Under the Andes

everal times visited the gaudy establishment of Mercer, on the fashionable side of Fifth Avenue in the Fifties. In either case I had

h not an important one, and I surrendered my hat and coat

th, leaving. There was a scowl on his face and hi

ed at his remark-it was being whispered about that Garforth had lost

needs no other word. Not in its

aste of the man who had selected them; but they were

ee leather divans, an English buffet, and many easy

could be seen the poker tables, surrounded by grave or jocular faces. Above the low buzz of conversation there sounded the c

wheel and stood at the rear

, as the little pellet wavered and finally came to a rest in the hole number

he intervening shoulders, I found myself looking

laimed, turnin

as no sound from the group of onlookers; it is not to

And though this may occupy your mind, it can sca

horribly pale and his eyes bloo

lone," he said, hardly above a whi

started. No wonder

ou were swearing like a sailor. See how your hand trembles! You were not made for this

dollars," said the boy, and there was w

l repa

et me

ar

say

arly it was impossible to get him away without making a scene, which was unthinkable. Fo

nterruptin

ed to my brother, having decided in a

ur chair. I will get

n hesitation, then rose withou

the intellect; and, besides, I was forced by circumstances into an heroic attitude-and nothing is more distasteful to a man of sense. But I

eye of an eagle, but without straining; I played with the precision of a man with an unerring system, though my selections were really made quite at rand

rrected a miscalculation of his, and before I had p

I

my chair and handed my brother the amount he had lost-I pocketed a few thousands for myself in addition. There were some wh

tiff from the long wait, and I ordered him

e somewhat turbulent. He was silent during the drive, which was not long, and I smiled to myself in the darkness of th

treet, that had been the home of our grandfather and our father before us. There, in the dim light

aithfulness of such a ser

Harry in a th

him on the shoulder and sent him off to bed. He went sulkily, without looking round, and his shoulders d

o myself as I ordered Evans to bring

y appeared down-stairs. He had slept eleven hours. I was

reakfast for

t was Harry's

ve" he came in to see me with the air of

mood, unless it be with a pretty woman or a great sinner. You may regar

to the distasteful task before me, rendered necessary by the res

med indifference: "Well, and now t

ive I am not a hard

he began impetuo

ntin

ation would serve for any other time as well as now. The point is this: you are ten years younger

g a cigarette and seating h

ing to interfere with your freedom. But you are mistaken; I

are now twenty-two; and I take some credit for the fact that those s

t?" cried Harry.

I don't intend to speak of the past; and to tell the truth, I suspect that we are of one mind. You regard me as more or

your way, you are no less in mine. To make it short, you are now twenty-two years old, you chafe at

stared

an-" he

act

, Pa

iscuss it. For me, it

timent, and I must confess that I was more than once surprised by a flash from Harry. Clearly he was d

he would avoid getting tangled up in it. When we had finished we understood each ot

nths, and I aimed at pleasure. I spent a week in London and Munich, then, disgusted with the actions of som

had a

rkable; she had an affection for me; indeed, some years previously I had been in a way to play Albert Savaron to her Francesca Colonna, a

s friend that I first heard

dy, though scarcely cool, it was here that we took our daily carriage exerc

ty was passing. The coach, a magnificent though cumbersome affair, passed slowly and gravely by. On the

ssy, meaningless eyes. I turned to my companion and asked in a low tone who he was. Her

is he i

my friend, smiling, "

o is De

now Desiree! Imposs

alf I have been buried in the land of pork and gold. The gossip ther

America. Who is she? No one knows. What is she? Well, she is all things to some men, a

years she has bewitched him"-she pointed down the drive to where the roya

e. You remember that Prince Dolansky shot himself 'for political reasons' in his Parisian palace? But for Desiree

mil

And you say she is

y American is a king, and it is no wonder if she is tir

el

t her. Oh, but you do

tched by a she-devil; but as our carriage turned and started back down the long drive toward the h

more than a month at a time), I bade my friend au revoir and departed for the East. But I found myself just too late for an archeologica

iplomatic service, and since I had nothing better to do I accept

and judged it. Still I found some amusement; Janvour had a pretty wife and a daughter eight

nd manager. Little Eugenie and I would often walk together in the public gardens, and now and then

ing me to return to America at once. Some rascality it was, on the part of the agent of my estate, which had alarmed them; the cablegram wa

leave, and little Eugenie seemed really grieved at my departure. It is pleasant to

n offered to accompany me to Cherbourg; but I re

ware of that indistinct flutter and bustle seen in public places at s

hich was worthy of the

he world, fragile and delicate as a toy-a fairy's chariot. Then

a skin wondrously fine, with the purity of marble and the warmth of velvet; nose and mouth rather too large, but perfectly formed and breathing the fire a

undreds of eyes turned on her, and a general sigh of satisfaction and appreciation

is

e. "But my dear Lamar, not to k

ss, I do no

ica, and, since she is on this train, she will, of course

who i

ee Le