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Show Synopsis of Preceding Chapters. a N'T HO NY WEST and his friend. Joe Sholburn. both Harvard sonlors come to New York to spend the holidays. Eluding jf iWji&S J'- Top ami his sporty companions, Anthony takes Grace Thomas, -ilM,Vy ' 'p v t& a proltv telephone girl, w hom he has met at the hotel, out to dinner. jP . , later he escorts hor to ber home, where he passes a delirious hoiw f hi 1 ';fJ with her arms about his neck and her kisses on his lips The next . "VX j W morning Anthony is awakened by a telegram calling htm home he- a V j L , cause of his mother's serious illness . VxA 1 Anthony's father had hepn the founder and editor of a llnlo s S; ' oV ? I v newspaper which became famous throughout the country, but neither ' SjSSM f I Ml . the call of wealth or fame could persuadi him to leave tlx 1 1 1 euro 23ik ,Vo 1 i- jHg ", lHr Nebraska villasre where lie lived happily with Ms v. i re and son VttlfiHgi Years befoi Mr West had befriended Mm Howard who then after wSm'' '. . ' X (Hftyi w After his mother? death Anthony returns to Harvard to finish MWtS j j ' j$f , his course Then, acting upon Jim Howard's advice, he becomes a CBgflBjfcT;' . ?'RKq I! jh ' 'V ' , .Hp!'.l . '; ' ' --paper reporter In Ne? York Hi? father? reputation pro. r W' ' ( VN k' W'jEfc tre.ii .-distance t,- him. and he soon finds nimself gaining . wide "5SBk knowledge of New York life Hut he la fearfully lonelv, ana one jf irp -$? I-HAPTER IX. Brilliant Prospect. yOUR young men were sitting r" in Jack's restaurant on a sultry evening In September, consuming Wel?h rabbits before dispersing to their homes and to their beds. To be exart. it was nearer morning than evening It was 2 o'clock Tbey were all voung reporters on meaner salaries, and ' all not only hoped but expected to do great things nnd to bp hugely successful. Not one "of them expected ex-pected to remain a reporter always al-ways Owing to the tension and the excitement of their calling thev felt it to be a necessity to forefather, fore-father, even at th? hour in the jay est place thpy could find, regard less of the expense, seeming as it were to draw on their future for tho bills "The bully thins: about this new- paper game" said Douglas Nash sipping at his amber-colored beer. "Is that it Is a training for anything. any-thing. No mnttrr what you're Roini; to do, newspaper work is the 4 g C IS of U " "Yes, If I had a kid," remarked Sam Hughes, a heavy-sot younc man with an early-indulced moustache, mous-tache, "I'd certainly pee to it, whether be went to college or not. that he got a year or two of neus-Hpi neus-Hpi .- paper work "before he started in on his business or profession." "Aren't any of you golnjr to bo newspaper men for keeps''" demanded de-manded Anthony West, his cigarette cigar-ette poised In midair before his lips. "I know I'm not," said Frank Mason, a youth whom Anthony had known but slightly in college, but whom he knew better now. "I am going into magazine work Brat chance I get and try writing plays " "And I'm fussing with law a little bit right now," Douglas Naeh put In mildly. "I see you are." murmured Hughe? under his moustache, intercepting inter-cepting a glance of Nash's toward a pretty young thing In pink who was drinking cremc de menthe in the company of an elderly man. "He's doing a little sociology now," put In Frank Masou "Yery rj- good thing for a lawyer" "The law and the prophetesses, remarked Anthony "Ease off on that." retorted Nash, aiming a finger at Anthony. "You're not the one to throw stones Your glass house may be in Central Park :Jc on dark uights But there are elec- ; Ml trie lights there. And these orbs '1 of mine have lamped you there so recently as last night and not ' alone " fjjjl Anthony still had his habit of flushing. ' What were you doing there? he jSll parried. "Never mind what 1 was doing You can't deny It." ' I can," said Anthony, "but I won't. Not being a budding lawyer I stick to the truth " "Who Is ?he. West?" blandly Inquired In-quired Mason "She's a dream of Nash's," was all he replied. u l" "That's the trouble with this lire" Hughes took up the throad serenely. "This night-hawk llfo when every respectable person's In bed. living in an atmosphere of policemen and," with a wave of the hand, "this; It gets you sooner or later It gets you." "Well, what are you going to do, Sam''" demanded Naeh. "Oh, I'm going into Wall Street " (he young men roared with