The Washington herald., 1915-02-07

hall door as the attendant opened the
street door swung aside the heavy por-
there's for a moment and Garrick caught
| a feeting glimpse of a face which he
stamped indelibly on his memory for fu-
! ture reference.
1t was of a man. debonair, dashing,
dressing in the height of 10 "hion, a rather
fiorid face, yet scarcely prepossessing.
Just for a moment Garric-r saw 1t, with
out himself being seen: then the tur-
baned attendant let the man out with a
bow just a trifle more leferential than
usual
At last the folding doors at the far end
of the reception room pened and the
mystic herself appeared unannounced.
/ She advanced a step, hen paused.
| He moved forward, I'd she received
him graciously, a striking picture silhou-
| cited against the mysteI Gus background
which the open door ha revealed, half
! concealed.
Vesta Sears was a woman of good
poise, with a remarkably good figure
and. when she spoke, a charming trace
of foreign accent.
As she led Garrick along, the ubiquitous
attendant silently closed the doors. The
/ folds of her clinging, filmy, purplish
house dress were like a feecy cloud, bear
| ing her up, as she seemed to glide, rather
than walk, into the room.
diamond sparkled at her throat and
a ring encircled her finger, but for the
| most part there was about her a rich
simplicity that spoke of good taste.
The inner room, into which they now
entered, was a marvel of skill. In it
| there was the same curious aroma which
was noticeable outside, only deeper. The
lights were DINNER, the carpets and
hangings darker, and there were plenty
of easy chairs and divans inviting repose
D A -F za,G
century world. Surely, it was well named
The Retreat
In the center of the room stood a little
table of ebony, over which was draped
a dark velvet cover, and on the center
of the table Garrick noticed a solid globe
of crystal, nearly foot in diameter, set
in black velvet-lined box. 1t rested on
a blackened sandalwood base and the
odor of sandalwood was heavy in the
room.
He sank back into the cushions of the
chair which she indicated with a grace
full wave Of her perfectly formed fore
arm. while she leaned forward in rapt
attention over the globe, resting her oval
chin on her interlocked fingers
For perhaps five minutes the adept
gazed fxedly into the mysterious depths
of the crystal.
At last she spoke. in soft. low, purring
tones
Il see you engaged in a transaction
that will bring you great wealth." she
murmured slowly, as If some unseen
force. not herself. were impelling the
words from her lips.
Il see you standing before a great door
in a large white building in a big city.
You go in. You ride up in the ele-
vator. You enter the Office of-yes-I can
read the name on the door. 1t is the
Mont Tresor Gold Mining Company.
II see you talking with man. You
buy from him. as he sits before a great
mahogany sk-something-there is on II
the figure, and written also-One Thou
sand-one thousand shares. I hear the
man tell you they are twenty-five cents
a share, and see you pay him two hum
dred and fifty dollars"
Her voice faltered. then drowsed away.
She reached over languidly and took a
chocolate mechanically from a box on
the table. A minute or two elapsed in
complete silence
TT is a month later" she resumed,
measuring her words as If each was
freighted with fortune. 81 can see that
by the calendar that is hanging on the
wall. Ali can see you enter the door
again. You seem to have your stock GER
tificates with you. The man, the same
man l saw before, greets you.
You hand him the stock and tell him
you wish him to sell il. He says that
he can arrange It and will sell it at the
market price of seventy-five cents. Your
stock has gone up 200 per cent in a
month. You have made a five-hundred
dollar gain on a two-hundred-and-fifty
dollar investment"
Garrick leaned forward eagerly.
Where is this?" he almost begged.
Il don't know" she answered. 81 shall
have to go into another trance to fol-
low you. It will mean a double fee. |
Somehow or other something seems to
be working against me today"
Try urged Garrick, placing the
money on book.
Again vesta leaned forward over
the crystal
81 see you walking down a street"
she cried at length. 1T is very crowd |
ed. Men almost run into you. Messen- !
ger boys dodge about you. Ah-there |
is the tall spire of a church at the |
end of it. lit is Wall Street. High |
office buildings are all about, but you |
do not stop-yes, you pause-one mo-
must read the name carved in !
the Intel of the huge granite doorway. I
lit is the Wall Street Tower. Again
I see you. The name of the man-is-
Tanner-yes. that is it, Stuart Tanner,
thai is right-Tanner."
The minutes sped by as they chatted
after the crystal gazing. To Garrick
Il was indeed delightfully."- Bohemian.
Madam Sears seemed never to be in
hurry. Outside. clients were absorbing
the exotic atmosphere. Yet she did not
let the time overrun itself. without
knowing just how il happened, Garrick
found himself departing by another
doorway. promising glibly to return
soon. Smoothly the turbaned attendant
salaamed him out.
Half an hour later Garrick fulfilled
the mystic's prophecy by actually
inside the door of the big
white tower building which she had
described.
He was looking over the Ms on the
directory. As his eye ran down the
list II rested for a moment on the
name. Maynard, S, lawyer. 1926 tenth
ioor"
On down through the Ms his eve
until at last he came to the
name he was seeking-"Mont Tresor
Gold Mining Company, 1915. fifteenth
ioor" IL
Garrick moved a step or two and .
pursued his quest. Among the T's he
Tanner, s., 1875 fifteenth floor"
AS he contemplated the name, he
wondered whether it was a precon- ,
,eived arrangement, this between
Madam Sears and Tanner. He deter (
mined to investigate. II
AS he opened the gilt-lettered door
IN the fifteenth floor, he could scarcely
suppress an exclamation. There. stand !