The Man on the Box

red about him! She tucked the shawl more snugly around his feet; she arranged and rearranged the pillows back of his head; she fed him from a bowl of soup; she read from

its deeps a strange mixture of fear, and trouble, and questioning

r what is better than a good pair of lungs constantly filled and refilled with pure air? Mr. Robert even felt a twinge of remorse besides. He was brother to a girl almost as beautiful as yonder one (to my mind far more beautiful!) and he recalled that in two years he had not seen her nor ma

can for the entertainment and comfort of my passe

r?" demanded Mr. R

nel Annesley expressed the desire to be

uce is he, a

now nothing whatever about him. This is the

ld find some consideration. But the colonel spoke to no one save his daughter, and his daughter to none but her parent, her maid, and the stewardess. Would they remain in New York, or would they seek

Or maybe he has the palsy." Warburton mused up

had is at once the greatest blessing and the greatest

, where, with the aid of a fat perfecto and a liberal stack of blues, he proceeded to divert himself till the boat reached quarantine. I shall not say that he left any of his patrimony at the mahogany table with its green-baize covering and its little brass disks for cigar as

cdote, and Warburton, being an Army man, loved a good droll story. It was a revelation to see the way he dipped the end of his cigar into his coffee, a stimulant which he drank with Bal

having returned from abroad before, found a deal of amusement and food for thought in the ensuing scenes. There was one man, a prim, irascible old fellow, who was not allowed to pass in two dozen fine German razors. There was a time of it, angry words, threats, protestations. The inspector stood firm. T

fee or something stronger, came forward pompously. I don't know to this day what magic word he said, but the insp

another, who clenched her fists (do women have fists?) and if looks could have killed there would have been a vacan

ce passed among the circles of strange faces, and ever and anon returned to the great ship which had safely brought her back to her native land. There were other women who were just as well-bred and indiff

s nothing to be ashamed of. For my part, I should confess to it with the same equanimity as I should to the mumps or the measles. It comes with, and is p

was disturbed. There was a slight duty of some twelve dollars (Warburton's memory is marvelous), and their luggage was free. But alas, for the pe

ght the eye of a cabby, and h

ir, did you say?"

cracked his whip, and away t

t their glances had met. Scarce knowing what he did, he jumped into another cab and went pounding aft

' folly them a

dream. "Drive to the Holland House-no-to the Wa

, sir!" The li

d in two weeks he would entirely forget her. I know enough of the race to be able to put forward this statement. Of course, it is understood that he would have to mingle for the time among other handsome women. Now, strive as he would, he could not think out a feasible plan. One plan might have given him light, but the thousand that came to him simply overwhelmed him fathoms deep. If he could find some one he knew at the Holland House, some one who would strike up a smoking-room acquaintance with the colonel, the rest would be simple eno

at when the cab finally stopped abruptly, he was total

el,

rt was exceedingly careless with his money at this stage of his infatuation; being a soldier, he never knew the real value of legal tender. I know that I should never have been guilty of such liberality, not even if Mister Cabby had bowled me from Harle

d that these accessories of travel must be in his room before eight o'clock that night, or there would be trouble. It was now half after five. The clerk

Do you wish a bat

burton glanced a

pri

I want. Have you got it?" This was said with a deal of r

into a gracious smile.

the clerk. He swu

your place of resi

of resi

truck rather deep. He caught up the pen, poised it an indecisive moment, then hastily scribbled Paris: as well Paris as anywhere. Then he took out his wallet, comfortably packed with English and F

about exchanging it on

e clerk, with real affability. "Our own ba

enny of American m

you need for th

re than

of paper, wrote something on

said, indicati

ocketed the receipt for its deposit along with five crisp American notes. T

o be standing in a canon dappled with fireflies. Place of residence! Neither the fig-tree nor the vine! Did he lose his money to-morrow, the source of his small income, he would be without a roof over his head. True, his brother's roof would always welcome him: but a roof-tree of his own! And he

t be some good sport for a soldier in Venezuela, but that was far away and uncertain. It was quite possible Jack, his brother, might find him a post as military attache, perhaps in France, perhaps in Belgium, perhaps in Vienna. That was the goal of more

his sister dwelt under the elder bro

have to don the old togs again. I ought to write a letter to Nancy, but it will be finer to drop in on 'em unexpectedly. Bless her heart! (So say I!) And Jack's, too, and his little wife's! And I haven't written a line in eight weeks. But I'll

e him to the barber shop, where he could have his hair cut and his beard trimmed in the good old American way, money no object. For a plan had at

to be blamed if the women glanced in his direction, and then whispered and whispered, and nodded and nodded. Ordinarily he would have observed these signs of feminine approval, for there was warm blood in his veins, and it is proverbial that the Army man is gallant. But

midable. Worldly as he was, he was somewhat innocent. He did not know that New York hotels are formidable only when your money gives out. To get past all these brass-buttoned lackeys and to go on as though he really had business within took no small quantity of nerve. However, he slipped by the outpost without any challenge an

don!" he cried,

r. _Warr

fused, found himself shaking hands wi

you again, Count," said

again. Are you stopping here?" I had intended to try to reproduce the Russian's dialect

m at the

rd all about yo

s who try to make others believe that we are." Then, dropping into passable French, he added: "

mean so many things, that of all languages I speak it with the least fluency. But it

leven," Warburton urged, for he had t

business is purely personal in this case, neither political nor diplomatic." The count drew his gloves thoughtfully through his fi

n a wild country, with little or no

imp sl

g mishap,"

ngland, and having resigned your commission, you

"We shall not go t

of yours

retty good material-fight

my country: there must be some magic in that phrase. Of all loves, that of country is the most lasting. Is that Balzac? I do not recall. Only once in a century do we find a man who is willing to bet

u be in Washington

hrugged. "W

gton myself wit

t again, the

erican; while the clerks at the desk eyed with tolerant amusement these polite b

hand at poker-for a foreigner. He is going to Washington: we

wn my hero that night how he and the count were

e is in Paris, another in Berlin, then off to Vienna, to Belgrade, or St. Petersburg, or Washington, or London, or Rome. A few months ago, previous to this writing, he was in Manchuria; and to this very day England and Japan are wondering how it happened; not his being there, mind you, but the result. Rich, that

do not uphold him in what he did, I can not place much blame at the count's door. Doubtless, in his place, and given his cast of mind, I might have done exactly as he did. Russia never asks how a thing is done, but why it is not done. Ah, these Aspasias, these Circes, these Calypsos, these Cleopatra

ubt, Mr. Robert has entered the restaurant We shall

excited his palate. Whenever persons entered, he would glance up eagerly, only to feel his heart sink lower and lower. I don't know how many times he

able. Nine-thirty. He was about to surrender in despair. His partridge lay smoking on his plate, and he was on the point of demolishing it, when, behold! they came. The colonel entered first, then his daughter, her hand-on

ed at me, wrathfully, "and not to know that that Russian chap kn

mparable throat! Mr. Robert's bird grew cold; the bouquet from his glass fainted and died away. How her face lighted when she laughed, and she laughed frequently! What a delicious curve ran from her lips to her young bosom! But never once did she look in his direction. Who invented mirrors,

and the colonel drew their heads together. From time to time the count shrugged, or the colonel shook his head

ther, and still another. Mr. Robert was the architect of some fine ones, I may safely assure you. And he didn't mind in the least that they tumbled down as rapidly as th

sleeplessness that night. Some beds are

forward any possible mail to the Russian Embassy, Washington. Sighs in the doloroso; the morning papers and numerous cigars; a whisky and soda; a ga

was