The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-27

No one except Harry Bancroft would
have undertaken the quest, but Harry
was not as all other men. His father,
having reached the financial position
when he could afford the luxury Of an
eccentric son, often chuckled over the
fact. His mother, who Frustrated her
self daily before the altar inscribed
THE Right Thing" grieved over his
conduct, secretly and openly, little
dreaming that she owed her social DO
sition to her sons genius for doing the
unexpected, and daringly original
rather than to her husbands mere
millions. Society-with a capital s.
will condescend to be amused when it
scorns to be fed.
The quest started in a Fifth ave-
nue. stage on the night of the Spencer
Jones cotillion. The Bancroft horses
were in use, Mrs. Bancroft and Helen
having invited the Courtney girls to
share their box at the Metropolitan.
Harry had telephoned the club, only to
learn that there was not a hanson on
the stand. So there was nothing for it
but stage, and Harry signaled the
numbering vehicle with growing sense
of Irritation at Mrs. Spencer-Jones for
having selected a Calve night for her
cotillion, and at the pervehsity of cabs
for invariably being scarce on stormy
nights.
The stage plunged forward Just as
he reached the top step, and he rasp-
ed the crown of his hat as he was
precipitated through the narrow door.
His scowl deepened as, with one i'm
maculately gloved hand he smoothed
the nap. Bancroft had always held
that while clothes might not make the
man, his hat certainly stamped his at
tire. He gave one last critical glance
at it's polished surface, set in firmly,
squarely on his head, and once more
looked the world in the face.
And such a face as the world turned
toward him at this particular moment
in the dim light of the swaying stage.
Oval, almost classical in its outlines,
under satiny coils of deep gold hair of
that tint which only Dame Nature,
past-mistress of coloring, can spin.
Dark brown eyes that might be melt
ingly tender, but which just now we're
dancing with amusement at his too
obvious annoyance. And lips that were
gentle even in their mirth.
Bancroft, the fastidious, noted even
the dress, so inconspicuous that no
single detail stood forth. Seeing that
she had attracted his attention, the
girl flushed slightly and her face turn
ed expressionless. But not before
Bancroft, raising his glance from the
tails on her great fox boa to the COILS
of spun gold under her brown velvet
hat, caught the delicate flush as II
passed, and, looking, he was lost.
d. If Helen did not know this girl II
was her sisterly duty to make the ac-
uuaintance on the morrow. Girls must
know how to manage these things. Ii
only he knew her name or address"
Then the province which tenderly
guards children, fools and lovers, IN
Tervenedl. A middle-aged woman
clambered into the stage. There was
q joyful meeting, from which the OBJ
servant Bancroft gathered that the
newcomer had once taught Miss Dl-
Vinity, and was greatly surprised 10
meet her in New York. She called
the girl Alicia, or Miss Bronson, &C
cording to the emotion Of the moment,
and the younger woman, In turn, oHer-
ed the information that she ana
papa" were stopping at a quiet put
Fashionable apartment hotel near
Washington Square.
Under cover of smoothing his mus
kache, Bancroft conned the name and
address several times. Then sudden
terror possessed him. His memory,
Alway treacherous, would lose It's
grip on that address before he reach
cd the coat room at Sherry's. In des-
peration. he ran through the pockets
of his top coat and found the stub OF
q, dance card pencil, but no scrap or
paper. With a guilty air, quite lost
on Miss Divinity, who was chatting I'M
concernedly with her companion he
Kcribbled the address on the while silk
lining Of his hat, and carefully turned
the band back over the teil-tale words.
Then he woke up to a realization that
he was seven blocks below his destl-
nation, and, with a last lingering look
at Miss Divinity, he plunged into the
Snky blackness of the night.
Two hours later he looked up to
find his hostess studying him Curl
ously.
Something on your mind, Harry?
Eyes, something pleasant" he re-
piled, spinning her jeweled fan, Ike
an ivory dervish, on the palm OF his
hand. "You would laugh IT you
knew"
Tell me, then, quick! I want to
Taught"
"That is just why think had bet
ter not tell you. l don't want you to
laugh at-this!"
Soon after he slipped away. Some
how he wanted to get to the club,
where there might be some chaps OF
the sort who did not receive cards to
the Spencer-Jones affairs, but who
knew about pretty Western girls
whose fathers put up near Washing
ton Square.
He found the smoking room at the