The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-03-24

felt obliged to lose. And that again
was mistake. He could not yet af-
ford to win.
George Fame, unpleasantly involved
In Block Copper, angry, but not very
much frightened, turned in casual good
faith to Neergard to ease matters un-
til he could cover. And Neergard
locked him in the tighter and shoul-
dered his way through Rosamund's
drawing room to the sill of Sanxon
Orchil's outer Office, treading brutally
on Harmon's heels.
Harmon in disgust, wrath and fear
went to Craig; Craig to Maxwell
Hunt; Hunt wired Notify; Notify, cold
and sleek in his contempt, came from
Palm Beach.
The cohesive power of caste is an
unknown element to the outsider.
That he had unwittingly and prema-
turely aroused some unsuspected force
on which he had not counted and Of
which he had no definite knowledge
was revealed to Neergard when he de-
sired Rosamund to obtain for him an
invitation to the Orchils' ball.
1t appeared that she could not do so
that even the threatened tendency of
Block Copper could not sharpen her
wits to devise way for him. Very
innocently she told him that Jack
Ruthven was leading the Chinese CO.
tillon with Mrs. Delmour-C Carnes from
one end, Gerald Enroll with Gladys
from the other-a hint that a card
ought to be easy enough to obtain in
spite of the strangely forgetful Or
chils.
Long since he had fixed upon Gladys
Orchil as the most suitable silent part
ner for the unbuilt house of Neergard,
unconcerned that rumor was already
sending her abroad for the double pur-
pose of getting rid of Gerald and Of
giving deserving aristocracy look in
at the fresh youth Of her and her sell
ing price.
He had come on various occasions
close to the unruffied skirts of this
young girl-not yet, however, in her
own house. But Sanxon Orchil had
recently condescended to turn around
in his Office chair and leave his anus
ing railroad combinations long enough
to divide with Neergard a quarter of
a million copper profits, and there was
another turn to be expected when
Neergard gave the word.
Therefore it puzzled and confused
Neergard to be overlooked where the
gay world had been summoned with
an accompanying blast from the pub
lie press; therefore he had gone to
Rosamund with the curtest Of hints
that he would like to have a card TO
the Orchil affair."
"There is no use in speaking I'd
George" she said, shaking her head.
"Try it." returned Neergard, with a
hint of a snarl. And he took his leave
and his hat from the man In waiting,
who looked after him with the slight
est twitching Of his shaven upper lip.
for the lifting of an eyebrow in the
drawing rooms becomes warrant for a
tip that runs very swiftly below stairs.
That afternoon, alone in his Office.
Neergard remembered Gerald, and for
the first time he understood the mis-
take of making an enemy out Of what
he had known only as friendly fool.
But it was detail, after all-merely
a slight error in assuming too early an
arrogance he could have afforded to
wait for. He had waited long, long
while for some things.
AS for Fame, he had him locked up
with his short account. No doubt he'd
hear from the Orchils through the
Fanes. However, to clinch the matter
he thought he might as we'll stop in to
see Ruthven.
So that afternoon he took a hanson
at Broad and Wall streets and rolled
smoothly uptown, not seriously con-
cerned, but willing to have a brief un-
derstanding with Ruthven on one or
two subjects.
AS his cab drove up to the intricate
ly ornamental little house of gray
stone big touring limousine wheeled
out from the curb, and he caught sight
of SanXon Orchil and Phoenix Notify
inside, evidently just leaving Ruthven.
His smiling and very cordial bow
was returned coolly by Orchil and ap-
parently not observed at all by Mott
ly. He sat second in his cab motion
less, the obsequfous smile still stem
ciled on his flushed face. Then the
flush darkened. He got out of his cab
and, bidding the man wait, rang at the
house of Ruthven.
Ruthven In lounging suit of lilac
silk, sashed in with flexible silver,
stood with his back to the door as
Neergard was announced, and even
after he was announced Ruthven took
his time to turn and stare and nod
with a deliberate negligence that ac-
cented the affront.
Neergard sat down. Ruthven gazed
out of the window, then, soft thumbs
hooked in his sash, turned leisurely in
impudent interrogation.
"What is the matter with your" ask.
ed Neergard. 81 see there's some trou
BILE somewhere. What is It? What's
the matter with Orchil and that hatch.
ct faced beagle pup, Notify? Is there
anything the matter, JackT
Nothing important" said Ruthven
with an intonation which troubled
Neergard. "Did you come here to-