Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-11-01
A Story of Love, Adventure
and Mystery By REX BEACH

I steadily increased as the income dimin-
/ ished, her half-brother was always hard
/ pressed to keep up appearances.
rhe situation would have been far sim
/ pier had Bernie lacked that particular
| Unborn pride which forbade him to seek
employment Not that he felt himself
| above work. but he recoiled from any oc-
cupation which did not carry with IT
dignity matching that of his name. Since
the Marie he bore was as highly hon
ored as any in the state, and since MS
capabilities for earning a living were not
greater than those of an eighteen-year-
old boy, he was obliged to rely upon his
wits And his wits had become uncom-
monty keen.
The winter climate of New Orleans
drew thither a stream of northern tour
lists, and upon these strangers Mr.. Dreux,
| in a gentlemanly manner, exercised MS
versatile talents. He made friends
easily; he knew everybody and every
thing, and being a man of leisure, his
time was at the command of those trav-
elers who were fortunate enough to meet
him. He understood the good points of
each and every little cafe in the poorer
quarters, he could order a dinner with
| the rarest taste =. was due largely to
him that the fame Of the Ramos gin flzz
and the Schazerac cocktail became ma
tionaL He exhaled the atmosphere of
southern aristocracy which is so agree
/ able to northern sensibilities; he told in
| imftabIe stories, and as for antiques, he
knew every shop and bargain in the city.
He was liberal, moreover, nay, ingen-
/ ious in sharing this knowledge with his
new-found friends, even while admitting
| that he coveted certain of these bargains
for his own slender collection. As re-
suit of Mr.. Dreux's knack of making
/ friends, and his intimate knowledge OF
art, he did very good business in an
tiques.
1t was at best a precarious means OF
] livelihood and one which he privately
detested. However, on the particular day
| in the summer of 1890 on which we
first encounter him, Mr. Dreux was we'll
contented; for a .lumberman from Min
neapolis, who had come south with no
appreciation whatever of colonial an
tiques, had Just departed with enough
worm-eaten furniture to stock museum,
and Bernie had collected his regular COM
mission from the dealer.
Now that his own pressing necessities
were taken care of for the moment, he
began, as usual, to plan for Myra Nen's
future This would have required little
Thought or worry had she been an ordi-
nary gill; Out that W0S RANSA2SAS
Miss Warren was not The beaux OF
New Orleans were enthusiastically united
in declaring that she was quite the con-
trary. quite the most extraordinary and
dazzling of creatures. Bernie had LED
them to the slaughter methodically, one
after another, with hope flaming in his
breast, only to be disappointed time after
time.
Miss Warren loved admiration; she
might be said to live on it, and she
greeted every new admirer with a buo-
bling gadness which was Intoxicating;
but she had no appreciation of the sane
tity of a promise. She looked upon an
engagement to marry in the same light
as an engagement to walk, or dine
namely, as being subject to the weather
or to a prior obligation of the same
sort. Bernie was too much gentleman
to urge her into any step for which she
was not ready, so he merely sighed when
he saw his plans go astray, albeit con-
Tossing to moments Of dismay as he fore
saw himself growing old in the second
hand business.
J But a change had occurred lately, and
although no word had passed between
brother and sister, the melancholy little
bachelor had been highly gratified at GER
tain indications he had marked. 1t SEEM
ed to him that her choice, provided sne
really had chosen, was excellent; TOT
Norvin Blake was certainly very young
TO be the president of the cotton ex-
change, he was free from any social en-
tanglements, and he was rich Moreover
his name had as many honorable assoc
Citations as even Bernie's own. All IN
All therefore, the little man was in an
| agreea Bile frame of mind today as ne
l stroIled up Canal street, noding mere ana
there to his acQuaintances, and turned
| into Blake's Office.
He entered without announcing NM
self, and Norvin greeted him cordially.
Bernie seldom announced himself,
| being one of those rare persons who
come and go unobservedly and who IN
| terrupt important conversations with
out offense.
.'Do I find you busy?" he inquired,
dropping into one of Blake's easy
chairs and lighting a perfumed cigar
cite.
~No Business is over for the day.
But I'm glad to see you at any time;
you're refreshingly restful."
How are the new duties and respon-
sibilities coming on?"
'Oh. very WELL" said Blake, "al-
though i am absurdly self-conscious."
"The Exchange needed new blood
I'm told. u think you are a happy
choice. Jove! you have made strides
Let me see. you are thirty"
Two This makes me look Older
than am" Norvin touched his hair,
which was gray, and Bernie nodded.
Funny how your hair changed so
suddenly. 1 remember seeing YOU five
years ago at the Lexington races, just
after you returned from Europe the
second time. You were dark then. l
saw you a year later, and you were
gray. Did-the wing of sorrow brush
your brown"
Blake shrugged. "They say fear
will turn men gray"
Dreux laughed lightly. Fancy! You
afraidP'
And why not? Have you never
been afraid?"
IT? To be sure. But-my dear boy,
you can't understand We were talking
about you the other night at the Bos-
ton club after your election, and
/ Thompson told about that affair you
had with those niggers up the state.
when you were sheriff. 1t was quite
thrilling to hear him tell it,
"Indeedg"
"Oh, yesl He made you out a great
hero. I never knew why you went in
/ for politics, or at least why, if you
went in at all, you didn't try for some
/ thing worth while. You could have
gone to the legislature just as easily.
/ But for a Blake to be sheriff! Well, it
knocked us all silly when we heard of
it. and I don't unders tand it yet. We