Evening star., 1917-03-11
XV7HEN the early morning train
NJ ! from Omaha rolled into the
" Union Station in Chicago, a
yOunp man came with the other

passengers through the gate. He wore
suit of clothes that were conspicuous be-
cause of the starchy, new appearance of
inexpensive ready-to-wear garments, and
because of the bold white stripes on dark
blue wooden, and the new and yellow
shoes. The young man wore cerise
necktie, and carried dress-suit-case.
If the newcomer to the metropolis had
gathered about him anything that marked
him out from the average, it was against
his intention; he may have overshot the
mark, but he had aimed to produce the
appearance of student returning from
university
Yet he suspected that he did not look
as much as he had hoped like the product
of academic shades. His prominent ears,
turned-up nose, many freckles his un-
even walk, and the condition of his
hands were such as would have resisted
at least the final efforts of beauty doctors.
Though he walked either with his head
lowered or casting furtive glances at the
faces of those persons who had come to
meet new arrivals, youth, health, pair
of clear. blue eyes, firm chin, and habit
of expressing much by quirking smile
travelled as thecompaniono of this unknown.
Straight as he could co. he steered his
way across the waiting-room to the telc-
phone booths, and began to turn the
pages of the directory with the haste of
one who, after long absence, hungers
for welcoming voices. Only after he had
been thwarted in this purpose, and was
twenty cents poorer in pocket did he sit
down on one of the settees and, pulling
out letter, give it his attention.
When no one else looked upon this
prodigal returning to the allurements
of the great city, two men, ten feet from
the end of the long ticket window, still
regarded him with interest and whispered
about him between themselves.
"If you think there is a chance, tele-
phone over to Bowman's. Applehauser
is there, playing dominoes over shell of
beer said one, rolling dead cigar from
corner to corner of his mouth. Hell
know. He was the one who sweated him
at the Harrison Street station after the
hotel made the charge Go to it,
The second man disappeared into a
booth. Five minutes later a third
man, who weighed not less than two hum
dred pounds and carried meaty hands,
approached the youth and said sharply:
whats new, Gerry Sands"
The letter fell from the inert hands of
the victim of this inquiry his lower jaw
dropped exposing his even white teeth.
He made no attempt to rise; he did not
stir: he was frozen with terror
That mysterious, terrible thumb, the
Law had once more found the atom which
called itself Gerry Sands.
"Welcome to our city, said the fat
Applehauser
But young Sands stared at the detective
sergeant, seeing only lin of pictures
flying in vivid colors across the vision
of his memory. He saw himself as he
had first come to Chicago, a green
orphan of eighteen; he saw himself as he
had served on alternate shifts as bell
hop in the gray uniform with "Hotel La
Vile emblazoned in gold over the breast
pocket beneath which his heart had
: thumped when rushing ice water to the
numbered doors: he saw the hated guest
the terrible guest with the terrible
name of Mr.. Edgar Nobling, from Fargo,