Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-21
C.U--- = A sory of Mystery, Love and Adventure,
OIIVOE O0uUdIS@wn which thrill and a blind detective and a
beautiful girl solve a great murder plot

fascination. Age, terrible age; a hun
dred years. or just as well two hun
bred, was depicted in the network OF
deep-graven lines, woven. interviewer,
crisscrossed with their thousand in
tricacies in the chin. the forehead,
the followed cheeks. Nom of the
softnSss of age was there: only the
GOODNESS, the ~bleakness of life's winter.
.IEven the eyes, coal-black under the
whit brows, seemed to glitter with
the GOODNESS of black polar ice. The
specter of age had stalked into the
realms of youth, frivoiity, devil-may-
care.
The moment of hush became a low
voiced murmur as she helped guide
the man, with her arm through his
arm. down the aisle of tables.
silver sandals! See the silver san
dals," were the words that made the
murmur as the diners caught flashes
of them when her feet moved under
the satin dress hem. They weren't of
silvered leather; that was seen imme-
diately. They were of the metal, bur
nished, with straps of finely meshed
links.
The woman paid absolutely nc at
tention to the overt watching: she
seemed unaware that any one else was
near. She walked as a queen would
have walked between rows of curtsy-
ing women and bowling courtiers, &C
cepting the attention she attracted as
a queen would have accepted her hon.
age, ~unheeding. uncaring. After the
first instant, the diners did not even
see the man whose automatonlike
walk seemed only possible with the
aid of the holding arms. The woman
held all eyes; she was the whole pic
ture.
A waiting captain, with the acumen
of his kind, felt the chilling influence
of the newcomers. and resented it;
just as he resented anything that
would detract from the life and gay
ETY. of the after-theater crowd in the
restaurant. He knew, too. that the
mar and woman were not of the type
his men were in the habit of serving.
And the waiter who helped the mar
was doing an unheard-of thing. His
business was to serve food and win.
How he had happened to be at the
entrance of the diningroom to offer
his help was something the waiting
captain was going to find out. There
was a scowl, just a slight, apologize
scowl, on his face as he approached.
He opened his lips to speak. The
woman's eyes met his, and the apollo
gettc smile went instantly. Servility.
humbleness covered the waiting cap
tain like a cloak. There had been no
words because there had been no need
OF them. The cold eyes had com
manded.
Madame wishes a table >" He back
ed before her.
1t has been reserved" The heavy,
~Eutturaled words came from the mar
with almost uncanny effect, for there
was no motion of the head, and the
thick beard hid from sight any move
ment there might be of lips.
All, your pardon!" The head
waiter apologized humbly with his
lips and back; but there was a strange
expression in his eyes as they darted
toward the waiter, whose arm sup
ported the bearded man.
MI. Carl took care of the reserva-
ton explained the waiter simply.
The waiting captains eyes cleared.
The manager had attended TO it per-
sonai!y. The woman of the queer
costume and the man in whose limbs
was paralysis We're evidently persons
OF importance. Their table must be
n OF those attended to by the waiter
Awho had been ordered to assist the in
valid. The captain backed rapidly.
still! bowling, still under the spell of
'tnose cold eyes that had never glanc-
ed IN his direction but for that single
instant. Though the man had spoken.
the waiting captain realized. as did
every one else who saw. that il was
the woman who was to be obeved-to
be honored with attention.
He pulled back a chair at the one
empty table of the two the waiter
served. Carefully, gently. the servant
n the woman helped the man seat
himself. The woman's hand on her
escorts elbow rested his arm on the
napery with a gentle, caressing mo-
tlon There was affection in that sim
pie thing, n for an instant the
Wrlnkled face seemed to contor with
some inner emotion; but so quick was
tPe transition. that not ever the waiter
Who held the other arm as the mans
hand touched an empty wineglass an
peared TO notice it. Then the woman
took the chair at the other side of the
table. ""e
Again the man spoke. with that
curious lack of movement: You have
our order. Attend to it. We are on
this earth but a little while. We
come. We go. Wraiths in a dream
we live. The end of one dream is bnt
the beginning of another"
The heavy voice that came from tha
thick beard was pitched so low that
1t was but a wordless rumble a Few,
feet away, yet the girl who sat at the
next table. alone, seemed to hear, a
shudder shook her slim BODY. The
hand that held her wineglass trembled
so that a few drops of the straw-col-
ored liquid spilled on the cloth. The
eyes of the silver-sandaled woman
turned to meet those of the girl. The