Show 7 y y Y v na ly a u ss a BE RAY WAETER J P 1909 r oooo AD D ly coi aay arr CHAPTER I 1 the threshold of adventure tho the roar of state street filled the ears cars of robert orme not unpleasantly llo iio liked chicago felt towards the western city something more than tho the tolerant patronizing interest which so eo often characterizes tho the eastern man to him it was waa the hub of genuine americanism young aggressive perhaps a bit too cocksure but ever bounding along with eyes toward the future hero here was the city of great beginnings the city of experiment experiment with life hence its incompleteness eness an incompleteness not dissimilar to that of life itself chicago lived it was tile the pulse of the groat middle west arnio watched the procession with clear eyes lie iio had boon strolling southward from tho the masonic temple into the shopping district tho the clangor the smoke and dust the hurrying crowds all worked into its hla mood the expectation of adventure was far from him nor was he a man who sought impressions for amusement whatever came to him he weighed and accepted or rejected according as it was valo valueless oless or useful whole come lie ho was any one might infer that front from his taco face doubtless his fault lay in his overemphasis on oil tile the purely practical but that after all was it a lawyers fault and it was counterbalanced by it a sweet kindliness toward all the world ft a lovea love bloness which made for him it a friend of every chance acquaintance I 1 it ft was well along in tho the afternoon and shoppers were hurrying homeward ormo orme noted the fresh beall beauty ty of the women and girls chicago has reason to be proud of her daughters and his heart beat a little faster not that lie he was a man mail to be caught by every pretty stranger but ly recognized by himself there was it a hidden spring of romance in his practical nature heart free lie he never met a woman without wondering whether she eho was the one lie ile had never found liar her ho he did not know that he was looking for liar her yet always there was waa tile the unconscious question A distant whistle the clanging of gongs the rapid beat of galloping hoofs alro engines cn alnes were racing down the street cars stopped vehicles of oil all kinds crowded tn in toward the curbs ormo orma paused and watched the fire horses borscs go thundering by their king char charloes cna riots lots swaying behind them rind and dropping long trails of sparks small boys were running men and women were stopping to gaze after the passing engines but ormos attention was taken by something that was happening near by and as tho the gongs and tho the hoot hoof bents beala grow fainter ho be looked with interest to the street beside him lie ile lad had got ns as fur far as the lie corner or of madigan street tho the scramble to get out of the way of tho engines had here resulted in a traffic jani jam two policemen were moving about shouting orders fur for the disentanglement of 0 the street cars and vehicles which seemed to be inextricably wedged together A burly irish teamster was hollowing at hla his horse the hind wheel of a stuart smart barouche was caught in the fore wheel of a delivery wagon and the driver of tho the delivery wagon was expressing his opinion of the situation in terms which seemed to embarrass tile the elderly gentleman who sat in the barouche ormes ormea eye traveled through the outer edge of the dis als tur bance and sought bought its center there in the midst of the tangle wag a big black touring car its one occupant was a girl and such a girl ifer her lawn fawn colored cloak was thrown open her face was ormo was thrilled when lie ho caught the glory of tier her face the clear skin browned by outdoor living the demure but regular features the eyes that seemed to transmute and reflect softly all impressions frocil without ormo orme had never seen tiny any one like lier so nobly unconscious of self so appealing and yet so calm she wits was waiting patiently filter interested lit in the clamor about her but seemingly undisturbed by her own part in it ormea eyes did not leave liar her face ile he was merely one of a crowd at the curb unnoted by her but when after a time lie became aware that lie ho was staring tie he felt the tha blood rush to his cheeks checks arid tie he muttered what a boor I 1 arn am and then nut but who can she be who can she be bea A policeman loll ceman made his way vay to the black cir car ornia orma saw him speak to the girl saw baw hei hat brows knit and he quickly threaded his way into the street IM ills action was ns barely con but could havo have stopped him at that moment have to come to the station miss the policeman was as saying but what have I 1 done ller was broken music youve violated the traffic regulations and made all this trouble thata w hat bat youve done im on oil a vory very important errand she began and 1 I 1 cant help that miss you ou ought to hive have had some orto ono with you that knew the rules tier her eyes were perplexed and she looked about her as if for help for a moment ler her gaze fell on an orme who was close to the emans elbow now ormo orme had a winning and disarming smile without hesitation lie he touched tho the policeman on the shoulder beamed pleasantly and said