Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-12-24

Philo Ames shivered Slightly as the
club doors swung to behind him. The
contrast between the warmth and the
brightness, the noise and laughter of
the place he had just quilted with the
cold, the darkness and the stiffness of
the scene he surveyed, had in it sufi-
cient elements of depression to chill
even one less lightly susceptible to ex.
ternals than Philo Ames. He stood for
a few seconds irresolutely on the
threshold. Should he think better of
1T, he asked himself. and return to the
mirth. the comfort and the companion
ship he had just abandoned! His host
had approached him when he left with
the SevereSt reproach that Lord Lance
lot ever addressed to 4 guest. the re-
ptOach of being a "Quitter." one who
quilted too early the society of his fell
lows and the triune INVESTIGATIONS of
wine. tobacco and wit. He knew that
IL he chose to return his comfades Of
three minutes ago would welcome him
with enthusiasm, that Lancelot would
smile an approval tempered with irony,
and that one other might be added to
the sum of enjoyable hours. But even
while he hesitated, toying with tempta-
ton. he shrugged his shoulders at his
vacillation and decided to face the
night. The dinner had been very pleas
ant; that was so much to the good.
14ancelot was king Of hosts; the COM
pany had been quite to his taste; the
.gered. dreamiest of drowsy syrups. on
4, ,no1af0 nd N hiS mind All
been well; it might not have proved
better if he had loitered longer with the
Lancelot fellowship. And, besides be-
sides there was always that bit of pa
per, which might after all, mean some
thing.
He read it liver again in memory as
he stood there. with his back to the
brightness of the club hall. With his
face to the darkness and the discom-
fort of the embankment. 1t was a
small piece of paper, obviously the half
of a sheet that had been torn carelessly
off, and it came clumsily folded up in
an envelope of a size and shape des-
tined for a quite different kind of pa
per. But the note inside was written
on letter paper of an attractive sim
plicity: and the writing was in q
w0man's hand that had distinction,
that carried boldness of script almost
TO exaggeration. All it said was: Can
YOU be seen on the embankment at
midnight on Christmas eve, near Cleo
patla's Ncedie:" That was all, but the
few words. with their large black
strokes and bold curves, filled the page
from corner to corner. Philo Anes
had smiled as he read it.
He had received some curious letters
in his time, but none, as it seemed to
him, quite so curious as this in the cool
simplicity of its peremptoriness. At
first. after smiling at it, he was for
tearing it in two and forgetting all
about it. But something fascinating
in the handwriting restrained his fin
gers. The letter could not be answered.
SO he might leave for later decision the
temptation, which seemed suddenly al
most a desire, to obey his unknown
correspondent. He was dining with
Lord I4ancelot at the st. Stephens club
ON that day. Did the writer know that,
Philo wandered, in naming the en-
banklnent for the mysterious tryst?
This possibly added to the interest.
The thing might be a joke, might be 4,
Philo k1nes had put the letter in his
pocket eelling himself that he would
think about it.
He crossed the road, and. pausing
for moment, looked UP at the moon
face of the clock tower. 1t wanted
three minutes to II. He turned away.
and, leaning over the parapet, looked
into the blackness Of the river below
him. It's aspect chilled him, it seemed
so still and cold and desolate; indeed,
4 shirt of deSOlatiOn seemed to be over
the whole place.
His way was uneyentful for the first
few hundred yards. The highway
seemed absolutely deserted and the