Show alie luck of a venus day by mary golles copyright by josep bowles I 1 I 1 waa never more surprised in than when about a month ago frani 2 c aae rushing into mi offee in his old johua off hand way and after a crus ng hadj shake began to tamble my capers about and play with my ke s j it as naturally cs c s if he haan hadn t been in south africa for the last three deais out of everybody s leach and almost out of g mind it ta ariy riy made me feel e a bo again to see frank sitting there tell 15 bis adventures he had led a roving life back and forth between chill and peru it seemed seizing every golden opportunity for trade now with united states goods and now with na alve a amends and he had something to do with that great railroad that leaped a mountain gorge planned b one of his own countr s engineers frank had made a fair fortune by it all in ingo s and ducats and all man ner of foreign reckoning and here he was a fine bronzed te low of 29 in the very glory of life all the drudgery done with the v orld before him where to choose meanwhile I 1 had had my own little history and frank wanted to hear all that the ill paid clerkship the love in a cottage the starting out at last in a small cautious b illness of my own the hopes the tears and the dear borne reigned over by my own gertie and tiny tot our precious youngster I 1 invited frank stay and go up to dinner with me tf see my household gods tor himself but no he was in a great hurry to leave the city meant to go off by the next train up to a little village some two hundred miles distant where some of his folks used to live that seemed as much like home as any place he said and he was restless must eo at once he was in glorious spirits took the most cheerful view of me told me not to be aged there was a good time coming yet and so in all the bravery of good fortune off he went and I 1 heard no more of him till last thursday on thursday he came into my office again and all his good spirits seemed to be dashed out of him he sat down in a languid way kept star ing out of the window as it he gasn wasn t interested in anything said he found his aunts still up in the village hut it was a confounded dull little place in fact everything seemed lonesome and strange to him and he meant to go back to chill first chance or to peru I 1 suggested to him not to be dis cou raged there was a good time corn ing yet but he deigned no answer and sat there smoking one cigar after another looking as aimless and gloomy as a perfectly well man can ever possibly look I 1 went on posting my books and wondering what could have happened to cut the poor fellow up so when business was over I 1 urged him to go home to dinner with me for I 1 thought maybe a sight of gertie and tot would cheer him up a little he held back some but I 1 took him along with me finally gertie was at the window watching with her boy in her arms and came to meeta us welcoming esterhazy as charmingly as possible frani Is too gentlemanly a fellow to be morose before ladies so he made himself agree able and really got into quite a frolic with tot after dinner but when the child was sent off to bed then the melancholy look deepened down in his eyes again and that combined with his winning deference and ready kind ness completely won gerties sym pathy and she exerted herself to make the evening pass pleasantly to him oh dick exclaimed gertie with one of her coaxing smiles fc peaking of pictures just reminds me of some thing you haven t much to do to morrow ou 1 now you haven t and why won t ou tal e me aio md to the different picture galleries 9 I 1 demurred a little thinking of some possible business emergencies I 1 m sure a day out will do you good said gertie getting in earnest seeing beautiful things improves peo pie and I 1 am sure we ought to want to be improved she said this with a philosophic air that overcame me and J consented in my heart willingly enough to go art hunting the next day always providing that the sun shone I 1 asked frank esterhazy Ester bazy it he wouldn t join us and gertie seconded the imitation warmly I 1 don t know much about pictures he said smiling at her but a day such friends will be a pleasure plea suie in itself I 1 have business trips to mal e n two or three directions to prosecute some inquiries but friday Is an unlucky day to start on a jour ney they say so I 1 believe I 1 will stop over 24 hours and go sight seeing with you I 1 don t know but I 1 am be ginning to be superstitious I 1 don t see why friday shurld be unlucky said gertie lightly it Is really venus day you know the lady of love so the next morning at ten clock esterhazy dropped into my office and a few moments after gertie put in an appearance looking like a sweet little daisi A few blocks off lay the build ing occupied by the school of design and I 1 remembered that visitors were free to enter it at that hour I 1 men tinned it to gertie then let us go in there first she exclaimed enthusiastically and we shall see all their original drawings they make some of the most exquisite designs you ever saw people tell me and there are some young women there who have a wonderful talent anything to kill time said ester hazy so in we went there were not many of the an students present that day and ot thoe who were very fe seemed to rj e us ve v betly of the der boulders at the vine beneath g cam to wl fol containing an immense number of designs tar car ets and or will laper these explained the teacher are d ne by such young ladles as wish to earn money at once tor their work copies of the best are taken bj manufacturers who pay lib PI all i we turned them over with some in erest politely examining them with us h die suddenly exclaimed gertie arresting the turning leaf lock heie is the very original of our coining glory wall paper and see ho v beautifully it is done every touch of that crayon was inspiration yes remarked the teacher that is quite a favorite pattern the manu tac tells me it was done two years ago by a poor young girl who had but recently entered the school she has executed some very fine things since then where is shea ed esterhazy in an unsteady voice and as I 1 glanced at him in surprise I 1 saw that his eyes were luminous with feeling the girl eleanor holt it Is not her hour yet she comes at eleven implied the teacher simply I 1 knew her once I 1 should like to see her said frank whose bronzed face was fairly growing pale with ex cit ement certainly sir said the obliging teacher loader is our reception room it you will take seats there I 1 will speak to miss holt when she comes gertie and I 1 followed frank to the reception room in mute amazement but gertie s womanly instincts were on the alert and she gave me a mean ing triumphant glance as we took our seats frank evidently in the utmost suspense took out his watch the hand pointed to 11 I 1 am afraid we are in the way whispered gertie in my ear A moment more and there entered a young lady a young lady with sweet shy face and brooding brown eyes she did not know who wished to see her and glanced inquiringly at gertie and me and then at esterhazy he looked like a man in a trance nellie he cried reaching out his arms oh frank gertie and I 1 turned short about and went back into the drawing hall where we turned over portfolios for a full halt hour and did not grudge it at the end of that time frank beck boned to us from the reception room and we joined him there to be intro deuced to the dearest girl in the world I 1 d lost her you see said frank radiantly but she shant escape me again the morning glories did it frank went on to explain I 1 never knew much about pictures anyway but nellie always used to be drawing and the very last time I 1 saw her she was sketching morning glories so much for the luck of a venus day I 1 never saw a more cheerful fellow than frank esterhazy is now he says life is a wonderful blessing and that people never ought to corn plain and he has given up the idea of going back to peru among the rev and earthquakes he Is to be married you will understand and gertie is in a perfect flutter over eleanor tor six weeks is such a little time to get ready in she says |