Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-01-23
THE
MAN ON THE BOX
BY HAROLD MacGRATH
Author Grey Cloak" "fhe Pupper
Bv HAROLD MaccRATH
Copyright. 1904. The Bobbs- Merrill Company.
Author Of The Grey Cloak" The Puppe, Crown

customs officials. A brace OF old
French dueling pistols and Turkish
simitar were the only articles which
might possibly have been dutiable.
The inspector looked hard, but he was
| finally convinced that Mr. Robert was
not a professional curio-collector.
Col. Annesley and his daughter were
old hands; they had gone through all
this before. Scarce an article in their
trunks was disturbed.
Once outside, the colonel caught the
eye of cabby, and he and his daugh-
ter stepped in.
Holland House, sir, did you say?"
asked the cabby.
The colonel nodded. The cabby
cracked his whip, and away they rolled
over the pavement
Warburton's heart gave great
bound. She had actually leaned out
of the cab, and for one brief moment
their glances had met. Scarce know
ing what he did, he Jumped into
another cab and went pounding after.
1t was easily ten blocks from the pier
when the cabby raised the lid and
peered down at his fare
do you want t. folly them ahead? %
he cried
mo, no." Warburton was startled
out of his wild dream. Drive to the
Holland House-no-to the Waldorf
Yes, the Waldorf; and keep your nag
going?"
waldorf it is, sir!". The lid above
closed.
Clouds had gathered in the heavens
1t was beginning to rain. But War
burton neither saw the clouds nor felt
the first few drops of rain. All the
way uptown he planned and planned
as many plans as there were drops of
rain; the rain wet him, but the plans
drowned him-he became submerged
II he could find some one he knew at
the Holland House, some one who
would strike up smoking-room &C
quaintance with the colonel, the rest
would be simple enough. Annesley-
Annesley; he couldn't place the name.
Was he regular, retired, or veteran
| of the Civil War? And yet, the name
was not totally unfamiliar. Certainly
he was a fine-looking old fellow, with
his white hair and Alexandrian nose
And here he was, he. Robert Warbur-
ton. In New York, simply because he
happened to be in the booking Office of
the Care du Nord one morning and
overheard very beautiful girl say:
Then We shall sail from Southamp-
ton day after tomorrow" OF truth
1t is the infinitesimal things that count
heaviest.
| So deep was he in the maze of his
| tentative romance that when the cab
| finally stopped abruptly, he was total
| ly unaware of the transition from ac-
tivity to passivity.
'Hotel. sir!"
"Ah, yes!" Warburton leaped out
fumbled in his pocket, and brought
fourth five-dollar note, which he
gave to the cabby.
Warburton rushed into the noisy
gorgeous lobby. and wandered about
till he espied the desk. Here he turned
over his luggage checks to the clerk
and said that these accessories OF
travel must be in his room before eight
| O'Clock that night, or there would be
| trouble. 1t was now half after five
The clerk eagerly scanned the register
Warburton, Robert Warburton; i,
was not name with which he was
familiar. A thin film of icy hauteul
spread over his face.
] Very we'll, sir. Do you wish q
! bath with your room?"
Certainly" Warburton glanced al
his watch again.
"The price
"Hang the price! A room, a room
with bath-that's what want. Have
you got it?'' This was said with g
deal of real Impotence and a hauteul
that overtopped the clerks.
The film of ice melted into gracious
smile. Some new millionaire from
Pittsburg, thought the clerk. He
swung the book around.
"You have forgotten your place o.
residence, sir" he said.
place of residence!"
Warburton looked at the clerk il
blank establishment Place of resi-
dence? Why, heaven help him, hi
had none, none! For the first tim,
since he left the army the knowledg
came home to him, and it struck rather
deep. He caught up the pen, poised
it an indecisive moment. then hastil,
scrubbed Paris: as well Paris as any
where.
Our homeless young gentleman
lighted cigar and went out under tn,
portico. An early darkness had settled
over the city, and heavy stead,
rain was falling. The asphalt pave
ments glistened and twinkled as fai
as the eyes range could reach. A
thousand lights cleaned down on him
and he seemed to be standing in
canon dappled with fireflies. Place o
residence! Neither the fig-tree no
the vine, Did he lose his money to
morrow the source of his small in