Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-09-20
, had apparently BECOME callous. throus

| drug store window on Seventh avenue,
| the electric arcs were casting stckly
radiance upon the dusty leaves OF the
| treelined drive. The avenue itself
was crowded with motor cars and
horse-drawn pleasure vehicles. mostly
bo,,nd uptown, their occupants seeking
the cooler airs and wider spaces to be
found beyond the Harlem river and
along the Speedway. A few blocks to
TIE west Cathedral heights buiked like
a great wall. wrapped In purple shad.
ows, its jagged contour stark against
an evening sky Of suave old rose.
The short and thick-set body. how
ever, seemed to have no particular ap-
probation OF the beauties OF nature as
exhibited by West One Hundred and
Eighteenth street on a summers even
ing. II anything. he could apparently
have desired q cooling breeze: for,
after a moments doubtful considera-
ticn. he unbuttoned his waistcoat and
! hcaved a sigh Of RELIEF.
Then, carefully shifting the butt OF
a dead cigar from one corner OF his
mouth to the other, where it was al
nest hidden by the jutting thatch OF
, his black mustache. and drawing down
over his eyes the brim Of a rusty plug
hat, he thrust fat hands into the peck
cts of his shabby. trousers and lounged
against the polished pillar even more
encrgctically than before. II that were
possible. An unr6mantic. apathetic
figure, fitting so naturally into his sur
roundings as to demand no second look
even from the most observant: yet one
seeming to possess a magnetic attrac-
ton for the eyes Of the hallboy OF the
apartment hotel twho. acquainted by
sight and hearsay with the stout gen
tlemans identity and calling. bent
upon him a steadfast and adoring re-
gard. as well as forc the policeman
who lorded it on the st. Nicholas ave
nue. corner. in front Of the real estate
Office. and who from time to time
shifted his contemplated from the in
finite spaces OF the heavens the better
to exchange a furtive nod with the
idler in the hotel doorway.
Presently--at no great lapse OF time
after the short and thickset man had
slowed away his watch-out OF the
tLronged sidewalks OF Seventh avenue
q man appeared. walking west on the
north side OF the street and reviewing
carelessly the numbers on the tllum!r
ated fanlights; a tall man. dressed all
, in gray, and swinging thin walking
stick.
The snort. thick-set person assumed
a mien OF more intense abstraction
than ever
The tall man In gray paused indefi-
, nitely before the brownstone stoop OF
I the house numbered 205. then swung
up the steps and into the vestibule.
Here he halted bending over to scru-
tirixe the names en- the letter boxes.
The short. thick-set dan reluctantly
dstsrhsd. himself from ms polished
pillar and waddled ungracefully across
the street.
The policeman on the corner seemed
scddenly interested in Seventh ave-
nue., and walked in that direction.
The gray man, having vainly de-
ciphered all the names on one side
Of the vestibule Strengthened up and
turned his attention to the opposite
wall. either unconscious OF or indif-
ferent to the shufile OF feet on the
stoop behind him.
The short, thick-set man removed
one hand from a pocket and tapped the
gray man gently on the shoulder.
"Lookin' for McCabe, Anisty?" he
inquired. genially-
The gray man turned slowly, exhib-
iting a countenance blank with aston
ishment. BEG pardon" he drawled:
and then. with q davning CLEAN Of
recognition in his eyes: Why. good
evening. Hickey. What brings you
up this way"
The short. thick ,set man permitted
his Jaw to droop and his eyes to pro-
trude for some seconds. Oh" he
said in tone of great disgust. hell"
He pulled himself together with an
effort. Excuse me. Mr.. Maitland" he
s.ammered. Il wasn't lookin' fer yeh."
TO the contrary. I gather from your
greeting you were expecting our
friend. Mr.. Anisty! AND the gray
man smiled.
Hickey smiled in sympathy. but with
less evident relish Of the situations
| hrmcr.
That's right he admitted Got .
| tin from the c'miss ner's ONCE this
evening tina. Anisty would be here at
seven o'clock lookin' for . party
named McCabe ! guess it's bum tip.
all right; but OF course I got to look
into H."
Most assnredly" The gray man
, bent and inspected the names again.
Il am hunting up an old friend" he
explained, careiess!r: a man named
Simmons-knew him in coliege-down
on his Iuck-wrote me yesterday.
There he Is: Fourth floor. east I'll
sec you when I come Gown, ] hope, Mr..