'Oh, the little Lord?” Nora was crying to some slave. “Now, do you trades and many characters were marching up cheering for Greece ?nd the —m————————— year from now. When the war stops.” know, Le won't do at all. He is too awfully charming. He sits and rumi- King. Officers stood upon the little iron chalrs in front of the cafes; all Continued Next Weel