Evening star., 1914-03-15
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR MARCH Is. 1914

gloom could be discerned white tablecloths,
cleaning silver. The scene demanded
hushed voices. noiseless footsteps. 1t got
both.
The main dining room was followed out
Of the center Of the great stone building, and
its roof was off in the dark three stories
above. On each side of the entrance stair
ways led to second and third floor balconies
which stretched round the room on three
sides. From these balconies doors opened
into innumerable rooms, rooms where lights
shone brighter. aHd from which the Chief
of Police. when he came to make certain
financial arrangements with Stacy, heard
frequently gentls click-click.
1t may have been that the furnishings of
the main diniug room and the balconies
were there before Stacy's coming, or again
they may have set forth his own idea of
suitable decoration. Looking about him,
Minot was reminded of play like @Su-
murun' after three hard seasons on the
road. Moth-eate:l rugs and musty tapes
tries hung everywhere. Here and there an
atrocious cozy corner belied its name. Iron
lanterns gave parsimonious light. Aged
sofa pillows lay Imply. Oriental Stacy
would have called the effect. Here in this
dim but scarcely religious light the patrons
| of his grill ate their food, being not without
| at their plates.
The long tables for the Harrowby dinner
were already set, and about them hovered
| walters of color 70 match the room. Most
of the guests had arrived. Paddock made it
point to introduce Minot at once to the
Duchess of Lisnqre This noble lady with
| the packing houss. past was making COM
mendable eff~rt to tighten the Manhattan
Club by wonderful display of jewels.
3Then felt l like some watcher of the
skies, when new planet swims into his ken, '
| whispered Minot. as the Duchess moved
| away.
Paddock laughed. "A dowdy little woman
by day, but pillar of fire by night, he
| composing room, beginning tomorrow
aBe careful Jack, Minot warned.
"A double life from now on Paddock
replied; 3but ! think can get away with
| it. Say, for ways that are dark this man
Stacy seems to hold a better hand than the
heather Chinee.H
In one corner the portly Spencer Meyrick
was Grating to circle of young people on
the evils of gambling. Minot turned away,
smiling cynically. Meyrick, as everybody
knew, had made "a large part of his fortune
in Wall Street.
HE d1nner WAS muCh larger IMAM MIS-.
Bruce's. Minot met number of new
peop1e,-the anenic husband of the jewels,
SNUG in his dakedom. and several very at
tractive girls th.illed at being present in
Stacy's sinful lair. He bestowed smile
upon Aunt Mary, serene among the best
people, and discussed with Mrs. Bruce
who wasted no boughten wit upon him
the Florida climate. Also he asked the elder
of the Omaha gitis if she had heard of Nat
Goodwin's latest wife.
For once the dinner itself was minor
event. 1t sped rapidly there in the gloom,
and few so mucl. as listened to the flashes
of Mrs. Bruce's wit-save perhaps the
Duchess, enviouay. 1t was after the dinner,
when Harrowby led his guests to the enter
tainnent above, sthat interest grew tense.
| No gloom in that bright room overhead.
A cluster of electric lights shed their bril-
lance on Stacy's:pet roulette table, set amid
parlor furnishings of atrocious plush. From
one corner d f;;ro layout that had once
hourished on 5St;l-st., New York, beckoned,
and on each side, through open doors,
might be seen ro5ms furnished for the game
of poker.
Stacy's assistai int, polished man with a
face like aged ivory, presided over the rou-
lette table. He swung the wheel few times,
an inviting snieson his face. Harrowby, his