Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-06-03

| hS hioiiSHtdTN annoyance IN Var
ence's face changed TO a look of re-
Elective curiosity.
He said he knew you were at the
theater, and he would wait until YOU
came home" continued the man. dubi-
ously watching his masters face. "He
don't know you've come In, strand
ana / can easily get rid of him
NO matter now. I'll see him-and.' s.
added Clarence with n faint smile, "let
the carriage wait"
Yet as he turned toward the library
he was by no means certain that an in
terview with the old associate of his
boyhood under Judge Peyton's guard
ianship would divert his mind. Yet he
| let no trace OF his doubts nor of his past
gloom show in his face as he entered
the room.
Mr.. Hooker was apparently eXamin-
ing the elegant furniture and luxurious
| accommodations with his usual resent
| ful cnViousness. Clarence had got n
soft thing" That il was more or less
the result of his "artfulness," and that
he was unduly ''puircd up by it, were
in Rockers characteristic reasoning
rs his host smilingly advanced with
outstretched hand. Mr. Hooker efforts
20 assume proper abstraction of man
ucr and contemptuous Indifference to
Clarcncc's surroundings, which should
wound his vanity. ended i'm his lolling
back at full length in the chair with his
eyes on the ceiling. But, remem boring
suddenly that he was really the bearer
Of message to Clarence, il struck him
that his supine position was, from n
theatrical view point, infelicitous.
In his experience of the stage he had
never delivered "A message in that way
He rose awlvvardly to his feet
1T was so good of you to watt said
Clarence courteously
Saw YOU in the theatcr," said Hook
er, brusqucly. "Third row in par
quet. Susy said it was you and had
suthin to say to you. Suthin' you
ought TO know" he continued, with
slight return of his old mystery OF
manner, which Clarence so we'll remem-
bered. You saw her-she fetched the
house with that flag business. Ell? She
knows which way the cat is goin' 20
jump-you bet. l tell You, for all the
blowing of these sccessonists, the
unions goin' to pay Yes, sir!" He
stopped, glanced around the handsome
room and added, darlly: "Mebbe bet
ter than this"
With the memory of Rockers char
acteristic fondness for mystery still in
his mind, Clarence overlooked the in
nuendo, and said, smiling:
why didn't you bring Mrs. Hooker
here? L should have been honored with
her company"
Mr.. Hooker frowned slightly at this
seeming levity. "Never goes out after
a performance. Nervous exhaustion.
Left her at our rooms in Market street.
We can drive there i'm ten minutes.
That's why L asked the carriage to
watt
Clarence hesitatod. Without caring
in the least to renew the acquaintance
of his old playmate and sweetheart.
meeting that night in some vague wav
suggested to him a proyidcntial diver
sion. Nor was he deceived by any
gravity in the message: with his re
membrance of Susy's theatrical ten
denotes, he was quite prepared for any
capricious futile extravaganza.
You are sure we will not disturb
her?'' he said, politely
"No."
Clarence led the way TO the carriage.
If Mr.. Hooker expected him during the
journey to try to divine the purport
of Susy's message he was disappointed.
His companion did not allude 20 il.
possibly looking upon IL as a combined
theatrical performance. Clarence pre-
ferred to wait for Susy as the better
actor.
The carriage rolled rapidly through
the now deserted streets and. at last.
under the directions Of MIR. Hooker.
who was leaning half out Of the win
dow. IL drew up at middlc-class res
taurant, on whose still lit and steam
ing windows were some ostcntatious-
~ public apartments. accessible from
side entrance.
rs they ascended the staircase to-
gcther il became evident that Mr..
Hooker was scarcely more NJ his ease
IN the character Of host than he had
been as guest
lie stared gloomily AZ a descending
.isitor, gruuted audibly an % waiter i'm
the passage, and stopped o.. fore door
where a recently deposited trav dis
played the half-catcu carcass Of fowl.
"n empty champagne bottle. two half
hlled glasses and a faded bolpuct. The
whole passage was rcdolcnt with "a
singular blending Of damp cookipy
stale al On r.ffr err,I... OIL .t.....4