laughter "Might a? well Join a monastory," declared Frank Mason. "Or a nunnery," added Nash. "Hut vou haven't told us what you're going to do, West," he went on. "You going to Btick to thla game?" --v "Yes," smiled Anthony, " ni going go-ing to be a country editor." Without knowing exactly wny the young men laughed as loudly as before. Somehow the thought of Anthony West as a country editor edi-tor seemed grossly Incongruous to them. Through every pore he ex holed the vivacity and the tone of the great city. " 'The pickle crop has not turned out a? expected this year." " Doug-Ins Doug-Ins Nash began, quoting items of an Imaginary country paper. " 'Joe Rrown is building a new silo in place of the one burned down last month He was Insured I.one may he wave" caught up Mason. " 'Miss Miry Ann Brown had a Shower given her by a number of surprising friends A good time was had by all,' "concluded Hughes. "Say, West." continued DoughiK Nash, "you d better come up to our fiat and let my mother talk to you. She don't believe In tht3 country business. There are hicks enough In this world. It's" New York for mine every time." "Mine, too." chimed Mason and Hughes In chorus, like actors on the stage They paid their checks and the party broke up toward three in the morning Hughes and Mason wont uptown, while Anthony and Doug las Naflh decided to walk down toward Twenty-third street "Night In New York," murmured Nash, squaring his shoulders and sniffing the fresh air as an elevated train hurtled by overhead and yome newspaper vans came rumbling toward them from Herald square. "The plare Ir alive oven q t3 sleep." "Yes," eaid Anthony soberly, "it's meat and drink to me. But it can be terribly lonely, all the same." "It sure can," asoented Nash. "Don't I know It9 Thai's why my mother came on from Cincinnati to live here, so I won't go to the bowwows." f ' ' - "You're lucky I'm pretty much alone here." "That's the devil that is." "That's what drives a fellow to fool with girls in the park, you know," and Anthony gave a short laugh. Who was she'" "Nobody In particular nico enough girl in her way, but" "I see. You come aud tnlk to mother Toll you what. When'? your day off1 Saturday? Well, you come and have dinner with us Saturday. Mothor'a lots of fun-good fun-good sport. So long, then; Satur day, seven o'clock." They parted at Twenty-third alreet, Douglas Nash turning westward west-ward toward tho Episcopal Theological Theo-logical Seminary, near which ho had an infinitesimal flat with his mother. and Anthony walking toward Fourth avenue The night was cooling toward (O) 1040 IntomMnnnl " - . dawn, but the stars still burned. He approached Madison Square, with Its blinking lights and the deeply massed shadows about tho building of the Garden. Tho open space of the square, its wisps or mystery in the shape of trees were dellclously Intimate and refreshing after tho endless cold brick and mortar of the streets. Ho delighted in every aspect of the city, but the loneliness that bo so often suffered was an intolerable fact. He had no roots here Everything, all his relationships, re-lationships, wore touch und go. He knew as yet not one nice woman or girl. No one passed him on. the way young men are passed on by their women folk to friends In strange cities. His affair with the telophone girl. Grace Thomas whero was it all leading to? Ho remembered a moment of ardor whon he had been sitting with her in the nark, clinging to her from roM,,-. Srrlce. Inc. GrrM Pntnl ?rom a door marked 'Private' Liggett himself was issuing with a lady a lady so beautiful and alluring that when her glance rested frankly and caress-ingly caress-ingly on Anthony he was dazzled." the sheer spontaneous craving for affection, thinking that one might lo worse than marry a girl like her. Men of experience and standing sometimes married their stenogra phers on telephone girls. At this moment, however, with tho cold light of the stars before dawn bo recoiled from the, thought. Never theless. he had an appointment with her a few days hence. A twittering, twinkling little woman wo-man was Mrs. Nash, and she held her big son Douglas in thrall as some gny Rennlssanco lady in Italy might have held her young cavallero servente. She smiled upon him as upon a lover, and. In fact, whon Nash wa.s performing tho ceremony of introducing Anthony, ho said: "Meet my best girl the only mother I ever had." "You're In luck," answered Anthony. An-thony. "Delighted to meet