pardon me officer but tills this car was forced over by that dray she was on oil the wrong side ro re turned the policeman after a glance which modified his first intention to take of fence she had no business over here it was wag cither cather that or a collision my aly el was scraped as jt was waa she too was smiling now tho the policeman pondered ile he liked to be caned called officer lie ho liked to be smiled upon and tho the girl to judge from tier her manner and appearance might well wel be the daughter ot of a man of position well lie he slid said after a moment bo be more careful another urne time lie ho turned tinned and wont went back bach to his work among tho the other vehicles covering the weakness of his surrender by a fresh display of angry till nu tho dhority rity tho girl gave a little sigh of relief nud and looked at ornic orme thank yoli she said then he remembered that lie did not know this girl can I 1 bo be of further service lie ho asked no silo she answered I 1 think not M C aw 2 V r IL I 1 orme lifted his straw hat from his hl head V out but thank you just the same 11 she gave him a friendly little nod and turned to the steering gear there was nothing for it but to go and orme returned to the curb A moment later lie ho saw the tha black car move slowly away and he felt as though something sweet and fine were going out of his life it if only there had been some way to prolong the incident lie he knew intuitively that this girl belonged to hla his own class any insignificant acquaintance might introduce them to each other and yet convention now thrust them apart sometime he might meet tier her indeed he determined to find out who she was and make that sometime a certainty lie ile would prolong his stay in chicago mid and search society until lie ho found her no one had bad over ever before sent such a thrill through its his heart lie ile must find her become tier her friend perhaps hut again lie he laughed to himself what a boor I 1 am after all she was but a passing stranger and tho the pleasant reverie into which his glimpse of her had led him was only a reverie the memory of tier beauty and elusive charm would disappear its hla vivid impression of 0 her would bo be effaced but even while lie he thought this lie ho found himself again wondering who she was and how he be could find tier her lie he could not drive lier ter from his mind meantime lie he had proceeded slowly on lits his way suddenly a benevolent white bearded man mail halted him with a deprecating gesture excuse me sir hir he began but your lint hat orme lifted his straw hat from ills his head A glance showed him that it was disfigured by a great blotch of black grease ile ho had held his hat in his hand while talking to the girl and it must have touched her car at a point where the axle of the dray had rubbed so this was his one memento of the incident ile ho thanked the stranger and walked to a nearby near by hatters where a ready clerk cleric set before him hats of all styles ile he selected one quickly and left his soiled hat to bo be cleaned and sent home later offering Ott ering a ten dollar bill in payment lie ho received jn change a five dollar bill and a silver dollar ile he gave the coln coin a n second glance it was the first silver dollar that ho be had handled for some time for or he seldom visited the west theroa theren no charge for the cleaning ean said the clerk noting down ornies ormes name and address arid and handing tho the soiled hat to the cash boy orme meantime was on oil the point of folding tile tho five dollar bill to put it into his pocket hook book suddenly lie he looked at it intently written in ink across the face of it were the remember person you pay this bIsTo tor tho the writing was apparently a hurried bu r scrawl wl but the letters were large and quite legible they appeared to have been written on an uneven surface for there were several jogs and breaks in the writing as aa it if the pen had slipped this Is curious remarked orme tile the clerk cleric blinked his watery eyes and all looked at tho the bill in arinea hand oh yes sir air he explained 1 I 1 remember that the gentleman who paid it in ili this morning called our attention to it i if lies hea tho the man who wrote this he probably know that theres a law against defacing money hut but its perfectly good it inquired the clerk cleric if you want another instead oh no laughed orme the banks would take it dut sir began the tha clerk cleric 1 I should ime to keep it if I 1 cant get rid of it ill bring it back its a hoax or an endless chain device or something of the sort id like to find out cut ile iio looked again at tho the writing puzzles and problems always interested him especially it if they seemed to involve some human story very well said eald the clerk cleric ill re member that you have it mr lie ho peered at the name lie he had set down mr orme leaving tho the hatteras hat ormo orme turned back ack on oil state street retracing his steps it was waa close to the dinner hour and the character of the street crowds had changed the shoppers had disappeared suburbanites were hy by this time aboard their trains and homeward bound the street was thronged thron ged with hurrying clerks and shop girl garla and tile tho cars car were jammed with thousands more