The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-05-10

nue., in a most complaisant humOr.
Many changes had taken place
Ialong that fashionable thoroughfare
during his sojourn in strange lands.
He was amazed to see the inroads
made by business interests on what
had formerly been the best resi-
Dental section of the city, and
halted every now and then at some
remembered site, of altered aspect.
He felt much like Rip Van Wrinkle
there, and, as it happened. that did
not displease him. 1t suited his
intentions perfectly that those who
glanced his way should set him
down a stranger in the great me-
tropolis. He was above all things
DESTROYS to know about his own
business unrecognized, and since no
one but himself knew that he was
still alive, had no ambition of un-
deceiving the ignorant
At thought of his absolute inde-
pendence, he smiled again, and SO
openly that two or three of the
passersby turned to look back at
him over their shoulders.
Stephen Quaintance was good to
look at, a tall, broad shouldered
young man, well set up, of easy
carriage. His regular. clean-cut
features bore the indefinable stamp
of birth and breeding, despite the
dark tan which proclaimed that he
had been roughing it, the all too
prominent cheek bones which told
their own tale of scanty supplies.
An unassuming assumption of quiet
self-cOnfidence sat well upon him.
Women as well as men would have
trusted themselves implicitly to
the safe-keeping of an intangible
something in his direct and leve!
regard.
Thin as he was, he filed to per
lection his well cut suit of blue
serge, and lost nothing by contrast
with the sleek, pale.faced clubmen,
out In force at that hour, to air
extravagant fashions on their daily
promenade. That he was not of
the elect may easily be deduced
from the fact that he was still wear
ing straw hat, but, none the less,
he caught the eyes of more than
one fair maiden cast careless-curi.
ously In his direction as he strolled
slowly uptown; and put his unusual
consciousness of that down to the
fact that it was overlong since he
had seen so many well groomed
and good-looking girls all at the
same time.
He was, as aforesaid, of suffi-
GENTLY modest if not exactly diff
dent nature. Had he been told that
his own steadfast eyes, slightly mel
ancholy, and, to all outward seem
ing, somewhat Indifferent. were yet
Of the most magnetic. that he was
OF a personality too distinctive to
escape altogether such fattering at
tentions as these, he would have
laughed amusedly and thought his
informant fool. His lines had
fallen chiefly in places where
mans eyes attract no particular
notice except when in close conneC-
ton with the sights of loaded
gun, where nimble trigger-finger
is of far greater account than ap-
pearance. So while each pretty
face he passed met with his warm
est approval. its interest was inn
personal and mingled with many
others. In his sight they were col
lective, and not individual. No one
of them had the power to hasten
his hearts beat by so much as a
single throb.
He was. Notwithstanding, suffi-
GENTLY grateful to such of them as
favored him with their shy regard.
1t did him no harm and a great
deal of good to feel that he might
still pass muster among the be
jeweled and gilded youths lifting
their glossy hats SO assiduously as
carriage succeeded carriage In the
apparently endless procession on
the long HILL 1t even awoke In his
mind, among other and equally
vagrant ideas, some vague, half
humorous speculation as to whether
he should not himself. one Of these
days, open a new account with fate,
and, drawing on that, start out In
quest of his own ideal.
| He was free to do so. He might
perhaps find among all those beau
ties in silks and laces the living
embodiment of that dear dream.
maiden who still stood to him for
abstract type of her sex. :.
Quaintance was no idle sentimen-
tallst, but, like most men who have
led lonely lives, he had, at his leis
ure, fashioned for himself an idol
of that sort, and much more angelic
than human. Like not a few lone
ly men he had yet to pay the pur-
chase price Of experience. II would
go the harder with him. then. II
fate should ordain that his idol,
embodied. lacked wings.
But, fate--and Fifth avenue.
What combination could be more