you, Mrs Nash." "So you'ro Anthony West," she said, gazing Into his eyes like a girl of the "soulful" variety who has just acquired the art of soul-fulness. soul-fulness. "Why haven't you come to see me before?" "Because I haven't been asked, Mrs. Nash." "DougBlo!" sho called sharply to her son. "What do you mean by keeping away tho nicest of my boys from me? Is that tho way I brought you up?" And she shook tho gray curls on her brow at the culprit in affectlonato Ire. "Como here, Anthony," An-thony," she wout on. "Sk down beside mo and tell mo all about yourself And mind you can tell mo anything " Tills acquulntanco by assault was a little startling to Anthony, but ho warmed quickly under tho old lady's geniality. "An interesting and important n Kishm Bfaarved - life like mine.' he laughed, "it would take too long. Mrs. Nash. Hut I can tell you I'm mighty glad to bo here. This is the first homo I've been asked to in New York." "Isn't It a heartless place?" she twittered "Isn't it" Isn't it? No wonder the boys run after chorus girls and things liko that anything any-thing with arms and lips." "You take my breath away.'' murmured Anthony, anil her son In his deep bass put in "Remember, mother, there aro gentlemen present." "Here! You know your Job!" She threw a terrible look at her eon. "You get the cocktails ready!" It was n, delightful party. They were In the combination living and dining room and could move about In slnglo file only. The furniture was In excellent taste and a dainty touch pervaded the apartment. Everything was in Its place, and even the disorder among tho books on the Hbelf seemed premeditated an antidote against too great regularity. reg-ularity. There was a divan with pillows, a couple of easy chairs, a gato-legged table it was a pocket edition of a home. "Do you know what this lad wants to do in llfo, mother?" said Douglas, arriving with a tray of cocktails. "A country editor! " Mrs Nash leveled a soulful and reproachful glance at the offender. "Why, Anthony West! Don't you go and do anything foolish! Didn t DoUgsie say you were a Harvard man? Is that what you got your Harvard education for?" "What I say, mother." promptod Douglas, "Is this: No country editor edi-tor allvo can v r tiutko more than live thousand dollars a year. Anybody Any-body at all successful in New York can mako at least twenty five thou- sand" li was notable that Douglas Doug-las was the one who used concrete figures Mrs. Nash stooped to nothing noth-ing so crude "I was lunching at I the Ransomes yesterday," sho rattled cheerily aa they sat down M at the little gate-logged table. "You know who they are he's a director of Oxidized Steel and they were talking of a yachting l trip to the Mediterranean just as one might talk of a visit to Staten Island." And she laughed chirp ingly at the gayety and brightness "Mother enjoys vicariously the w-ealth of others. 1 commented her "A positive Inspiration." mur-mured mur-mured Anthony, hardly knowing w-hat to say. "They're people worth knowings that's what I mean," insisted the If. spirited little woman, "oung man I should know the right kind of people." peo-ple." And in the cramped and I serried conditions of the diminutive diminu-tive flat she spoke in general terms of wealth and luxury, of motor cars, country and town houses, of 1 a place in "eociety." A veritable I Major Pendennis was the little lady. With a knowing man-of the-world the-world look she remarked: "If there's anything I hate it's dlnglncss. I hate a cheap man, a fl cheap marriage, a cheap life. 1 1 Luxury, wealth and success were the gods sho worshipped, and An-ihony, An-ihony, under the genial spell, was rapidly becoming convinced that, I when all was said and done, she I was right that wealth and success suc-cess and luxury were those lnallen- I able right3 guaranteed to the proper poople by the Constitution. ' "I certainly need you, Mrs. Nash," Anthony said at parting from her that evening. "I hope fl you will let me come again?" V "Come again! My dear, you'ro adopted!" she cried, taking both his hands "You may kiss me right here," she turned a puffy little j cheek toward him He kissed her w ith'a laugh, and ! as he walked home that n ght he I felt himself more disturbed about his future than ever before. Two things ho told himself he dreaded I more than all the others poverty and dullness. In Little Rapids both were waiting for bim like a pair of familiars. If he remained a ve-porter ve-porter