Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-01-27


peered down at his-fare
do you want s-roily them ahead 90
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.
lt was beginning to rain. Bot 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 we're drops Of
rain; the rain wet him. but the plans
drowned h'm-he became submerged.
II he could find some one he knew at
the Holland House. some one who
would strike up a smoking-room ac-
duaintance with the colonel. the rest
would be simple enough. Annesley-
Annesley; he couldn't place the name.
Was he regular. retired. or a veteran
/ Of the Civil War? And yet. the name
was not totally unfamiliar Certainly.
ne was flne-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 a truth
II is the infnitesimsi things that count
heaviest.
! So deep was - I'm the maze Of HIS
B. tentative romance that when the cab
finally stopped abruptly. he was total
q ly unaware Of the transition from ac-
/ tivity to passivity.
Hotel. sir"
"Ah. vest" Warburton leaped ont.
fumbled I'm his pocket. and brought
fourth a fve-dollar note. which he
gave 10 the cabby.
Warburton rushed into the noisy
gorgeous lobby. and wandered about
till he espied the desk Here he turned
over his luggage checks 20 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. 10 was now half after five
The clerk eagerly scanned the register.
Warburton. Robert Warhurtou. Il
was not name with which he was
familiar a thin film OF icy hauteur
spread over his face.
Very well. sir. no You wish
b bath with your room?"
Certainly" Warburton glanced at
his watch again.
/ The price"
Hang the price, A room. a room
with a 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 a gracious
smile. Some new millionaire from
Pittsburg. thought the clerk. He
swung the book around.
; You have forgotten your place OF
residence. sir" hS-Said
{ place Of residencei"
7 Warburton looked az the clerk in
blank establishment Place OF resi-
dence2 Why, heaven help him. he
had none. nonei For the first time
since he left the army the knowledge
came home TO him. and 70 struck rather
deep He caught up the pen. poised
IL an indecis.ve moment then hastily
scrubbed Paris: as well Paris as an
where.
Our homeless young gentleman
lighted a cigar and went out under the
pOrtico. An early darkness had settled
over the city. and a 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 10 be standing I'm a
canon dappled with freiies Place OF
residence! Neither the fig-tree nor
the vinei Did he lose his money to-
morrow. the source of his small in
come. he would be without n roof
over his head. True. his brothers
| roof would always welcome him. but
a roof-tree OF his owni And he could
lay claim 70 no city. either. having
had the good fortune 70 be born in a
healthy country town. Place OF resi-
dence! Truly he had none: a melan-
choly fact which he had 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 a soldier always a SOL
der. I suppose TIL be begging the colo
mel TO have chat with the president
There doesn't sem to be any way of
getting out of IT, I'll have to don the
old toys again. I ought to write q
letter 20 Nancy, but it will be finer to
drop in on EN- Unexpectedly. Bless
her heart! $50 say ID And Jacks.
too, and his little wife's! And
haven't written line in eight weeks.
But III make it up In ten minutes.
And II | 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.
a "A WEaHH