ILLUSTRATIONS av CHARLES

the hour of noon. Its deep mile: startled him. and he supposed that this clock had been striking the hours all through those eighteen yours. _

He opened the door of No. 11, and II! he did so l|E thuught—~“Nrithiug matters but youth. If one could put back the clockA" ‘

The very room had not changed. The furniture was the s.-irne. He remembered the big wiirrlruhe made of some very dark wood. He rirrncmliered her opening the door of the wardrobe, and turning to him with iii uuistinn. “Which drissshrtll I wear tonight?" Hi: wma mnsciuus til it pnni: oi bitterness and of self accusation V\"hnt ll fiinl he bud ht-en! Yes, he supposed that in the eye; of the world he must appear as one of the favourites nl fortune, and yet he was unhariny. The fire of his yriuth was dying, and he was beginning to grope nrnung the ashes.

IS luggage had heen carried up. A big hruwn suitcase H had been plated on the luggage stand sit the foot iii his bed and he wins about to unlock it when im un~ expected sound startled him. Someone was singing, and the sound mu: n.‘i strange tn him as the song of some hird in the depths of winter. A shnduw seemed to prim across his face. He left the suitcase and went to the window.

The viiire of youth’

It was singing a sting rif Noel Criw:ird‘s——fr(im "Bitter- Sweet" and it l!C'EI11l-d tn suggirit ubnndonmant, you, youth in the Spring or the year, lull-thrrinted, exultant. B|llI:'f-SWEEU The snund appeared to came from the direction of the hike, and tri l!'l!fl'll‘llE above the Ilnwr-ry zrassei, and to rise rind lull in the sunlight, It was 1.! VDl(‘I'! to which plmr Mad Ludwig might hiive liiitt-nod while dnltinig and dreaming in his Swan Briut.

And then Fem-rs saw the singer. It was ii girl. She riime out from the shadows of the fl]Jl’ul!C' tram, a dark young masture in is yellow knitted cast, and II sage green skirt. She was him: leggr-d. liiire ht-ndeii, iii-id flhl} warned to mow.-uii the llriwcry s ope with R iigiiinms lfllll

a fluidity that l1'lcIll‘l’It'd her Hinzifliz. She was English. lla Sllflid and w:.iti‘lIftd her, iimi suddenly he Wmi izmiltrn liy a sense iil infinite ii:irlni~:4s, Youtli.-yiiuilil slit ms aiming to the iiiiit-i. Ili- HIIW her climb um fllizht nl step»; to the terrace, and iitiiiid thuro luokiiig

- .l. HUM] joi l\.\‘\

(\.\‘Aiii,\N

COMFO RT

tnwiirds the hike. Her singing ceased. Shr PM ll" hands behind her heud rind clasped them, iind stood at ease. He supposed that the world sec-med fresh nnil exquisite to her.

He watched her turn and walk across the Ml"l'flt‘t!. She was dark and slim, with one of those very white skins, 5| vivid. liiiscime creature. All her ‘movement; were lieautilul. And suddenly her eyes lilted to his window. She saw him there. She seemed amused, and herglnncewiisfriinkancljncund.Almostitsnid “Hrallti, alrl thirigl Whnt a solemn fate we've gotl~I m jolly hungry...

They met at lunch. That is to say they found them- selves at neighbouring tables under the lime trees. Slit‘ was alone. but quite uliviously ready to runounru that state. The season wns young, nnd the whole l.El‘l'i|l'G theirs. save for two elderly women with camera! nnd Buedeker». Franz the head wuiter,i1n(li1youLliin nwhiti: apron, seemed to regard her table as pnrticularly im- portnnt.

It was Fritz who introduced them, Fritz the hotel dachshund wziddlinrz out to shiire in pusiiilile luncheon daintiai. Ile txiu seemed nitrsreturl to the young tliiniis

tahleliut he did not forget to turn intorizitml hrown eyes on Ferrers.

Hcsiit up to hair. "0, you greedy old darling." Ferrei: was prepnring to tempt him with ii lrziigmiaiit

of prirk chop. Ills eyes met the girl’i< iinil they smllwi “L um-h rither.

"No nflecuitinn iihnut Fritz."

"Yrs, rnthur refririhiniz, isn't it? inhibitions."

Iler smili: heviime chullenzlnu.

"Thiit’ii itn Iiutuiiln iiizo wnril."