at least one of tho twain was a certainty. The world lay Illimitable before him Yet where was he going' Douglas Nash, with H bis brave little mother to guide and ' inspire him. was heading toward twenty-five thousand a year at .he law. Whereas he, Anthony, was gliding infallibly toward the dlngi- I ness of which Mrs. Nash had spoken with so much abhorrence. He had no one to Inspire him. Adda used to be pretty good at that, he reflected. He wished she wore In New York. In his room. before going to bed, ho was moved to write to Adela. "Dear Adela: "I have beon thinking and wondering won-dering about you. In spito of my busyness I have a good deal of time on my hands in which to think. For though this is tbe greatest, it is certainly also the loneliest city in America. You walk along blocks and blocks, miles in fact, of houses, palaces, apartment houses an immense world of homes, w ith women, moth ers. sisters, sweethearts In them, and they are all somebody else's They all exclude you like so many fortresses. H "I remember how I used to ta'k things over with mother, how I used to brag to you. and you. with eyes sparkling, encou.aglng mo as though you were deeply Interested and the beauty of It was that you were Interested. though I hardly know why For I certainly don't treat my friends very white. I haven't treated you particularly well, when I recall re-call that this is the first letter I am writing you from New York "The truth of the matter is I was pretty badly hit by all that happened at home last Winter, and since my beginning bore in New York 1 havo been working j liko a machine, long and impossibly impossi-bly queer hours, getting what sleep I can during the noisy New York day. "I certainly wish you wero here, Adela, with your sweetness and your genius for friendship. It would mako a big difference to mo. It's a great training I think I'm getting here, but believe mo, j Addle, I'm paying a big price for it. The first and only lady I havo jj 00nMned on Xcxt Paget Continued from Preceding Pane. met hero was to-nigbt, a Mrs. Nash, the mother of ono of tho follows on the paper. I ean tell you It felt good to be inside a nice woman's home. "My best to you and many of thorn. Won't you let me hear from you occasionally" I know I don't deserve letters, but you H used to be great on charity. "Yours,, ANTHONY." Having discharged both his debt and his particular emotion. Anthony An-thony slept soundly that eight and was surprised to be awakened by bis l3iidlady at the unearthly hour of half-past ten in the morning with the message that Mr. O'Brien at the office desired to speak with him on the telephone. Hastily be threw on a bath robe, shuffled out Into the hall and took up the re-celver. re-celver. His Instructions In the usual curt, harassed, but otherwise unemotional un-emotional ton of O'Brien were that he report at the paper's Wall Street office and cover the "Street" until further notice in place of Harris, ansent on sick leave. He was distinguished for greatness great-ness something like that was the first thought that occurred to iilm. Some other neophyte would now CVs doing the rounds of the police stations. He was awake enough - , to be exhilarated Ho hastened to tako his cold shower and to dress with eagerness. Let's see: wasn't there a letter to mail? No. he mailed that Inst night beforo turning in. But he had completely forgotten what he had said in it. "Drop in to Cass Liggett's about N two o'clock." said the Wall Street editor mildly to Anthony, "when the crowd heg'.ns to get bark from luncheon. There you'll hear gos-sip, gos-sip, rumors, anything. Other newspapermen will be there. I They'll jabber. Call up the office from time to t:me" Thn' was all The Wall Street editor was passing ticker tape through his fingers, sitting leisurely in an euy chair near his desk and smoking a fragrant cigar. The ticker ticked on In a strange irregular ruvthra of its own, mysterious, mystic, like the voice of destiny. Anthony stood irresolute for a moment. Two o'clock was re- ji mote. This was onlv half-past eleven. Ho took up the news- 1 paper. "Might A9 well look over yesterday's yes-terday's market," be remarked I (easily, cheerfully, as though of j long habit. ; "So you might, son." replied the editor without looking up He scanned the stock quotations and tho paragraphs attentively, even though they bored him somewhat. some-what. But he knew he muct he-come he-come familiar with them. Then suddenly