all of them thinking no doubt of the same two things something to eat and lelaa tiou coll what a hive it was this great street and how scant the lives of the groat great majority working eating sleeping marrying arid and given tit in war luar ariage bearing children and dying was that all nut bitt growing too said orme to himself growing too would this be the sum rum of his own life that ot of a worker in the gilve it camo came to it him with something of an inner pang that thus far his scheme of things had bad included little more ile iio wondered why he was now lecog mizing this scantiness this lack in hla his life ile ho came out of his reverie to find himself again at the madison street corner again he seemed to see sea that beautiful girl in the car and to heathe music of her voice how could lie best set about to find tier her she might be like himself a visitor in tho the city hut there was the touring car well she might have run in from on one 0 of the suburbs ile ho could think of no better plan than to call that evening on the willinghams Walling hams bams and describe the unknown to bessle bessie and try to get liar her assistance bessie would divine tile the situation and she would guy him unmercifully he knew but lie would face even that for another glimpse of tile the girl of the car and at that moment he be was startled by a sharp explosion lie ile looked to tile the street there was tile the black car bumping along with one hat flat tire the girl throw on oil the brakes and came to a stop slop in ili an instant ornie orma was to in the street it if ho he thought that silo she would not remember him her first glance altered the assumption for she looked down tit at him with a ready smile and said you see I 1 do need you again after all As for orme lie he could think of nothing better to say than simply 1 I am glad with that lie ha began to unfasten the spare tire 1 I ahall watch you with interest she went on 1 I know how to run a car cai though you might not think it ft but I 1 dont know how to repair one a mans lob job anyway said orme busy now with the jack which was waa slowly raising the wheel front from the pavement shall I 1 get out site she asked does my weight make any difference not at all said orme but nevertheless th eless sho she descended to the street and stood beside him while he worked 1 I know there were all those funny things inside she mused orme laughed ifer her comment was vague but to him it was enough just to hear her voice lie he had got the wheel clear of the street and was taking off the burst tire we seem fated to meet she said orme looked up tip at her 1 I hope you wont think mo me a cad he said bald if I 1 say that I 1 hope we may meet many times iler her little frown warned him that she had misunderstood do you ou happen to know the tom Walling liams he asked ifer her smile returned 1 I know a tom and a bessie wall engham ng am good friends of mine dont you think that they might introduce us its they might she vouchsafed it if they happened to see us both at the same time orme returned to his task the crowd that always gathers was now close about them and there wis was little opportunity for or talk ile HP finished hla his job neatly and stowed away the old tire lire she was in tile the car before he could offer to help tier her thank you again silo she said if only you QU will let me arrange it with the he faltered 1 I will think about it She smiled ile he felt that she was slipping away give me some clue he begged where Is our spirit of roni romance ance 9 she railed at him then apparently re lenting perhaps the next time we meet orme groaned with a little nod like that which had dismissed him at the time of his first service to liar her she pulled the lover and the car moved away tumult in his breast ornie orme walked on he Ife watched the black ear car thread its way down the street rind and disappear around a corner then he gave himself over to hla his own bewildering re lec tiona and he was still busy with them when he found himself at the entrance of the pere marquette Marquet tc ile ho had crossed the rush street bridge and found his way up tip to the lake shore drive almot almost without realizing whither he was going ormo orme had come to chicago at the request of eastern clients to meet halt half way the owners of a western mining property ty when lie ho registered at the annex he found awaiting him a telegram paying that they had been dp de tattled nt at denver and must necessarily be two days lato late besides the telegram there had boon been a letter for him a letter from his friend jack ilax ra ter to whom he had written of his coming coining jack had left tho the city on busin business esp it appeared but he urged orme to make free of his north th side apartment part m nl S so 0 orme left tile the annex and went to the rather too gorgeous is but very luxurious pore where hr he found tint that the staff ind had been instructed Instruct cd to keep heep a celoso oe eve on oil his comfort all tills this had happened but three short hours ago after getting hack back to the apartment ornies ormes first thought was to telephone to kosslo lie ile decided however to wait till after dinner lie ho did not like to appear too eager so he went down to the public dining room and ato ate |