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

ne must frown at something, why not at the bowler hat? Acquaintances and elegant young men in uniforms insisted on rushing up and bowing an

m 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 th

e’s with striped hangings, green and white and yellow and dark purple, and with a green-and-black checked carpet, and great strip

heir 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

e rather than bohemian. She was cream and auburn, Irish, with a slightly-lifted upper lip that g

u, darling?

id Julia, giving her

minately. Jim was watching the new-comer — Mrs

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

ople? 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

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,

, 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

? Where’s

’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 dra

lue pencil and printed in large letters on the old cr

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 —” sai

a bloody revolut

ail on the head,”

said Lilly. And with the

E, YOUR SOUL

ATHES OUT, IT’S A

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.

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 jer

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

,” said Robert, “if we

ation. Robert and Julia and Clariss were going west, Lilly and his wife were

irs —“Mr. Sisson will see you to you

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

a month,”

be awfully

THANKFUL to get

verything is so awful — so di

still yelling like wild beasts — other

ement with Jim?” shrilled Tanny in

id Josephine. “Perfectly h

ISH—” cri

ly —” crie

d to lunch with us,”

nk you,”

t, jaded midnight underground rattled on. Aa