Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-08-30
The COrrector of Destinies
Being Tales of Randolph Mason as Related by
His Private Secretary, CORTLAND Parks
MADAME VERSAY
By Melville Davisso1 Posi-
Copyright by Edward J. Clode


could not be safer
Then said the woman, Il bid you
good-morning."
little snow was falling, and I ac-
companied Miss Caroline Pickney to
Bishop Simonton's carriage, tucked In
the skirts OF her great coat and closed
the door. I think she must have TAX
en- me for sort of upper servant.
since she gave no evidence of my pres
ence, except stately nod at the car
riage window.
Here was fine bundle Of mysteries.
coupled with the direction of Mason
to go out and find Madame Versay.
Find an unknown variety actress. only
the devils imps knew where. Such
birds had no marked tree to roost in:
besides, this person was probably Mad
anne Gladys by now, or Estelle some
thing or other. / could not go back
to Mason for further light. He would
stare at me and walk away. MY di-
rections We're accurate; find Madame
Versay first and then go to Richmond.
| turned up the collar of my great
coat, and went down for a conference
with the omniscent Scally. found
him directing commerce with the ges-
/ lures of a Roman praetor. / darted
past the row of cabs to his island Of
safety and seized his hand. A mo-
ment later, when the tide had passed.
he took my bill from between the fin
gers of his glove and held it under his
broad thumb: then he smiled benignly.
"Misther Parks" he said, tits the
speed limit you are after wishin' to
exceed?"
NO." I said; Il am the King of the
Golden Mountain on the quest of a
fairy"
Go along; you're foolin'," he said
by no means" / answered; Il want
to find Madame Versay."
He whistled softly Madame ver-
say, is it! IT'S only the devil that
knows where she is now, but where
she'll be at one tonight, tbs Scally that
knows as well as the devil In dago
cafe on the Bowery, which is next door
to Paddy Moran's dance hall, she will
be attn and drinkin' and carryin' on.
She's bad one, this Madame Versay.
Ills back to the tall weeds your friend
Scally would advise you to be goin' !"
At half-past twelve that night,
found Madame Versay, and the cafe
called "dago" by my friend Scally. It
was fragment of Paris, transplanted
to the Bowery by Monsieur Popinot,
an oily, obsequious little creature from
the Montmartre. He came running out
to the curb to bow me ir-the COM
ing Of a hanson was an event.
He enumerated his wares with true
Latin enthusiasm His caviare had
arrived that very day. It was mag
nifque," and his wines! ah, monsieur,
he alone in all this raw land had
wines! His brother Anselem hunted
France, nosed it, fingered it, tasted il
that he, Popinot, might have cham
payne, fragrant like those little mead
ows nesting at the foothills of the
Pyrenees. burgundy, red like the pop
pies in the wheat fields of the Disc;
and absinthe-here language failed
him He clasped his hands, "Ravis-
sante, monsieur!"
Madame Popinot. who presided over
the cash drawer by the door, beamed
upon me as / entered. She was a
daughter of the little shops along the
Seine, fat and vigilant, knowing in
stantly If the newcomer had the price
of a glass of wine in his pocket. A
virtue of the highest order TO her;
doubtless the only one remaining.
/ selected little table by the wall,
and, not wishing to be poisoned, or
dred a bottle of bass ale and and
plate of dry biscuits, wiping out Pc
pinot's disgust with a generous tip.
The place was evidently Bohemian
rendezvous of low order. The at
mosphere was a stencil of tobacco and
sour wine, the floor was freshly sprink-
led with new sawdust. The chairs
and tables were of metal. Iron alone
could resist large primitive emotions
when they got in action. The crash
of an elbow, the heave of a heavy boot
toe. did not wreck wire chair. 1t
could be Strengthened presently In the
ing up with jetsam from the under
currents of New York. Gentlemen go
ing swiftly down to the sill of the
world. beasts coming up from It, get
somehow into evening clothes, sat well
together under Monsieur Popinot's
many-colored lights. It was the de-
prayity of Paris without touch OF It's
seductive esprit The naive. mischiev-
Gus greeting of the Moulin Rouge and
the Folie Bergere, ''Je vous Anne, don
nez-moi cinq francs" was not here.
This place was an oak for crows l
wondered on what limb Of it perched
Madame Versay.
/ was about to summon the good
PoDinot to my assistance, when .
young man, very drunk, came IN, ac-
companied by woman in superb
opera coat. They took the table OPP
nosite to mine. The young man wore
. soft SLOUGH hat, which he promptly
+hraw IN the floor. Then he began to