The Washington herald., 1914-12-20

| grandeur of the room.
"Some swell spot, amt it," said Hig-
gins, observing me. "You bet. Costs
them twenty-five thousand dollars a
year."
/ THE princes suite?" / asked
One of 'em. Here's where they had
that Dutch crown prince a year ago.
It's all right, amt it, Doc?" His appe-
/ tite for living expanded continually
| into speech. He fairly smacked his lips
over life. when it comes to spending
money, kings and princes amt got any
thing on us"
1t looked as if he had his share, I
said. -
Sure" he said. lighting his cigar
and waving me before him to the door.
I'm the richest man in the world
when it comes to spending money" He
winked.
We walked down the dim corridors.
| through the cntrance-a triumphant
progress, lackeys and serfs and min
ions bending on every hand.
I'll see you tonight, then," said NV
man "I'll send my bus for you at half
past SIN"
He walked out \ limousine like a
parlor car, commanded by two leather
legged solemnities, awaited linn.
Who was he? What was he? Who
were they" and "us" he talked about:
! Why did every one bow down before
him? l was' puzzled; hadn't got the
clue yet.
The Limousine was around at half
past six. Limousines were rarer then
| than now.
Here we are" cried the vibrant
voice of Higgins, seated inside like a
bear in a cave. A great cigar-the iden-
! teal one, to all appearances, of the
morning-stuck from the corner of his
mouth.
We walked into the ducal hall of the
mems dining-room, my host treading
on before. CreSt-embroidered walters
crept and fawncd upon him; the cap
/ tain of the dining-room bowed with
! deep concern at his Salutation; and, as
he passed, he distributed greetings to a
dozen tables full OF smiling men-al-
ways the same remark, like a heathen
| formula:
Happy days"-lifting a great palm.
/ Happy DAYS" came the answer, palm
up in the same position.
| We sat down to a meal of breadth
and depth unspeakable-fed to an un-
believable capacity for physical enjoy
ment His cocktail went down like a
religious rite.
"A-a-ah," he aspirated, and wiped his
glossy mustache. The very use of his
napkin seemed to give him Joy.
! We'll. what do you see there? he
asked, gravely studying the menu. We
had courses nterminable-every course
dinner. In one of them the man de-
voured a spring chicken-with drink,
of course, in proportion.
And as we ate, man after man, fat
and lean, went by with that serIo-comic
salutation, high sign of that curious
! freemasonry of the men who spend
their nights together:
Happy days"-hand raised. Happy
days"-hand raised.
That man" my host said in hoarse
whisper, made eight million selling
out That man there cleaned up two
million going short on Common in the
last six months"
As he talked, l remembered. This
was the rendezvous for men of the
Greatest Corporation. They sat ali
around us-talking, talking, talking
about that new miracle in the world :;
strange figures in the dining-hall of
| dukes.
They all seemed to know my enter
tainer-eveybody. He seemed kind
of central figure in the festive hall.
Happy Days-hey, Happy Days.
come over here" said tall. man across
the room, jerking back his head. Il
got a new one for you
Higgins excused himself, crossed
over to the table, and came back roar
ing.
We finished the meal at last He
stretched his legs under the table till
they cracked, and lighted his cigar.
We'll, now, what about the diet busi
ness. Doc?"
l began to laugh.
"Well, | guess you've got a right," y"
said my entertainer, looking down at
the disheveled table.
Then l sobered down and showed
him what ! was warning him about
| the diseases of the restaurant, written
upon the faces in the eating places of
New York. there in plain sight before
hus: the fat men with beads of sweat
on their purple cheeks; the gray, dry
| faced. lean men with the starey eyes;
the pasty walters, with their dead-white
compilations. pointed out one or two
that were getting pretty ripe for death.
| scared him little, at last. That's
pretty rough stuff for me to hear,
Doc" he said, moistening his lips.
So it was arranged that | should
come around in the morning and make
thorough examination.
When | came into his room, he had I
letter in his hand
Hello. good morning. Doc he said,
waving it. Just letter from my kid
off at boarding school. Now, amt
that a nice little letter.
He handed it to me to read. 1t was
an unfinished childish scrawl, starting
Dear Pop and ending with the usual
plea for spending money.
Il tell you, it does your heart good
to have a kid like that" He was talk
ing about her as ! examined him: about
his trip to Europe with her. He was
like great boy.
It'll be fun to see her. I'm going to
surprise her. It's great to watch 'em;
| they're so enthusiastic, amt they,
Doc? You got any of en-? Amt they
a comfort" He talked on till was
through. d.
w ell, how did she go:" he said con-
| fdentally. How is it,"
You've got to go on Diet l said;
you've got to quit; you've got to quit
right away
He sat down suddenly in one OF the
Al 4