The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-06-22
CHAPTER 1.
An Informal Dinner.

Late in the afternoon OF a day
In the fall, the usual crowd of
ioungers was scattered through
the brilliantly lighted corridor
that formed the mems entrance
TO a hotel on upper Broadway,
New York.
At the street end stood the col
Ored porter, ready to swing the re-
volving door. At the other end of
the corridor the clerk, standing
behind the desk. greeted a man,
apparently about fifty, who stroll
ed up and helped himself to a
match. with which he lit a cigar
Rotten cigar" he remarked to
the clerk.
You're always kicking about
something" retorted the clerk,
with a smile that betokened old
acquaintance. why don't you
buy fifty-cent cigars? You can
afford it,"
Before they could continue the
conversation, their attention was
attracted to a tall young man, in
evening clothes, who had just
stepped out of the elevator. The
cleark leaned over and whispered:
Just keep your eye on that for a
moment and you'll see some
thing"
The subject of this conversation
gave the impression that he was a
man about thirty. He looked down
the corridor toward Broadway,
then turned and went out at the
ladies entrance on the side street.
Looks English by his clothes,
remarked the man, but he isn't a
blond. He's got about the blacklist
hair I've seen in some time, if it
Isn't dyed. l suppose it's still the
fashion to wear the whole suit of
hair over there. mustache, Van
dyke and side whiskers, just be-
cause the king wears his that
way"
Never mind his whiskers,
said the clerk. Just keep your
eye on the Broadway door"
In less than a minute the young
man with the Vandyke beard
came into the hotel again by the
Broadway door and approached
the desk.
Handing the clerk a card, he
asked how he should reach the
address upon it. The clerk had
hardly taken the card when the
man who was leaning against the
desk reached over and grasped il
before the clerk had time TO open
his mouth, remarked, why,
that's in Brooklyn" Handing
back the card he went on glibly:
"Better take a car to City Hall,
And then cross the Bridge. CO.
1umbia Heights is somewhere on
the other side. Ask your way
when you get across"
The Englishman bowed his
thanks and walked briskly away.
Arrived in Brooklyn the young
man made his way through a
street OF curious old-fashioned
houses, with somber brown-stone
fronts.
One of these was evidently the
house for which he was looking,
and he ran nimbly up to the door
and rang the bell.
At an office in the city, the day
before, he had presented a letter
of introduction to Mr.. Charles
Ohlstrom, who had invited him
to dinner. The letter was from
Mr.. Ohlstrom's brother, who liv-
ed in the Midlands. All It said
was that Hardy Maxwell was a
fine fellow, a native of Warwick,
and that any attention to him
during his brief visit to the states
would be a favor. 1t was this
dinner engagement that Hardy
Maxwell had come to keep.
Mr.. Ohlstrom's daughter. Hell
en-, had asked few questions
about the stranger who had
brought the letter from her uncle,
and she had come to the conclus-
ion, from her fathers reports,
that he was just an ordinary
young man, tall, and very dark
for an Englishman.
Her father and mother we're
chatting with Maxwell when Hell
en- entered the room. AS the
stranger stood up to be presented
the girl could not help mingling
a glance of admiration with her
smile of welcome.
After dinner a married couple
OF mature age, friends of Mr.. and
Mrs. Ohlstrom, dropped in. The
woman lost no time in stating the
object of her visit, which was to
play duplicate whist.
After profuse excuses to the
Young Englishman for what they