"Just how7"

"0, l‘l|An'|l)4'|' iwvun iihrie, izcannrnim, and high, linlil {i

Hv lnuighizil,

"wiilil prefer SpOnl.iIrIl’|ly7"

" s ,—riithr-r! Did on ever tiis l' . n lliirk chop? \Vhiit'ii Fntzythink iiliiiutliflfl "J: This iiiiiac mi'|l(('!4 mm It-‘El mi ultiriiiuiily '

Slit‘ mu ii mmit iattrnvtlvri. i'l'Pnl.|H'r‘,‘:"?:(i?‘g’::iw:f:u]

No triiulili-mime

iinrl the Lunilon sclimil rif iri?lir-iiidiil"

if a little restless. Her red lips seemed to (]]’l(‘I'l iit lifi» llkl‘ ii cherry.

He said~“It's n wonderful sprilz. It l'rI(|li(‘h_ you fur-l that you have get mixed up in the prelude to Tristiin llnrl Isuldii.—I think I heard you singing."

Iler glnnce was mischievous.

"Probably. It was most disgrncefully nnkorl.”

"I rather thought we had outi;roivn—siiuh— "

"I.-zn’t {Bitter Sweet’ tihririlute petticnut'I Blue Diinulie rind i.ill thiit7 Yes, I like it. 0, yes, Frzinz. I'll hiive u jrim nmelutte."

Fritz, feeling himself just zi little out of the rlli"lllI'(', put his paws on her knees.

"Dnrlin;:,—iiren't we piiying you ‘riulI~—’toiil,iiin‘l — By the wny. don't think me awfully forwiiril, liui, I'm sure I huvo seen you liulurv."

"I don't think so."

“0, yes. I hiivc, on ii iilatfnrm iinil ln lliv [)ll])1‘l“‘i. You made quite ii nice little iipetmli iii; tlivi lust Vvniiiiinii .-ihuw."

Ills fiice izrow at-riniis.

"Wt-ll, put. ll niimra to it "

"What about ‘Morals & Miiyfnir’!‘ I liuvv izill ill" Germiin edition uiisitiiirs."

lle liiuglied; he was pleimed.

“You rend it in German?”

"You."

"It iii :1 liiid hunk. It n1UHl.lJl‘1!V(‘I|WAil'*4L‘ iii (‘.i=i'iii.Hl- Why do you read it in (‘iurmiiri‘l"

"\Vliy’l~—Snw it in ii Munirli not one Ill your iimi. "

_ llo knnw thiil. she wiiii right, lrir it was lllt.‘ liiiiilc Lil 2| tiri-rl mnn, ii miin who wit-«i i:r<i\virii,v nlrl.

Ilia Hlllil —“Wnl|, you hiivr- mi- liilii-llml. Anil lir-ri-'-i ynurjltm l'IfTlI"lt‘ll.l‘. Wliiit. iilmut ii'1"

Sliv .-irnilml lit the Hlilllfi Friinz.

"ml-‘I l"|lF|'- lllctllrflél, or try to. Lnlzi ZlTl|lt1l‘l‘lillll\. My izriinrlfiilliur wiui ii llun. YI‘-‘I, I llllll ll tliini: iii i.lI(‘ A"“'l“’“Y l"-"ii Year. Tlint’-I .‘l|.l])[!f)fil‘ti tii ll|‘ (llt<l|1lJHllIl)!i i~<ii't it? Wlint Wm! mun. ii,_.,u“_..um:, nu Om. i,,,u“i,L ii.

But i.l\l‘<l rimvlritti-— is — m:ir\-..ii,,,,., --

Tllz\T Wl.L‘4 tlin l)('KlYIl|llI imiirrswiuin til’ ll(' I||ld1|l)|DL|l1 riirliirv t

l)n()lt~filiUp. in-4. M

;: of it. iiiiil [Il*I‘ll‘i|[)H I-‘i-ri'-‘H’ r wns likn ii first )IllYI|[i‘<l!‘ «if HUHH‘ liiit priivukml his more s-iilivr i«'Ii<*‘

’. i 4 i l

imprnw lengnrl desire 2‘ her irlri was lIl(I Bes H(‘l'in\l‘! within more tl urudcsr Iler innrlp l‘ yours li Slit‘ She i|"f'l'1|i‘('. IU her ii. (I iliig, zi wiisi iin Shr- Lionel. “Ili llrr niiitrli i Ln lioizii "(Iii Slit! him dii drew a mE1l(lOV iviinil sl was Rlli llr- miir iii the nnsitrilsi She piiiitini: "I'll ('|l(N." lli- I ll|*lif4‘.‘{\ "Itii lloi liui. llf‘|‘