Mower County transcript., 1906-01-17

HE
MAN ON TIE BOX J !
4 Bv HAROLD MacGRATH
Copyright, 1904, The Bobbs-Merrill Company.
Author Of The Grey Cloak,

~. ny @55S~ q. 5.z5 f' Copyright, 1904, The
/ IAN, yes!," Warburton Sleaped out,
fumbled in his pocket, and brought
fourth a fve-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. It was now half after five
The clerk eagerly scanned the register
| Warburton, Robert Warburton; it
was not a name with which he was
familiar A thin film of icy hauteur
| spread over his face.
every we'll, SIR. Do you wish a
bath with your room?''
Certainly" Warburton glanced at
his watch again.
1.-THE price"
Hang the price! A room, a room
with bath-that's what want Have
you got it?' This was said with a
deal Of real impatience and a hauteur
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 of
residence, SIR he said
! place of residence!"
Warburton looked at the clerk in
blank astonishment. 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 it struck rather
| deep. He caught up the pen, poised
it an ihdecisive moment, then hastily
| scribbled Paris: as we'll Paris as any,
| where.
Our homeless young gentleman
| lighted a cigar and went out under the
| portico. An early darkness had settled
over the city, and heavy steady
rain was falling. The asphalt pave
| ments glistened and twinkled as far
| as the eyes range could reach. A
thousand lights cleaned down on him,
and he seemed to be standing in a
canon dappled with fireflies. 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 be without a roof
over his head. True, his brothers
roof would always welcome him: but
a roof-tree of his own! And he could
| lay claim to no city, either, having
| had the good fortune to be born in a
healthy country town. Place of resi-
denceI Truly he had none; a melan-
choly fact which he hsA not :appreci-
ated till now. And all this had slipped
his mind because of pair of eyes as
heavenly blue as a rajah's sapphire.
"But there's always a fatted calf
waiting in Washington" he laughed
| aloud "Once soldier, always a SOL
der. suppose Ill be begging the colo
mel to have chat with the president.
There doesn't seem to be any way Of
getting out of it. I'll have to don the
old toss again. 1 ought to write a
letter to Nancy, but it will be finer to
drop in on em unexpectedly. Bless
her heart! $50 say ID And Jacks,
too, and his little wifes! And L
| haven't written a line in eight weeks.
But I'll make it up in ten minutes
And If i haven't a roof-tree, at least
I've got the ready cash and can buy one
any day" All of which proves that
Mr.. Robert possessed a buoyant spirit,
and refused to be downcast for more
than one minute at a time.
| He. threw away his cigar and re-en-
| tered the hotel, and threaded his way
through the appalling labyrinths of
corridors till he found some one to
guide him to the barber shop, where
he could have his hair cut and his
beard trimmed in the good old Ameri-
can way, money no object. For a plan
mad at last come to him; and it wasn't
at all bad. He determined to dine at
! the Holland House at eight-thirty. It
was quite possible that he would see
her. ".s
| He left the hotel, hailed a cab, and
| WOO OAAFCA uOWu THU avenue. he
stopped before the fortress of privi-
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. To get past all these brass-but-
toned lackeys and to go 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 at the reg
lister told him that they had indeed
put up at this hotel. He could not
explain why he felt so happy over his
discovery There are certain exulta-
tions which are inexplicable. AS he
turned away from the desk, he bumped
into gentleman almost as elegant
" attired as himself. ....> s.
s.'I beg your pardon!'',' he cried, step
ping aside b b.. ,..s +s2 +. -. i
isHGWyhof2 M WA ~, ~ o.,