it occurred to him that he did not know who or what Cass Liggett's was. Had he been an ordinary mortal he might have Inquired of the office hoy, the I editor or another But he was a reporter. To ask an elementary question of that sort was almo3t a crime. Ho fell to searching the telephone directory. His first intuition in-tuition was correct. Cass Liggett & Company were brokers on Broadway near Wall He picked up his hat and walked out. He wasn't going to wait until two o'clock. He glanced back inquir-i inquir-i ingly. No ono stopped him. j "No Flanncry to guide me," he I said to himself humorously, in j reminiscence of a melodrama that jj was blazoned In lurid tints on j Third avenue hoardings, entitled "No Mother to Guide Her." Ob-viously Ob-viously he had received all the I instructions he was going to re ceive from his superior in com mand of the Wall Street office, j Upon entering tho door of Cuj Liggett & Company he shrank j back somewhat from the Intimacy I of the scene. The board occupy- j inrr the whole side of the room, like a blackboard in a lecture-I lecture-I room, was tho dominant feature, j A young man with a belt about his person loaded with green labels, la-bels, as a cartridge belt is loaded with cartridges, was pacing to and fro and substituting new figures while removing old ones from the grooves on the board under the rubrics of tho various stocks. An equally earnest young man was sprawling over a ticker on a fixed B round table, reading the figures j from the tape as it came. It was as though the ticker were apeak- ing In a foreign tongue and the j raucous voice of the youth was interpreting it to the demonstrator demonstra-tor with the cartridge belt: "Steel, a half; Baldwin, fivo-elghths; fivo-elghths; Sugar, a half; Western Union, five. Brooklyn, three-quarters; Erie, seven-eighths; Tcnn-sy. Tcnn-sy. a half." and so on. Ten or a dozen men lolling in chairs facing tho board, some drowsy and some alert, were all attentive to the ceremonial as though much depended on their attention. Still a third young man of this priest-llko phalan stery came gliding toward Anthony. An-thony. "Good morning" His manner was pleasantly business-like. 'Can we do anything for you?" Anthony mentioned the namo of his paper and the young man's demeanor de-meanor promptly changed to almost al-most a family iutimacy. 'Oh, I sec wherc's Harris? Sick! That's too bad. What's your name?' Anthony told him. "Sit down." he ran on. "Make yourself at home." "How's tho market to-day"" Anthony asked with n calmness bordertne on ennui. He had never been inside a stockbroker's office "I think HI stroll out," he said. "Como in after lunch." said his interlocutor. "Thai's tho timo tho rumor factory gets busy," and he laughed. Anthony did not go to No. 71 Broadwa, but back to his office. If tho evening paper boys were after the news then the early editions edi-tions of the evening papers would carry it His own financial editor, edi-tor, moreover, might know something some-thing about it. His boat plan was to keep OlOBQ to tho chair of that financial editor. Ami he war. right Tho editor did know about it. and he told him to writo a "stick" about the rumor, but otherwise to pay no further attention to it. In three days ho was fairly familiar fa-miliar with tho routine, aCQUainl ed with most of the other men covering the Street and living life with a new zest. He spoke easily of the Wall Street geme, of the . the managing editor one evening. "Ought to bo," returned the boss. "His father wa3 an A-l newspaper man out West." 'To Anthony the approbation took tbo form in an unbending from a busy taciturnity in occasional snatches of conversation. Anthony An-thony had a profound respect for that financial editor. He was said to have become a wealthy man in the space of a fow years by sheer soundness of financial judgment. Cass Liggett himself had noticed no-ticed tho young man Once or twice when Anthony was sitting in the customers' room watching tho ritual board, Liggett with his fat face, his eyeglasses, his well-upholstered well-upholstered person and air of importance, im-portance, had condescendingly sunk into a chair beside him and chatted pleasantly. H cr.Iled him What and gave him expensive cigars. ': ..' mmp subconsciousness floated faint pictures pic-tures of Douglas Nash, of little Mrs. Nash, and of Sam Hughes dcclap ing his resolute intention of going Into Wall SI reel at the first opportunity. oppor-tunity. "May