Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-01
American Sunday Monthly Magazine Section

work.
Little by little the young man becam intensely
interested, then absorbed. And after while the
color came into his face; he glanced nervously
around him; suppressed excitement made his hands
unsteady as he unfolded the enclosed map.
From time to time he referred to the map as he
read; the rain roared on the glass roof the light
grew DINNER and DINNER.
At five O'Clock the galleries closed for the day.
And that evening sitting in his ha-bedroom, White
made up his mind that he must buy "The Journal of
Valdez . if it took every penny that remained to him.
The next day was fair and cold; fashion graced
the Octave de Folio exhibition; White had no time
to re-read any passages to re-examine the map,
because people were continually asking to see and
handle the books in his case.
Across the aisle he noticed that his pretty neigh
Dor was similarly occupied And he was rather glad
because he felt vaguely that it was just as we'll she
did not occupy her time in reading The Journal of
Valdez" Girls usually have imagination The
book Nigh stir her up as it had stirred him. And to
no purpose.
Aso he was glad that nobody asked to look at the
Valdez copy in his own case. He didn't want people
to look at it. There were reasons among others,
he wanted to buy it himself He meant to if ff-
teen hundred dollars would buy it.
White had not the remotest idea what the book
might bring at auction. He dared not inquire
whether the volume was rare one, dreading even
to call the attention of his fellow employees to it.
word might arouse their curiosity
All day long he attended to his duties there, and at
five he went home highly excited, determined to ar
rive at the galleries next morning in time enough to
read the book little before the first of the public
came
And he did get there very early. The only other
employee who had arrived before him was the red
haired girl She sat by her case reading The Jour
nal of Valdez" Once she looked up at him with
calm, clear, intelligent eyes, He did not see her; he
hastily unlocked his case and drew out the coveted
book. Then he sat down and began to devour it.
And utterly and instantly was he lost amid those
yellow time-faded pages that he did not even glance
across the aisle at his ornamental neighbor If he
had looked he would have noticed that she also was
buried in "The Journal of Valdez" And it might
have made him trif1e uneasy to see her look from
her book to him and from him to the volume he was
perusing SO excitedy.
1t being the last day that the library was to be on
view before the sale fashion and monomania rubbed
elbows in the Heikem Galleries, crowding the we'll
known salons morning and afternoon. And all day
long White and his neghbor across the aisle
busy taking out books and manuscri pts for inspec
tion SO that they had time for luncheon and less
for Valdez
And that night they were paid off and dismissed;
and the auctioneer and his corps of assistants took
charge.
The sale took place the following morning and
afternoon. White drew from the bank his fifteen
hundred dollars, breakfasted on bread and milk and
went to the galleries excited than he had ever
been before in his long life of twentythree years.
And that is some time.
1t was long shot at Fortune he meant to take
a really desperate chance One throw would settle
twin or lose And the idea scared him badly, and
he was trembling little when he took his seat amid
the perfumed gowns of fashion and the white whs-
kers of high finance, and the shabby vestments of