The Washington times., 1905-03-19
CHAPTER II.
Introducing Madame Won Breuaen.

To the born New Yorker of 4 quarter
CO a century ago brownstone front
was sy:nholical of many things, but
particularly of repsectability and a.
comfortable bank account The brown
stone front became a mania. It was as
necessary 10 the citizen OF New York
as coat-of-arms to an English brew
er recently created peer of the realm.
Row after row of trownstone houses
vas erected by tn. people of the great
metropolis. The city stood in danger
Of eventually resembling "a large choc-
olate cake. Fortunately, with the vast
increase of riches, he style of arch
itecture changed and where dwellings
of the wealthy are now building there
is variety in style and and less SOM
Der colors. These changes and the sky
scraping office buildings and apartment
houses have decided once for all that
the landscape of New York shall not
be monotonous
IN that part of the city fashionable
n generation ago, but downtown" to-
day, some of The old New York families
still cling to the pompous brownstone
fronts. Eut for the most part these
houses are lodgings or. in some cases,
have been turned into office buildings.
Scarcely q stones throw from n station
OF the Sixth avenue Il" road and the
busy whirl of the Greater New York,
the shutters Of q second story front
room In che of these browstone houses
had been thrown open. The passers in
the street. if they noticed at all the
unusual proceeding, wondered Idly
who had taken the long-yacant house.
\ real estate agents sign still stuck
&c the glass of the lower front windows,
but the vestibule door-was there ever
a brownstone front built without Two
dcors-was open.
\ man walked down the street glanc
ing at the numbers of the houses which
lined the way. He stopped and mounted
the steps of the brownstone front. He
was nondescript and could have pass
ed for months Undistinguished from
others of his kind in New York. There
was nothing abou, his bearing or
his clothes TO focus the atten-
lion. His brown rain coat was like a
thousand others worn by the middle
class on this cold damp day. His derby
hat was pulled far down over pale blue
eyes which looked out upon the world
of the average debutante in disserta-
ton of the Greek testament A light
beard and rnustache concealed n mouth
which, though it shut closely. betrayed
obstinancy rather than firnness-
The man did not find it necessary to
ring the bell The door was opened
by servant In livery who asked the
man to vain upstairs to the front room
on the second story. The broad stairs
were covered with dust and the house
had long deserted air. But an attempt
had been made 10 put the second story
room in shape for human habitatfon.
The old-fashioned heavy arm chairs had
been pushed out from the wall A wood
fire burned brightly on the hearth. TAX
ing the chill off the air. In the center
of the room stood Il round table upon
which lay large map of central Rus
sia. On t we're traced red lines in
closing areas which. though they APP
feared small on the map. covered thous-
c.cEis- Of s.I.ara miles " hen the COM
monplace looking man entered the room
he found five other persons already
there. One of these-a large fat man
cyrano de Bergerac's-stood by the table
with giant finger resting on the map.
His mouth was still open as though he
had been interrupted in the middle OF
a sentence His back had been turned
to the door and as ii opened he wheeled
sharply with unusual agility for such n
large nan. Any one who had visited the
stock exchange q few hours before and