Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-24

him to the point of regarding romance
in life as a peculiar Illusion of fools
and women. But he was fair In his
concessions, and tonight he acknowl-
edged that he had enjoyed the romance
of what he had seen and heard. And
most of all, his blood had been stirred
by the beautiful ace that had looked
at him from out of the night.
The tuneless drumming of a piano
sounded behind him. As he passed
through the low door of the restaurant
a man and woman lurched past him
and in their irresolute faces and leering
stare he read the veri1cation of his
suspicious Of the place. Through a sec
ond door he entered a large room filed
with tables and chairs, and pregnant
with strange doors. At one of the far
Their tables sat a long-queued China
man with his head bowed In his arms
Behind @ counter stood a second, as
motherless as an obelisk In the half
gloom of the dimly Illuminated room,
his evil face challenging Rowland as he
entered. The sound of a piano came
from above and with a bold and friend
ly nod the young engineer mounted q
pair of stairs.
Tough joint" he muttered, falling
into his old habit of communing with
himself. Hope they make good tea"
AT the sound of his footsteps on. the
stair the playing of the plano ceased.
He was surprised at what greeted him
above. In startling contrast to the
loathsome environment below he en-
tered a luxuriously appointed room,
hoa.lI, L,.au ,utth NrdantaI toDo,A41,
and with half a dozen onyx tables par
TALLY concealed behind screens and gor-
geously embroidered silk curtains. At
one of these he seated himself and sig
nailed for service with the tiny bell near
his hand. In response there appeared
a young Chinaman with closely cropped
hair and attired In evening dress.
"A pot Of tea" ordered Rowland;
and under his breath he added. Pretty
deuced good for a wilderness town! I
wonder
He looked about him curiously. AL
though It was only II o'clock the place
appeared to be empty. Yet Rowland
was reasonably assured that 1t was
not empty. He was conscious Of sens
ing In a vague sort of way the pres
ence of others somewhere near him.
He was sure that there was a faint,
acrid odor lurking above that of burned
incense and he shrugged his shoulders
with conviction when he paid a dollar
for his pot Of tea.
Opium as sure as your name is Jack
Rowland" he said, when the waiter
was gone. 81 wonder ~again-how many
pots of tea do they sell in a night?"
He slipped his own ~leisurely, listening
with all the eagerness of the new ens
of freedom which a taken posses
sion of him. The Chinaman had scarce
ly disappeared when he heard foot
steps on the stair. In another instant
a low word of surprise almost leaped
from his lips. Hesitating for a moment
in the doorway her a C staring
straight into his own, was the girl whom
he had seen through the hotel window!
For perhaps no more than five sec
onds their eyes met. Yet in that time
there was painted on his emo a
picture that Rowland knew he would
never forget. His vas a nature. be-
cause of the ambition imposed On It,
that had never taken more than q
casual interest in the form and feature
of women. He had looked on beautiful
faces and had admired them In a cool,