The Washington times., 1911-08-29
CHAPTERv1.
In the Gold Room,

hotel though scarcely part of 1t
hotel itself
Theodore RacksoIe knew nothing oI
the aftalr, except that 1t was an enter
lainment offered by a Mr.. and Mrs
sampson Levi to their friends.
VINO Mr.. and Mrs. Sampson Levi welt
ne did not know. nor could anyone tel
MIN anything about them, except thai
Sampson Levi was 4 prominent mem
Der Of that part of the stock exchange
familtarly called the kafhr Circus;
that his wife was a stout lady with
an aquiltne nose and many diamonds,
and that thcy were very rich and vecy
hospitable.
Theouore Racksole did not want a
ball In his hotel that evening, and just
before dinner he almost had mind TO
issue decree that tie gold room was
10 be closed and ti:e ball forbidden. and
Mr.. and Mrs. Sampson Levi might nam
the amount Of damages suffered by
them.
His reasons for such a course were
threefold: First, he felt depressed ami
uneasy; second, he didn't like the name
Sampson Levi. and, third, he had de-
sire to show these so-callcd plutocrats
that their wealth was nothing TO him.
that they couldn't do what they chose
with Theodore Racksole, and that for
two pins Theodore Rackso.e, would buy
them up and the whole kaffir Circus
70 boot.
But something warned him that,
though such a high-handed proceeding
might be tolerated in America, that
land of freedom. 1t would not be toll
Grated in England. He felt instinctively
that in England there are things you
can't do, and that this particular thing
was one OF them.
So the ball went forward, and neither
Mr.. nor Mrs. Sampson Levi had even
cape they had lad Of looking foolish
IN the eyes Of the thousand or so guests
invited by them to the Gold Room of
the Grand Babylon that evening.
The Gold Room Of the Grand Babylon
was built for a ballroom.
A balcony, supported by arches faced
with gilt and lapis lazuh, ran around 1t,
and from this vantage men and maidenS
and chaperons who could not or would
not dance might survey the scene.
Everyone knew this, and most people
took advantage of 1t. What everyone
did not know, what no one knew, was
that, higher up than the balcony, there
was a little barred window in the emu
wall. from which the hotel authorities
might keep a watchful eye not only on
the dancers, but on the occupants Of
the balcony itself.
II may seem incredible to the un-
initiated that the guests at any social
gathering held in so gorgeous and re-
nowned an apartment as the Gold Room
OF the Grand Babylon should need the
observation OF a watchful eye. Yet SO
II was.
Strange matters and unexpected faces
had been deserted from that little win
dow, and more than one European de-
tecttve had kept vigil there with the
most eminently satisfactory resslts.
At II o'clock Theodore RacksoIe, af-
fiicted by veXation OF spirit, found him
self gazing idly through the little barred
window.
Nella was with him. Together they
had been wandering about the corridors
Of the hotel, still strange to them both,
and II was quite by accident that they
had lighted upon the small room which
had a surreptiuous view OF Mr.. and
Mrs. Sampson Lewis ball.
Except for the light from the chande-
lier Of the ballroom, the little cubcle
was in darkness. Nel!a was looking
through the window; her father stood
behind.
Il wonder which is Mrs. Sampson
Levi" Nella said, "and whether she
matches her name. Wouldn't you love
to have a name like that, father
somst hing that people could take hold
Of, instead Of Racksole?''
The sound Of violins and confused
murmur of voices rose gently up to
them.
lymph" said Theodore Curse those
evening papers," he added. inconse-
! Quently but with sincerity.
, Father, you're very horrid tonight.
What have the evening papers been
dotng?"
well, my young madam, they've got
! me in for one and you for another, and
! they're manufacturing mysteries like
! fun. It's young Dimmock's death that
! has started en-
well, father, you surely didn't ex-
/ pect to keep yourself out of the papers.
Besides, as regards newspapers. you
ought to be glad you aren't in New
! York. Just fancy what the dear old
| Herald would have made out of a little
! transaction like yours of last night"
| That's true assented Racksole.
! "But it'u be ali over New York tomor-
! row morning, all the same. The worst
| Of It is that Babylon has gone off TO
| Switzerland"
"Why?"
I Don't know. Sudden fancy. 1 guess.
! for his native heath"
What difference does that make to
"None. Only 1 feel sort of lonesome
feel want some one TO lean up
! against in running this hotel"
/ Father. II you have that feeling, you
! must be getting Ill"
yes" he sighed, "I admit it's un-
usual with me. But perhaps you haven I
grasped the fact. Nella. that we're in
the middle Of rather queer business"
t"PartIy Dimmock and partly other
things. First of all, that Miss Spencer,
or whatever her wretched name was,
was the stone thrown into your room.
Then ! caught that rascal Jules con-
suirinR with Dimmock at O'clock in
the morning Then your precious Prince
Irihert arrives without any suite-which
! believe Is a most peculiar and wicked
thing for a prince to do, and, moreover,
7 And INV daughter on very intimate
terms with the said prince: then young
lGmmock goes and dies. and there Is to
he an inouest; then Prince Eugen and
his suite. who were expected here for
dinner' fail 10 turn up at all
"Prince Eugen has not conner
He has not, and Uncle Aribert Is in
a deuce of a stew about him and tele-
graphing all over Europe. Altogether,
things are working up pretty lively"
DO you really think, dad, there was
anything between Jules and poor Mr..
Dimmock?"
Think! I know! / tell you I saw
that scamp give DimmocK wink last
4, night at dinner that might have meant
-Hell"'
dad?"
why? Did your
.''of course 1 was going tc tell you
about It,"
The millionaire grunted.
Look here. father" Nella whispered
suddenly. pointing to the balcony i'm
mediately below them. WHO'S that3'