Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

finally petered down to the noncommtta "ununls"
\ face he have it and for two weeks he had
cOnlbed the town in vain Popularity had Its draw
backs had continually to find props to keep
the thing from tunbling about ones popularity
the collar, the hat the SHOE kind OF popu-
larity, which changes completely every SIX months,
which has to be renewed and twisted about and read
iusted And besides there were those younger chaps
always bobbing up with fresh invention touch of the
unusual, color.
He renewed his bitter arrangement OF Jillson and his
baly housewarning for he was sure that the girl
with the mk-whte skin and the copper beech hair had
been Fortune, knocking at his door for whole week
with that persistence which she accords only her favor
ites-often numerically And all he had done had been
sit tight in his chair and wonder who she was. Well,
she might pass again tomorrow He would throw
ornaty to the winds rush the street and speak
to her. plead with her to help poor devil of an illus
traitor who was working like sixty hold his job, who
the best of times during the sale of some Beauty
Book never made more than twenty-five thousand
year.
LIE climbed back to the studio He found the dachel
munchng the soft lead that had such funny, cool,
sweet taste: OF the cedar there remained evidences
whatever. The puppy growled an invitation for a
romp which the artist accepted; and great time they
had sliding rugs, banging against the walls, behind
tapestries sofas and chairs and dvans TIL at last
Forbes, dizzy and breathless subsidized upon dlvan
The tireess puppy jumped up beside him and licked his
face. He was a very valuable dog. Only last week he
had almost ruined superb digestion while unchlng on
a Observation-Disclosures drawing that his master had
careleSsly forgotten to put back INTO the port1oo
The elevator boy opened the door and tossed IN the
evening newspaper. Thereupon Forbes filled his Gala
bash sought the comfy chair under the reading lamp
and idly went the days events. The puppy,
shifting the tobacco smoke which he thoroughly de
tested retreated under the divan where he had his
lions den of bones palette knives, old tubes brushes
and whatnots. From time to time Forbes could hear
him rafting round something.
Births, deaths, and divorces, murder, robbery, and
graft, strikes wars and plagues-the subject matter
varied only the and places could be called
news. He read with lazy interest warmed-over yarn
about the clever gentleman thief who had batied the
metropolitan police for nearly year.
A well known amateur detective was giving the
reporter exposition OF his views. Here was an artist.
FORBES cracked the newspaper peevlshy: was there
ANYTHING left to which this had not been applied.
The thief declared the amateur not professional
He of infinite patience OF internal ceverness,
took money, had made three daring raids and
ceased further to apply his talents 10 date, the man
had taken over hundred thousand dollars worth of
jewels His career had begun and ended within three
months SO far, not single part OF the loot had been
offered to the known fences here and abroad ms was
the phase that puzzled and bafed the police Now he
(r Amateur) held to the theory that the thief was
who moved in the exclusive circles two more words
Forbes hated) from which the jewels had been pur-
Joined Even the police admitted that he possessed an
intimate and knowledge of the habits OF his
victims But the genius of the made manifest
in his ability to wait. Was there woman? Was there
unlucky speculation Horses and cards! Or was 1t
what he Mr. Amateur) had stated in previous article:
simply brilliant hoax practical joke careless wager
by idle rich young man, who when the time arrived,
would quietly restore the jewels give dinner and then
search about for new abnor1naty? At any rate,
his opinion the Beron system would never get hold
of the man to measure him for future identification.
In this Mr.. Amateur perfectly correct. They
never got hold of the Almost, however: only
arms length away; clutch, distance msjudged, and
off he went, into space, like an exploded atom.
CHAPTER H.