The Monitor-register., 1897-09-24
A ROBBERY A UP.

| - AsO0oXi4k VAGA06O Oxs
1t was a wet night. The outer hotel
doors were closed, but the brilliantly
lighted Office was filled with elegant
loungers, reading or conversing indiffar-
emily. The click of q new-somer's iron
clad heel broke sharply In upon the
languid hum Of voices. The voices
ceased, and the stranger, finding him
self observed, q~uiokened his pace nerv-
ously.
He wore a long, light.colored great
coat, unbuttoned at the chest, showing a
checked suit, and a light blue tie which
accumulated the stiff, uncomfortable cut
of his COLLAR; his brown crush hat fitted
his smoothly curled head a trife loosely;
his tan gloves were of the lightest shade
and finest made, therefore singularly out
of place for travelling on a wet night.
One of the loungers had the curiosity,
when the man was gone, to look at the
register; he read: John Halstead
Cleevor, Cureo, Texas" The writing
no ROoA ~ Oh 1Ao ktAOD auu W as
oramped into half the allotted space.
Something new and original p he
commented, lighting his cigar and re-
Stunning the indifferent conversation in.
%terrupted by the man from Cuero.
The next morning the stranger came
down to a late breakfast; but his pres
ence, In the continual ebb and flow of
human life caused small comment. Some
ono fippantly remarked on his appear.
Ance, then the others noticed that his
clothes, though of good cut and ma
terial, fitted indiffsrently. His necktie,
as on the preceding night, was pale blue,
and a small diamond sparklsd In Its
| spoosless folds. He had q pleasant, dark
face, good eyes, inclined to droop like a
woman's under too bold inspection, a
manner not unpleasing. but self con.
scious to a painful degree. At breakfast
he sat stihy erect and ate sparingly,
| closely remarking the table manners of
others. He was seated opposite the
man who had looked at the register the
night before, and this manly name
Ravenhurst-was inclined to enjoy the
situation at Oleevor's expense: but he
made the first friendly advances which
were gratefully received.
After a few days In Ravenhurst's oc-
c%asional company, Clsevor lost much of
his painful restraint conversationally,
and made earnest Inquiries as to the
social demands of the s'smart set'' which
he evidently desired to enter.
SIS 1t trus," he asked one morning,
shat the only icket of entrance a man
needs to get on in New York society is a
check ?" i"4-la-
Ravenhurst laughed covertly.
"a check and the grace to handle it,"
he answered.
Oleevor pondered the saying thought
fully. The sage remark strengthened
his regard for Ravenhurst. 1t had been
noticeable from the first that the man
from Cuero was favorably impressed
with the fine manner and elegant ap- |
PS@A"hSO VI bAO AlOIp WV was o
thorough-going man of the world; hand
some, affable, fascinating, he gave the |
casual observer an exalted Impression of
supremac yand studied nonchalance. His |
business was known only to himself.
Soon Cleevor began In an unoffensive,
half-pathetic way to initiate this man of
fortune through motives of sinceresu ad.
miration; he brought up the subject of
money VS.. Rnessee" at an early oppor.
tunity.
~ have come to New York to enjoy |
myself" he declared. 81 am prepared
to pay for my pleasure; the next thing is
to know how to begin-to get a start"
"Yss," assented Rsvenhurst, with the
utmost gravity. "If you are bound to
get In with the swell set you'll find a
few drawbacks at the start certainly-it
would take time for instance; but you
are young; time is probably no object |
with YOU"
The man next to Cleevor smiled uu-
disguisedly, and his smile spread
rapidly around the table. RAvenhurst |
played absently with his fork, but
Cleevor looked up the row of men at his
right, then at his friend, who s~tudiously |
avoided his gaze, PLAINLY something had
been said to his disadvantage, his face
flushed slowly from his smooth cheeks
to the roots Of his dark hair, but he kept
his ground, finishing his meal in silence,
then rose without further comment.
glove p Ravenhurst laughed between
closed teeth. "He's learning !"
That night, meeting Cleevor wander
ing aimlessly In the halls, Ravenhurst
invited him cordially to his rooms to
smoke. Cleevor hesitated with the
difidence Of a bashful boy. but the man
Of the world overcame his objections |
very gracefully.
"Talk over your plans" he said, with
a charming show Of interest; ''perhaps 1
can give you a few points"
"What I want" said the young fellow, |
seating himself at his usual correct
angle, sis to see the world. I've worked
pretty hard in my time; 1 consider my
self entitled to a holiday. 1 want to
get In with a good set hers-the best you
know-where the follows are gay and
sporty, the ladies stylish and handsome"
Ravenhurst smiled family and nodded
assent, In his sleeve he laughed violent
ly, and dared not open his lips to speak,
but Cleevor awaited his reply with alb
surd gravity.
"That's it," he was forced to say,
shut the money You don't know New
York. What you'd call a fortune in
Cuero Is rank poverty here.'
Swell, you see 1 have my fathers
business interests to back me; he's a
shoe manufacturer on a large scale. l
ought to make money on that If l am
worth anything in the business line, for
l know there is lots of money in It. l.
have samples, by the way, of the finest
thing in shoe leather, and would be
pleased to show them to you If you take
any stock in those things-perhaps you
don't, though? Icould make up for a
couple of months idling by hard work in
the future, couldn't I ?"
Sand in the meantime, before the
money comes In ?"
"I've thought of that, too. I have
some cash, Of course, and I could draw
at any time to the amount of ten thou !
sand dollars: Ny uncle, Joseph Cleevor,
is worth half q million-president Of the