Evening star., 1914-04-12

her life Her husband had never before dared
to smoke in her presence.
Henry" she exclaimed. when did you
| take up smoking?
He blew ring Of smoke from his mouth,
leaned back in his chair, and replied Il
don't remember just when it was. If YOU
don't like the smoke, you can be putting
away the dishes while | finish my cigar
Il think rather like it, she meekly
replied.
|nN the following morning Corlin and the
~ pretty stenographer met at the en-
trance of the building in which the offices of
| d. W. Boutwell, & Co. were located. The
young woman greeted him with cordiality
that she had never before exhibited She
even went 50 far as to advance the opinion
that it was lovely morning. Corlin in an
offhand, easy way, paid her a compliment,
which caused her to wonder at his brlliance.
She had formerly thought him stupid.
| At the elevator they found corpulent
man almost completely blocking the en-
trance, notwithstanding the fact that there
was plenty of room at the rear of the car.
Miss Ferris started to try to squeeze past
the ponderous person; but Corlin laid
hand on her arm and gently drew her back.
| "Now, then,' he said, addressing the man
who stood in the entrance, will you be good
enough to step back, or shall l yank you
out?"
| The corpulent man seemed to awake sud
denly from peaceful sleep. 3Who're you
talkin' top he demanded.
Il am addressing my remarks directly to
you," Corlin replied. at is perhaps only
natural that you should want an elevator
all to yourself One of ordinary size would
be none too big. But these cars are not
being run for your exclusive use.
Other men in the car began to laugh and
the starter, who wore policeman's badge,
hurried forward.
"Stand back in the car there, he directed,
"and give other people chance to get in
at was perfectly splendid the way you
spoke to that man. said Miss Ferris when
she and Corlin had stepped from the ele
vator; "but 1 was terribly frightened. He
might have wanted to fight"
@If he had started anything of that kind,
Corlin pompously replied, Il should have
put crimp in him that he could never have
got ironed out.
From that moment the pretty stenogra
pher, who had formerly been inclined to
Jest at Corlin behind his back, regarded him
| that he was a married man.
ITOWARD the middle of the afternoon
Corlin became possessed OF a sudden
feeling of CONSERVATION. He saw Daniel
Boutwell, approaching him, and one of his
old tremors manifested itself. He felt that
his ego was slipping away from him. His
shoulders dropped, and his jaw lost its
aggressive angle. He feared that he was
about to be reprimanded, perhaps dis
missed, for his impertinence of the day be-
fore
Luckily Boutwell, stopped to consult one
of the other clerks, and Corl1n was saved
from exposure.
As soon as he dared to leave the Office in
the evening he hurried away to get another
of Professor Gascoyne's treatments. AS he
was going briskly down the dark street in
which the professors Studio was located
two men rushed out of an alley, and loudly
CRYING "Stop thief started to pursue him.
Corlin ran. There was no reason why he
should have become a fugitive; but the cries
Of the men behind him sent a sudden feeling
of terrcr to his heart. Ii he was overtaken
and dragged away to a police station, he
might not be able to establish his identity
or explain his presence in this part of the
city when he should have been on his way
home. Furthermore, he might never be per-
mitted to see the professor again. AS he ran
he felt something like an icy finger pass up
and down his spine. The men who followed
him continued to sound cries of alarm, and
other people joined in the chase.
All at once COrIin had deye1oDed extra