be an opening here in a week or so," murmured Liggett, puffing. "Snyder's thinking of making mak-ing a change Think it over, West." Anthony looked at him intently. Liggett nodded his massive, fleshy b( id, and repeated: "Think it over." "All right, Mr Liggett I will." At about seven o'clock that evening, eve-ning, when Anthony was at the office writing a half-column slory of a- broker's bankruptcy and steering steer-ing his pencil amid the tricksy lego-financial lego-financial jargon of quick assets and presumably deal liabilities that wore, nevertheless actively voracious, vora-cious, !race Thomas called him up on the telephone and reproachfully Florida season. Why, you'll be a millionalro by that time," she chuckled, "only think of It! I wish Dougsio had a chance like that." Douglas was not thero that evening. eve-ning. Hut Mrs Nash, like the sport her son described her to be, brought forth some Scotch and soda to eel ebrate tho event. "Aren't you crasy about it?" she sighed. "I'm beginning to be, Mrs. Nosh, thanks to your enthusiasm," he said. "Deglnnlng to be' Don't you daro say a thing like that to me. I know you are wild about it and you ought to be Think of all you'll learn the chances it will bring you'" That was a satisfactory evening for Anthony It swept awa' an lingering doubts in hi6 mind He was glad ho had come to Mrs. Nash. "Yes, Mrs. Nash, I think it's a good thing," he told her soberly. "A fellow ought to try many things. How do I know I am meant to run a country paper? Other people can't decide a thing like that for you any more than they can mako you fall In love with the girl they a WkMk fist Ml ' rt&k. l 'Tie remembered a momenl of ardor when he had beer sitting with her in the par! clinging to her from the shee spontaneous cravir: for affection, af-fection, thinking that one might do worse than marry a girl like her." I before, but being a reporter, to whom all things must seem familiar famil-iar as though they were his own. he could not possibly betray a trace of ignorance "A little realizing going on," the man replied judicially. "Had a good day yesterday, so they're taking profits today" Anthony nodded knowingly. This wa3 evidently evi-dently an axiomatic piece of knowledge he was acquiring, but he could not for worlds show that he had been ignorant of it until now. He glanced at the board again. "Steel a quarter," went on tho raucous voice of the precentor to tho harsh, guttural song of tho ticker, "three-eighths, a quarter, an eighth." "Any other news?" inquired Anthony An-thony with languid casualness. "A rumor that they're going to cut Steel prices," remarked the man lightly. "Some of the evening paper boys have gone up there to ask about it." It was evident that where "up there" was was another an-other piece of elementary information infor-mation that AnthoDy ought to be possessed of He hated to ask. "Have any of them come back?" he finally did ask. "No," smiled the clerk. "The people at 71 Broadway are not in any hurry to glvo out information until they're good and ready." It was astonishing how much you could learn and yet preserve pre-serve your dignity if only you did not seem to try. Anthony rose. . T pools manipulating Steel and Anaconda An-aconda and felt that ha had penetrated pene-trated into the .sert coulisses und tircana of that romantic region. re-gion. For it was romantic to him Tho great names that America held dear had their local habitations habita-tions hero. On any fair morning he could see the bearer of the name of Morgan, or Gary, or Elihu Root walk by to their offices like ordinary mortals. A certain professor pro-fessor onco declared that those were the true poets of our generation, genera-tion, poets in railways, in steel, In iclgantie industries, in vast combinations. com-binations. Perhaps that was the truth of the matter. That opinion opin-ion no longer seemed as bizarre as first it had sounded A passion for knowing people possessed him Ho longed to know those big men and even the lesser men. In each of them were lurking mysterious and infinite infi-nite possibilities for romance, for talk, for far-reaching rulation-ships rulation-ships possibly friendships. To know tho salient characters of the time was to live; to be able to say, "I know him" or "I know her" his youth that had as yet nothing of Its own to stand upon saw a vivid Importance in thoso acquaintanceships. His eagerness and alertness quickened his demeanor de-meanor to a greater