The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-07-23
CHAPTER /.
Dust.

In the dull hot dusk Of a summer S
day a green touring car, swinging out
of the East drive, pulled up smartly,
trembling, at the edge of the Fifty
ninth street car tracks, then more Sc
dateIy, under the dispassionate but
watchful eye of a mounted member of
the traffic squad. iurched across the
Plaza and merged itself in the press
of vehicles south bound on the avenue.
It's tonneau held four young men,
all more or less disguised in dust. dus-
tiers and goggles; forward, by the side
Of the grimy and anxious-eyed mechan-
ic, sat a fifth, in all visible respects
the counterpart of his companions Be-
meath his mask, and by this I do not
mean his goggles, but the mask of
modern manner which the worldly
wear, he was, and is, different He
was Daniel Maitland, Esquire; for
whom no further introduction should
be required, after mention of the fact
that he was. and remains, the identical
gentleman of means and position in
the social and financial worlds, whose
somewhat sober but sincere and whole
hearted participation in the widest Of
conceivable escapades had earned him
the affectionate regard Of the younger
set, together with the sobriquet of
Mad Maitland"
His companions Of the day, the four
in the tonneau, were in that humor Of
subdued yet vibrant excitement which
IS apt to attend the conclusion of q
long, hard drive over country roads.
Maitland, on the other hand Judging
him by his preOccupied pose). was al
ready weary OF, if not bored by, the
hare-brained enterprise which, in
itiated on the spur OF an idle moment
and directly due to a thoughtless re-
mark of his own, had brought him 100
miles Tor sol through the heat of a
Broiling afternoon. accompanied by
spirits as ardent and irresponsible as
his own, in search of the dubious dis
Traction afforded by the night side of
the city.
As, picking its way with elephantine
Eicety, the motor car progressed down
the avenue-twilight deepening, arcs
upon their bronze columns biossoming
suddenly, noiselessly into spheres Of
opalescent radiance-Mr. Maitland
ceased to respond, ceased even to give
heed. to the running fire Of chaR
largely personaD which amused his
companions. Listlessly engaged with
a cigarette. he lounged upon the green
leather cushions, half closing his eyes,
and heartily wished himself free for
the evening.
But he stood committed to the hu-
NOR of the majority. and lacked entire
" the shadow of an excuse to desert;
in addition to which he was altogether
too lazy for the exertion Of manu-
featuring a lie of serviceable texture.
And so abandoned himself to his fate,
even though he foresaw with weariful
particularly the programme OF the
coming hours.
To begin with, 80 minutes were to
be devoted to a bath and dressing in
his rooms. This was something not so
unpleasant to contemplate. 1t was the
afterwards that repealed him: Dinner
at Sherry's, the subsequent tour of
roof gardens, the late supper at a club,
and then. prolonged far into the small
hours. the session around some green
covered table in a close room reeking
with the fumes of good tobacco and
hot with the fever of gambling.
Abstractedly Maitland frowned,
tersely summing up: 'Beastlyl
an undertone.
At this the green car wheeled abb
ruptly round a corner below Thirty
fourth street, slid half block or more
east, and came to a palpitating halt.
Maitland, looking up, recognized the
entrance to his apartments, and sighed
with relief for the brief respite from
boredom that was to be his. He rose,
negligently shaking off his buster,
and stepped down to the sidewalk.
Somebody in the car called a
warning after him, and turning for g
moment he stood at attention, an eye
brow raised quizzicaIly. cigarette
dropping from a corner OF his mouth,
hat pushed back from his forehead,
hands in coat pockets; a tall. slender,
sparsely built figure of a man, clothed
Immediately in iannels.
When at length he was able to make
himself heard: Good enough he said
clearly, though without raising his
voice. @SheTry's in an hour. Right.
Now, behave yourselves.
mind you show up On time.'
Never fear" returned Maitland over
his shoulder.
A witticism was flung back at him
from the retreating car, but spent
itself unregarded. Maitland's atten-
ton was temporarily distracted by the
unusual-to say the least-sight of a
young and attractive woman coming
out Of home for confirmed bachelors.
The apartment house happened TO
be his own property. A substantial
- la "a cbsonnd adifica cifuafed in