The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-04-21
The Man on
the Box
: BY HAROLD MacCRATH
Author Of The Grey Cloak, ""The
Pnppet Crown"
CHAPTER Ill.--Coxr,Su.p.
Copyright, ,9o4. The Bobbs.Me,rill compan,

CHAPTER ll.-CoNTINukD.
So deep was he in the maze of his
tentative romance that when the cab
finally stopped abruptly he was total
tvity to passivity.
Hotel. sir"
"Ah. yes!" Warburton lcapcd out,
fumblcd in his pocket. and brought
fourth a tiNe-dollar note. which he
gave to the cabby.
Warburton rushed into the noisy
gorgeous lobby. and wandered about
Till he espicd the desk. Here he turned
over his luggage checks to the clerk
and said that these accessories OF
travel must he in his room before eiyh,
O'Clock tina, night. or there would b.
trouble. 1t was now half after five.
The clerk eagerly scanned the register.
Warburton, Robert Warburton; it
was not name with which he was
familiar. thin film Of icy hauteur
spread over his face.
every we'll. sir Do you wish
bath with your roomo"
Certainly" Warburton glanced at
Ills watch again.
1.-THE price"
Hang the price! A room. a room
with bath--that's wha, ] want Have
you got it?" This was said with a
zeal of real Impotence and hau,cur
shat overtopped the clerks
The film Of ice melted into gracious
smile. Some new millionaire from
Pittsbnrg, thought the clerk. He
swung the hook around
"You have forgotten your place of
residence. sir" he said
place Of residence"
Warburton looked at the clerk In
blank establishment Place of resi-
dence? Why. heaven help him. he
had none. none! For the first time
since he left the army the knowledge
came home to him. and 1t struck rather
deep. He caught up the pen. poised
il an indrcisive moment. then hastily
scribbled Paris: as well Paris as any
where.
Our homeless young gentleman
lighted cigar and went out under the
portico. An carly darkness had settled
over the city. and Il heavy steady
| rain was falling The asphalt pave
mcnts glistened and twnkled as ia,
as the eyes range could reach. A
thousand lights cleaned down on him.
and he seemed to be standing in a
canon fappled with tireflics. Place of
residence! Neither the fg-tree nor
the vine! Did he lose his money to-
morrow. the source of his small in
come, he would he without a roof
over his head. True. his brothers.
roof would always welcome him: hut
roof-tree OF his own! And he could
lay claim TO no city. either. having
had the good fortune to he born in a
healthy country town. Place of resi-
dence! Truly he had none: a melan-
choly fact which lie had not apprcci-
ated till now. And all this had Slipped
his mind because of a pair Of eyes as
heavenly blue as rajah's sapphire.
But there's always fattcd calf
waiting in Washington" he laughed
aloud. Once soldier. always a SOL
der. suppose III DE begging the colo
mel to have a chat with the pr"sidcn,
There doesn't seem TO be any way of
getting out of it. III have TO don the
old togs again. ought to write
letter to Nancy, but it will he finer to
drop in on 'em unexpectedly. Bless
her heart! $50 say ID And Jacks.
too and his little wife's! And ]
haven't written line in eight weeks
But I'll make It up in ten minutes
And if ! haven't a roof-trcc, a, least
I've so, the ready cash and can buy one
any day All Of which proves that
Mr.. Robert possessed buoyant spirit
and refused to he downcast for more
than one minute a, a time
tie threw away his cigar and rr-en-
tered the hotel, and threaded his way
through the appalling labyrin,hs Of
corridors till he found some one to
guide him to the baSbcr shop. where.
nc could have his hair cut and his
beard trimmed in the good Oil Amcri-
can way. money no object, For plan
mad at last come to him: and ii wasn't
at all bad. He determined to dine n,
the Holland House at eight thirty. n
was quite possible that he would Sc,
her.
He left the hotel. hailed a cab, and
was driven down Fifth avenue. lie
stopped before the fortress of rrivi-
leges. From the cab It looked very
formidable. Worldly as he was. he
was somewhat innocent. He did not
know that New York hotels are for
midable only when your money gives
out. 10 get past all these brass-but-
toned lackeys and to 20 on as though
he really had business within took no
small quantity of nerve However,
he Slipped by the outpost without
any challenge and boldly approached
the desk. A quick glance al the reg
lister told him that they had indeed
put up at this hotel lie could not
explain why he felt so happy over his
discovery. There are certain exulta-
tons which are inexplicable. AS he
turned away from the desk, he bumped
into a gentleman almost as elegant
ly attired as himself.
II beg your pardon!" he cried. step
ping aside.
What? Mr.. Warburton?"
Mr.. Robert, greatly surprised and
T,,,