liveliness, to a more and more spirited interest in his work and environment. The financial editor noted it. "Qood material thero, boss," ho remarked apropos of Anthony to (C) 5 0'JOInlpmatlo . "What do you think of it?" Liggett Lig-gett nodded at the board on ono occasion "Looks like liquidation to me," declared Anthony with an air of wise insight. "To me too," nodded Liggett "The short side's the winning side just now in my opinion I wonder won-der why," he added indifferently, his sidelong glance riveted on Anthony. "Oh, many factors," responded Anthony, recalling the financial editorial of his chief. "The world is a little overstocked for one thing; then there's labor and the great rise we've had, and so r,n " "I gu'ss that's about right," assented as-sented Liggett, who was a true broker and did little financial thinking for himself. He followed movements. He did not initialo them. Economic phrases had a hvpnotic effect on him. They had no meaning, however, until he saw the results on the ticker lape. Anthony's easy explanation impressed im-pressed him. "Ever thought of going into this game?" asked Liggett casually, emitting cloud of fragrant smoke, his gaze seemingly fixod on tho board. "Yes, I have, Mr Liggett. But I haven't seen tho right opportunity opportu-nity yet " Now, why did he, Anthony, say that? To save his soul he could not havo told Never before had ho even thought of Eitch a thing. Dimly in the murky depth of his rial Feature Sen-Ice. Inc. Great B: i J X reminded him that he was pledged to take her out to dinner that evening eve-ning and wondering whether he had forgotten her. "Sister," she said, in a low. colorless color-less tone which concealed a triumph of diplomacy, "sister is going out this evening and roor mc will be all alone " As a matter of fact he had forgotten. for-gotten. But what ho told her was that his hopes and wishes had been utterly dashed that a prejs of work would keep him grinding until ten or cloven o'clock, and that they must call their meeting off until another and more auspicious evening. eve-ning. He heard tho disappointment In her voice and ho could almost see her wince But ho had a great desire to caN that evening on little Mrs. Nash and to tell her the news of his offer Above all things he needed sympathy. He wanted some one to advise him with enthusiasm to do that which he intended to do For that the mind of Grace Thomas was unavailable. "Why, you darling splendid boy!" chirped Mrs Na3h when ne saw her later In tho evening "That is perfectly heavenly'" she cried, with a generosity of enthusiasm that was more than motherly. And her movements were more birdlike than ever and her gaze more soulful. "I must take you to call on tho Ransomes," she declared. "Too bad they are going off to tho Mediterranean Mediter-ranean in their yacht. Never mind, they'll come back In time for the ntain Kiclita Kcserred. pick for yoti A man has got to follow his o au line " '.'Follow his own well, I should think so!" she bubbled in ner excitement. ex-citement. "Lucky to have the . chance and the ability. And look here, my dear. Don't yo'i go doing anything foolish about marriage, either Why, I'd rather Dougsle ran around with a dozen chorus girls than make the wrong kind of a marriage A girl ought to have something of her own and come from people who have something. You ask ine for advice on that sub Ject when you come to it." and she followed his gaze mournfully about that cramped little room. "I toll you, If I had plenty of monev. I'd know what to do and how to live." "I am sure you would, Mrs. Nash " Anthony murmured. "Well, you are a young man and can get it, so don't you go making any mistakes." Thirs she expounded expound-ed her simplo philosophy, and her haunting regret seemed to be that her son Douglas met with no such opportunities as Anthony. "Do you know, Anthony," she said, almost In awe, "I think you have a star I believe it's your destiny des-tiny to bo awfully successful'" He laughed and said, "You certainly cer-tainly are a joy, Mrs. Nash." The next moruing ushered in one of those brilliant New York Au tumn days when the sun is urbane rather than warm and the air is liko wine The world, no capricious capri-cious child or March now, but mature and settled in October ripeness, ripe-ness, seemed to Anthony as he wrent forth, to be poised and silent, awaiting his decision. A gentle melancholy overcamo him. Tho fnllinc of leaves from the city trees about