The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-07-11
The Man in the
Brown Derby
81 Great Summer Story Of New YosG
BY Wells HASTINGS

happy tor tue urst timo IN ny khes
with Nancy gone. this josus 0f hu.
manity awcks in mo a militant conn.
dencs and . potent belief that I should
md mine own. IT,,
II waH. therefore, with almost . fsei.
ing OF citation that I set about my task
and. a. Ia usual with confidence. ny
nrst move was the right one.
II wonder IL you remember" I asnsd
the Pullman agent. "a man In . brown
derby hat who came to you this morn
ing, and probably wanted . private COM
partment to New York; . tall man with
sloping shoulders, q large nose and eyes
set too near together. Ho was dressed
in n brown ght with . narrow stripe.
and may or may not have had two ladies
with him."
''surs." said the agent; what sscut
him7"
II want to make sure az him." I sasd.
swherc ala he go-to New York;?
''rhats where he engaged his state
room to-" said the agent. "You mean
the man with tho insane young lady
and tho trained nurse"
''oh. ne told you about that. Ad her
''Yes: you see. We have only one stste.
room. and that was engaged: 20 he az.
pfained about the young lady to me. ana
I moved tho other people. We hsye 10
DO that once IN while. II savsS the
Otner p0erenRerS annoyance.
"Doubtiess," 7 answered. ana hurried
on to got my ticket for New York.
had only . few minutes to Wnas fce
the train. and II was q good oa4
New York. when got there. foun4
In the drissis OF . late spring rain. n
was only about haif-past Ave. but under
the dards sky seemed already evening":
20 that made what haste could to
md . quiet little hotel knew. whore =
- IA ae
small fgure. and where felt enough ct
homo to compose myself quietly for the
task before me.
My best working clue. Il seemed 20
me. was the torn collar in my pocket:
and that evening after supper took
q classified telephone directory up With
me. and made q careful list OF those
laundries which seemed near enough
TO tho fashionable xons to Justify the
mental picture had Of my man.
I realised. of course. that this Nss
might omit the place was looking for.
but there was a strong probability that
IL did not and the very making Of II
gave me something comfortably definite
TO work on. I cut and revised and
added to II. but pruns II A. I would.
when I went to bed that night, my
notebook held the formidable array Of
over sixty names. ] had an appalling
days work ahead Of me. an Augean
task that haunted my dreams and
brought me down 70 breakfast In the
morning tn a dining room where tho
walters still blinked with sleepiness,
and huddled. nondescript scrubwomsn
were hut finishing their aromatic task.
This was q dresry enough beginning
TO my day. but coffee hsartsned ms.
and outdoors the new washed world
t.
der brillisnce OF tho spring sunshine.
walked 10 the nearest corner and
stood there taking deep brsaths OF the
wfney air as I watched the streets for q
vacant taxicab. Taxicabs are q luxury
I am not muoh given to INDUCING In.
but the work before mo imperatively.
demanded one. II Il was ever to be nm
ished. ! had arranged my list In soma
sort OF plan; but. even 80. must travel
far and make many detours. In the
meantime. as ! stood waiting, I gath
cred myself together for the work sf
the day Few people. suppose, actli-
ally realize that New York City II ons
OF the nnest coast resorts In the world.
It's very internal greatness has made
Thorn forget the natural beauties OF
its sltuation.
But as | stood there on the corner
taking great breaths OF the scented
May-ume' little. sturdy. swiriing
breeze dropped from the heights above
me, which was as redoient OF salt and
the tang of open sea a. any breeze that
ever swept IN from ocean through the
Narrows 20 stir the ancient soiitudes Of
Old Manhattan Island.
And IN spite of all my tense anxiety
and distress, this Elusive. magic potion
OF sea and spring awoks that .ndehna-
BILE something In me which comes to
every man. once or twice In the YEAR
that vague whisper from his own soul.
perha rs. as illusory and faint and nsst-
Ing as breath upon glass. that sseans
TO promise. for the moment. to make
clear tho mystery Of life itseaf. and In
tho moment Is gone. to leave him only
a reasonless impression OF some power
and faith and beauty beyond his daily
ken.
Strangely enough found myself Ms
tenlng half-expectanty for the words
OF song that for moment I could
no. recall; then suddenly I knew what
they were. that little. soaring, alEtri-
umphant song OF pippa's
The years at the spring
And days a! the morn;
Mornings at seven.
The hlllslde's dew-pearfed;
The larks on the WING
The snail's on the thorn:
Gods IN His heavenr
ANS right with the world"
! Nancy was lost. but I should hnd her,
wherever she was. ! knew that she
thought of me ana loved me; knew that
IN spits 6f pain end sorrow and Su2er-
} Ing ali was right with the world
Go Be cont,nusdl