Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-28
THE MAN BEHIND

romance where all things are one and the
same? What do YOU find in Enriquez's for
instance? Monisn and monotony.'
II beg your pardon. Mr.. Thinker" The
| long, sallow face of Enriquez looked down on
the group with dignity. Myself. am an
| idealist which perhaps has an antimonistic
implication; but please do not accuse our
age or this place of monotony. see hawk
coming in here right now"
Leonard had a chill He fingered an ash
| tray to conceal his panic. Several persons
had entered, and one of them, a dapper little
man, took a seat at a nearby table.
| in fact" continued Enriquez in his vel
vety voice, everyone who comes here is in
teresting in some way. If YOU could read
the lives of all my patrons you would
not complain of monotony. This room is
filled not only with wireless messages carried
through the ether, but its atmosphere vi
brates with social and political events of in
ternational Importance. What will you
have to drink, Boys9'
| Leonard had hopeful idea He scrubbed
few words on sheet of paper and pushed
it toward Enriquez:
| am Swallowed. Want to leave town Can
you help me.
| Enriquez read the paper, covered it with
his hand, and, folding his arms on the table
in the attitude of a cheerful listener, spoke
| in a tone that just carried to Leonard's ear:
an half an hour walk downstairs to the
kitchen, tell the chef you want to pick out
good pair of English mutton chops. He will
| lead you to the refrigerator and show YOU
door to passage. At the end of the passage
door opens on yard. Cross the yard, take
a door in the fence, go straight ahead, and
you will be in the back room of basement
cobblers on the next block.
Smiling guilelessly upon the intellectuals,
Enriquez departed to greet other patrons
/ At the appointed time Leonard Sauntered
down stairs. He asked the chef for the Eng
fish mutton chops, and within few mo-
ments stood in the next street, dark and
deserted, block away from the restaurant
He felt joyous relief. For the first time in
weeks the incubus of the shadow was lifted.
He was no longer logged and infested. He
was absolutely free.
/ In lieu of his own overcoat and hat, which
he had left in the restaurant SO as not to
arouse suspicion, he wore the chefs ulster
and derby Both fitted fairly
1t was short walk to Hudson River
tube. He caught the last train that went in
the direction of his country home. There
was little station IN the valley two miles
from Pine Summit and no means of convey
ance. But there was good road; better
still, short cut through the woods that was
familiar to Leonard from boyhood days. As
he strobe along the forest path, relying on
his sense of direction and the feel underfoot
rather than what he saw by the uncertain
moon and starlight, he breathed deeply the
frost tingling air of the hills and rejoiced in
Natures silence and solitude. A blissful
peace descended on him. The garish ways
of the city became remote as a fevered
dream.
A WILD chorus of banks and deep bayings
surprised Leonard when he was yet a
considerable distance from the house. Evil
IDENTIFY the Self Rulers were protected against
intruders. As he left the shelter of the woods
and advanced through an open space behind
the pilared house, beam of binding light,
whirling across the fields, snote him in the
eyes. He was brought to standstill. But
the next moment heavy voice was calling
the dogs, and DR.. Elias Solder. chief of the
Self Rulers, appeared in lighted doorway
to welcome the philanthropic owner of the
estate.
The welcome was volub1e; the explana-
| ton of unusual precaution was that chicken