Madison Square, the Autumnal Au-tumnal tinge in tho air brought back through his senses the memories mem-ories accumulated by many years of habit memories of his child- - '' M' Wa hood, his school life with Its happy, careless gayety, his college life with lusty shouting at games, long walks and track exorcise. The chief responsibilities of his Ufa then wero resting on somebody else. Here and now, however, volition and decision were imperiously demanded de-manded of him. He and he alone must decide to accept or reject Liggett's offer. He and he alone -r" must determine every step in his existence The man had definitely parted from the boy and was in the caddie. "What sort of a man am I anyway?" any-way?" he wonderlngly asked him-celf. him-celf. "Not very good and not very bad," he aimed to be absolutely candid in his view. Then on a sudden he squared his shoulders and stepped out briskly. "Well, whatever it is," he said to himself with a tightening of the muscles about his mouth, "we will go in with the band playing " That was as far as he would allow him- iLEI self to siuk into introspection. It was after ten, and here he was still strolling on bis way to tho Sixth Avenue Elevated to go down ; . town. The comparative freedom of a newspaper man's life filled m him with an antkipative nostalgia. iL' L in r. broker's office he would have 'fl to maintain a strict regularlt of ' fl hours. There would be no loitering loiter-ing of an October morning. The city was lorn up as usual to prove that New York can never grow old. Tho clangor of fire bells startled him and engines with gigantic en- j - ergy came tearing amid the screeching screech-ing wail of sirens to a building on Fifth avenue near Tweniy second street, from which a faint, plume of Fmoke was issuing. A policeman with uplifted arm suspended all other vehicular traffic as if by magic He merely glanced at the B ene as he passed the intersection of Fifth avenue opposite the Flat-iron Flat-iron Building. "I needn't cover that." he thought. That will all be taken care of." The corporate life of the c;i, its MRuir' vast organization enchanted him. J9L9' Then, "Where do 1 came in0" ml- PHkE1 denly occurred to him. He w a-tbo llLl merest dot. a molecule, an atom, and all his young egotism rebelled at his own abysmal Insignificance. RDKg5 "i must be something," sang bis raLRc onng blood within him; "I must amount to something." S He was not obliced to give Lig-gett Lig-gett his answer for some days, but abruptly he determined to an nounce acceptance that dav. after which he would inform the chiefs of the paper of his decision. In the elevated train he found his mind turning toward Adela Gray. St was a wonder for sympathy and tl&MljjlB interest Too bad she didn't live fliiK, here instead of Little Rapids Little Lit-tle Rapids' Nothing could well seem more flat, empty and meaningless mean-ingless to him just thn than Little Rapids. Luckily, he was his own master. Every man can be bis li own master if he wants to be, was his conclusion. From a door marked private, 'P 6ome two or threP beyond the door of the customers' room. Liggett Lmf" himself was issuing in the company of a lady who had hepn calling upon him. evidently a lady so beautiful and alluring that for a moment she gave Anthony the effect ef-fect of a mirror, flashing sunlight 4 in that murky corridor. Her easy carriage, her fashionable clothes. the gleam of her gold mesh bag the modishness of her hat all fpoke of a perfect taste in dress and ample means to satisfy that tasie Liggett Lig-gett nodded to Anthony, and the lady's glance rested upon him so frankly, so caressingly that he all but stopped in his tracks. He was literally dazzled. Positively something some-thing had passed from her eyes into his. In a rich, low voice he heard hM her a3k Liggett: "Who is that young man0' Ho ,J9 forced himself to move to the customers' cus-tomers' door and failed to catch 7 I Liggett's reply. Rut when he sank down into a chair opposite tho board be had the effect of having beheld a miracle. "Who was that lady with Mr. Liggett?" he whispered to Snyder, the ubiquitous shepherd of the cus- ! tomers "Oh." laughed Suvder. happv at the more thought of her, "that was Vllma Vanleer. the former comic opera linger A customer of ours, A peach, isn't she?" "A peach is right." affirmed An- I thpny with emphasis. "Thero is some one I've got to know." IH To Be Continued Next Suncay. ) V Comllht. 1W0. by LIU!.. Brcrn a CC. |