Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-20

;::::: 5: $:::::; ::::: |: 4; :::
 ssSSS, walked on
 "By George, thdts .,. :,
 totckedly good. uoesn eoiiiii'
 thouoh r' me to any
 thing" he re- hected at last, halting before another letter box. And as he stood there. hes itating, he glanced up and saw Quar- Tier entering the Lenox club. The next moment he flung up the metal box lid, dropped in his letter and fol- lowed Quarter into the club.
 Then events tumbled forward al- most without push from him. Quar- rier was alone in a window corner, drinking vichy and milk and glancing over the afternoon papers. He saw Mortimer and invited him to join him, and Mortimer. being thirsty, took champagne.
 i've been trying new coach" said
 
 agreeable voice, and he went on lei surely explaining the points of the new mail coach which had been built in Paris after plans of his own, while Mortimer gulped glass after glass of chilled wine, which seemed only to make him thirstier. Meantime he lis tened, really interested. except that his feshy head was too full of alcohol and his own project to contain addi- tional statistics concerning coaching. Besides, Quarter, who had never been Dvercordial to him, was more so now enough for Mortimer to venture on few tentative suggestions of a finan- cial nature, and though, as usual. Quarter was not responsive, he did not. as usual, get up and go away.
 A vague hope stirred Mortimer that it might not be beyond his persuasive tongue to make this chilly. reticent young man into friend some day-a helpful friend. Once or twice he thought Quarter looked at him rather strangely, but he would show Quar- rier that he was friend-a good. stanch friend-and that Quarrier had long. long undervalued him. Waves of sentiment spread through and through him. His affection for Quar- rier dampened his eyes. and still he blabbed on and on. gazing with brim- ming eyes upon Quarter. who sat back silent and attentive as Mortimer circled and blundered nearer and near er to the crucial point of his destination.
 Midway in one of his linguistic el- lipses Quarter leaned forward and caught his arm in grip of steel. An other man had entered the room. Mortimer. made partly conscious by the pain of Quarters viselike grip was sober enough to recognize the im- propriety of his continuing aloud the yelled story he had been constructing with what he supposed to be a cum ming as matchless as it was ilnpenetra- ble. Later he found himself upstairs in a private cardroom. facing Quarter across a table and still talking and queuching his increasing thirst. He knew now what he was telling Quar- rier. He was unveiling the parable. He was stripping metaphor from a I precise story. He used ST. i wards name presently; presently he . used Sylvia's name. X moment later .-or was # an hour?-Quarrier stopped hin. coldly. without trace of passion. , corrobnrative detail. And Mortimer gave it. wagging his head and one fat forefnger as emphasis.
 "Yon SEW that?' repeated Quarter. deadly white of a sudden.
 Yes, and I"-
 "At in the mcrning:"
 "Yes. aG' l want
 "YGu saw him enter her room 'Yes. an [ wan tarsay ,hish to you. because I'm your fr'en' Don wan lnpy fr'en's miEe got fooled cu wom- en. Sec? ThaSh how feel respec' he sect. See? Women. lovely wom- sH. See? Respec' sert. Gimme y'han'. Dlzzpr CT -- brother Quarter. Your m fr'en': I'm your fr'em. know how ]. IS. Go;:cr wife m'own. Rotten me Stingy. Takes rIoney cutter III 'ocke;s. Dam 'Strivagant. Ruin me. Say. old boy. what about dividend due morrow on Orange County Eclectic rean Erlextlc - TO mean Ietric. masSer tongue:7
 Opening his fond and fogzy eyes md finding himself alone in the card oom he began to cry. and little later. .ttemptiDg to push the electric button. e fell over a lounge and lay there. his hirt front soiied with wine. one fat eg trailing to the floor. not the ideal ,osition for slumber perhaps. but what difference do attitudes and pastures md poses make when a gentleman. in he sacred seclusion of his own club. $ woOinE thg drovsy goddess with lasts of vOtive music through his en- ,urpIed nose: i. In the meantime. however. he was ue to dine at the BeIwether house. nd when $ o'clork approached and he iad not returned Co dress Leila called Ip Sylvia Landis on the telephone My dear Leroy hasn't returned and suppose he's forgotten about the ridge can bring Mir. Plank. if you Ika-
 -Very well said Sylvia adding. If Ir. Plank is there may I speak to him momentg- So Leila rgse- setting the receiver oa hr desk and Flank came in from the fh-ary .nd settled himself heavily in