The San Francisco call., 1910-01-16

~ OBERT CARTER caught the words he placed
& hand on the heavy fold of the curtain and
* he stopped where he stood. Couples were crowd
ing through the doorway into the ballroom, but
he pressed aside from them and held his place.
There was no answer, no repetition of the whispered
phrase He crossed the threshold at the edge Of
the chatting procession just in time to verify its
source.
The first time he leaves town." was what he had
heard His instant thought been that the speaker
was Arnold St Geofry. What he saw he passed
inside was Arnold St Geofry taking leave, in formal
manner, Of a woman whose face was turned aside A
flush fingered on her averted cheek and st. Georys
eyes parting flashed discreet look of understand
ing. Carter stepped forward eagerly but the woman
was lost in the crowd.
Jimmy" Hope, to whom Carter had been useful on
one important occasion had the young Virginian
that evening at Martins and had towed him into the
nearest club of which that restless but now happily
and sobered sprig Of financial nobility chanced
10 be a member. ladies night in progress.
Carefully guarding his effective attitude of polished
ease and sophistication Carter had made one of a
group Of young men in the smoking room, where dis
cussion had grown intimate concerning persons not
present.
He had kept his open and had heard several
q stories anent Arnold st. Geofry younger son of an
English lord, whose social career had attracted some
\ attention during the season and whose casual
connected St Geoffry's with Mrs Percival
Champney He had learned that both were at the
club this evening later he had gone upstairs
10 watch the dancing and receive, apparently
sudden and startling confirmation Of the smoking
room tale.
He turned to a bearded man who stood at his
side watching the crowded. animated brilliant picture
Can you tell who the lady who left this
chair near the door?" he asked.
IF I am not mistaken It was Mrs. Percival Champ
ney" returned the other politely She started across
the room moment ago."
Carter murmured his thanks and mingled with the
rong Of spectators eyes alert for the figure of the
woman he sought. But he could not find her.
Five days later Robert Carter sat in his modest
hall smiling two apparently trivial items
among the publications to which he turned for in
struction in affairs of social moment One of the
paragraphs concerned Arnold ST. Geofry After
alluding. with a smile, to his success with
zone Of the most charming young matrons of the
Long Island hunting set" it stated that St Geory
had just betaken himself to Hot Springs for two
weeks.
Now Carter knew that the society journal mis-
informed. That very morning in an out Of the way
barber shop on the west side, he had caught sight
of aristOcratc profile in adjoining chair Side
long observation had assured him that the profile
was the property Of Arnold St Geoffry.
Hint in a Paragraph
OF course this might be merely an accidental error.
But what was St Geofry the mirror of fashion, doing
IN such a barber shop? Carter had not made himself
known. for it seemed clear to him that the young
Englishman was trying conceal his continued pres
in the metropolis.
The companion paragraph from the financial
columns Of a newspaper of that morning Carter
studied it closely.
"a directors meeting of the O. @. @. copper COM
pany viii be held in Montreal tomorrow Percival
Champney has been in conference with the New York
stock holders and viii the meeting to represent
their interests"
Champney away, st. Geoffry in the city under cover
of a fictitious departure and Mrs. Champney "the
charming young matron," alone In her Long island
mansion Such were the threads Of the story that
Robert Carter was master of, with the whispered
communication he had heard through the curtain to
add significance to it all.
Carter cared nothing for the ethical atmosphere of
the circles to which he consistently sought admit
lance While his attempts to gain an opening,
friend sponsor, had placed him at times in the part
Of moral censor, such guise had been fashioned
better standards He in the complication before
him opportunity to take a commanding position
with regard to at least two Of the socially elect He
possessed secret involving the destines Of three inn
portant individuals And he meant to use it.
For Robert Carter, with ready cleverness and in
sight, had sensed a mad action by a schening and
possibly infatuated and hghty who
had already been weak enough to allow her name
to be mentioned with his. He foresaw elopement
lie intended to be present when it occurred.