Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-27
just been following the line Of the

woman's profile.
Remember" continued MacNutt crisply,
II want you two to do the swell restaurants
lin reason, of course in reason!-and drive
round good deal, and haunt the avenue
bit, and push through the Waldorf-Astoria
every day or two, and drop in at Penfield's
lower house whenever you get word from
me. You'd better do the theaters now and
then, tool want you to be seen. remem-
'ber-but always together! 1t may be kind
o. hard. not bein able to pick your friend,
Durkin, but Frank knows the ropes, and
how much not to spend, and what to fight
shy Of. and who to steer clear of-and I
guess she can explain things as you 60
along
He turned back once more from the door
way way: , .. -
phone unless Mack or me gives the three
four ring! If she rings all night, don't an
swer! And Battery Park mind, means
trouble. When you're tipped off with that,
you break away. That's all, guess, for
now!' And he joined the man called Mack
in the hall, and together they hurried down.
stairs. and let themselves out, leaving Dur
kin and his quiet-eyed colleague alone.
He sat and looked at her. dazed, bewil-
dered. still leased by the veil Of unreality
which seemed to sway between him and the
world about him. 1t seemed to him as
though he were watching hurrying. shift
ing drama from a Misunderstanding 1t as,
in his early days in New York. he used to
watch the Broadway performances from his
cramped little gallery seat.
Am awaken" he asked weakly.
Then he laughed recklessly, and turned to
her once more. abstractedly rubbing his
stubbled chin, and remembering to his sud
den shame that he had gone unshaved for
half week. Now that MacNutt was away
he hoped to see her in her true light. Some
mere word or posture. he thought, would
brush the entire enigma away.
Am 1 awaken he repeated. pushing his
hand up through his hair. He was Stall
watching her for some betraying touch Of
brazenness. He could be more at ease with
her. he felt. when once she had reconciled
herself with her uncouth surroundings,
through the accidental but Inevitable touch
Of vulgarity which was to establish what
she really was
'Yes; it is all very real" she laughed
quietly. but restralnedly. For the second
time he noticed her white. regular teeth. as
she hurried about, Strengthening up the be-
Uttered room.
During his narrow and busy life Durkin
had known few women; never before had he
known a woman like this one. with whom
destiny had SO strangely ordained that he
should talk and drive and idle, work and
watch and plot. He looked once more at
her oval cheek. and the well-gowned fig
ure. as she stopped over a condenser-won-
dering within himself how it would all end
and what was the meaning Of It.
"Well. this certainly does beat me!' he
said., at last, slowly, yet contentedly enough
Inc young women looked at MIN, ana ne
caught a second glimpse Of her wistfully
pensive smile. while his heart began to
thump, in spite Of himself. He reached out
a hesitating hand. as though to touch her.
What it is?" she asked, in her mellow
English contralto.
II don't exactly know" he answered, with
his hand before his eyes. Il wish you'd
tell me-"
She came and sat down in a chair before
him, pushing back her tumbled hair with
N ha RI Ia mo ri h Until
her intent gaze. She appeared in some way
not altogether dissatisfied with him; it
seemed almost as II she had taken his face
between her two hands. and read 1t. feature
by feature.
II hardly know where to begin" she he's
itated. I mean, ] don't know how much
they've explained to you already. Indeed,
there's great deal don't understand my
have tapped Penheld's private wire''
He nodded an asserting head toward the
little brass sounder.
why. He gets ali the race returns at the
club house, and thon sends them on by
private phone to his other two pool rooms
He has to do 1t that way, now that New
Postal Union directors pretended to cut out
their sporting SERVICE"
Durkin knew all this hut he waited, for
the sake Of hearing her voice and watching
the play Of her features.
into New York by way Of the race depart.
mont of the Postal Union on lower Broad.
way. Theirs messenger boys hurry about
with the reports to the different wire oper-
aters, who wire the returns to the COM
pany's different subscribers. Penneid, of
course, Is really one OF them, though it's
not generally known"
"And always most assutsly denied"
seeffed buFkja,
hMany things are astptsiy denied, now
aaaya, when q great deal at money comes
eat ea ha h sss s yaa sra a Nth
thisf' he broke IN.