Aaron's Rod
s into the crush of the entrance hall. Chattering, swirling people, red carpet, palms green against cream-and-gilt walls, small whirlpools of life at the open, dark doorways, men in ope
rowd, in his tall hat, l
e must frown at something, why not at the bowler hat? Acquaintances and elegant young men in uniforms insisted on rushing up and bowing an
was leading Aaron, holding him by the arm and slightly pinching his muscles. It gave him great satisfaction to have between his fingers the arm-muscles of a working-man, one of the
e's with striped hangings, green and white and yellow and dark purple, and with a green-and-black checked carpet, and great strip
eir wraps and sank deep into this expensive comfort of modern bohemia. They needed the Bach to take away the bad taste that Aida had left in their mouths. They needed the whiskey and curacao to rouse their spirits. T
rather than bohemian. She was cream and auburn, Irish, with a slightly-lifted upper lip that g
u, darling?
d Julia, giving her
riminately. Jim was watching the new-comer-M
t. "I've seen her before, ha
h a slight grunt of a laug
d Clariss.
you are!"
ed upper-lip. "We both want to be loved, and so we miss each other entirely. We
n to Jim amused, indicating Josep
ively, glancing at Joseph
sked Robert hasti
should he make me say out h
my girl,"
engagement?"
ols make, rushing in,
ment is broken,
Jim was twisting in his chair, and looking like a
ve, Jim?" said Lilly, "or for being love
n you," barked Jim. "Be
ought to take it as a joke. It was ju
length, have been a cavalry officer and fought in two wars, and y
Jim. "I'm losing lif
if you were losin
am, though
? Lack o
my young cock. L
Tosti's Far
he centre of interest of all the company, suddenly sprang
y customer, yo
ee. Jim immediately stuck forward his muzzle and gazed at her. Clariss had loosened her masses of thick, auburn hair, so
said Jim. "Wha
Don't be so rude
ravies. Any rel
band," came the slow, pl
a husband,
Haven't I
aguely and wispily.
children," p
t!" said Jim. "Who's
eep voice of Clariss
her frail scrap of an evening dress, amethyst and silver, was sitting still in the deep black h
wfully, I say
I'm sure,
g a sandwich or a cigarette. Aaron Sisson alone sat upright, smiling flickeringly.
nteresting for the others. Awfully boring! Don't
. She let her eye rest on his for a moment. Then she put
er cigarette fro
. Sisson," she said. "How d
ondon," s
eople? No-nobody except a man in the orchestra. H
e miners?" said Jim, su
. "I don't make a
ll make a stand aga
at
nalisa
ight, o
they'd
ig
es
sat la
they to f
ried Josephine fiercely. "Freedom, liberty, and esca
ing, slowly sh
t they'll do-I've only just left them,
hey ACT?" cr
d Aaron. "
and take things in their
time," said Aaron,
hine. "My, wouldn't I love it if
ows were twitching, in her black and silver dr
oody, Josephin
at aren't bloody," said Josephine. "Wouldn't
rather fun,
it!" cried
sterically. "Isn't she a red-hot
sephine. "I sh
f voice. "What price machine-guns at the end
her deep laugh. "We'd all Bols
illed. I'd love it, in a r
had enough of that sort of thing in the war? Don't you
t. I've no interest in fighting German
ct, it would
r worse," s
ephine. "You'd feel you were d
house down,
it, the house we live in-London-En
get much fire in my hatred. They
, suddenly stirr
at one another with a
here's got to be a clea
I'm all for pulling the house down. Only while it
to dinner?
'd find it ra
do yo
r out now-
m? Where
's on t
e was a tall, fine, soldierly figure, and his face, with its little sandy mous
" said Jim.
nd Jim did not press hi
ou?" said Jim, sitting down n
" said
mocked Jim, grinn
it, then?"
e is life," sai
, like drink
d Jim. "May be fo
ll for you,"
ated Jim. "Don't you agree?" H
time-" she draw
blue pencil and printed in large letters on the old
e and flung her ar
ve. I hate it,
ed her sa
said. "Look at Les
erhaps we are all wrong, and we can
ow what love is. I've thought about
that down,
IRATION. He printed it
d the l
hen you love, your soul breathes in. I
said Robert. "If you don't b
ock Turtle-" said
a bloody revolut
ail on the head,"
said Lilly. And with the
HES IN- WHEN YOUR SOUL BREATHE
u must be busting yoursel
sh of energy. I actually feel it rush in-here!" He poked his finger on the pit of his stomach. "I
rds with sudden fero
said Tanny, "yo
otested. "I'm dying.
ve breathed in so much, you don't know how to let it go again.
oung sucking pig,
've learned my manne
e party. Then he tu
make of 'em,
his head,
" he
not wait f
enly rising. "I think you're all s
ove. And HE's the Working People. The hope is these two-" He jerk
I've been a personification.-I suppose you've never been
think I have,
Ought to be allegory or something
riss," laughed the
Tanny. "I've bee
Jim. "Goodbye! Bet
p," said Robert, "if w
ation. Robert and Julia and Clariss were going west, Lilly and his wife were
irs-"Mr. Sisson will see you to your
eed at all,"
The station was half deserted, half rowdy, several fellows were drunk, shouting and crowing.
half Norwegian, and had spent a large part o
ust stay here. I wish I could get back to Paris. But there's nothing doi
," said
-And when will you g
a month,"
be awfully
ANKFUL to get o
Everything is so awful-so di
e still yelling like wild beasts-oth
ement with Jim?" shrilled Tanny in
id Josephine. "Perfectly h
ISH-" cri
ly-" cried
d to lunch with us,"
you," sa
t, jaded midnight underground rattled on. Aa