Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-28
FOURTH EPISODE.
HONORABLE MIR. ONENH AM -

On that brisk autumn afternoon the
Honorable Mr.. OXenham crossed the
lobby OF the Hotel Baltimore on cx-
ercise bent = his lustrous topper,
ohamois gloves and malacca stick.
his morning coat striped trousers and
pearl-gray spats patiently advertising
Fifth Avenue az his chosen walk in
life pro tenn.
En- PEASANT his eye languidly sought
the letter rack and discovered an en-
felope in the piEeonholc consecrated
10 his personal mail. Whereupon he
paused. civic young clerk delivered
him the letter. He opened and scanned
it. posted i'll unaffected nonchalance,
half-turned away from the counter.
While he fingered over his letter. a
young and charming lady. quietly, but
arrcstinSly, sowned, entered from the
street and paused at the counter. near
by the Briton.
The civil young clerk was tempo
rarily engaged at the telephone. On
the counter the register lay open. The
young and charming person bent over
it with an air OF idle curiosity. A
specious air: long lashes yelled Il
quickly augmented brilliance in her
pretty eyes when they remarked a
certain entry among the several made
by the days incoming guests.
Philip Bnrr and Valet-Red
Wing. Ark.-"01.
Just then the EnSlishman looked idly
round and With a single, swift, sharp
glance appraised the woman at his
elbow. second glance saw every
thing else worth the seeing in the
lobby-that none was looking their
way: that tho clerk was still pre-
occupied with the telephone. The en-
velopc OF his letter dropped noislessly
upon the register, obscuring the en-
tries in which the pretty lady was SO
indifferently interested.
She read the superscription on the
envelope, and started ever so slightly.
Hon. Euston Oxenhnm,
Hotel Baltimore.
New York, u. 6. A.
The woman looked UP with sly
little smile Of perfect understanding.
She said rapidly. with a strongly in
Dictated accent:
Bon jour, Monster oxen'am--ow do
you do? Ave you forgotten me. Mad
amc Savaran?"
Forgotten YOU. dear lady" I'm
pcssihle!"
runctiliouSly the Honorable Eus,on
clicked his heels. bowling from the
waist over the daintily gloved hand
10 which he touched his lips.
But ow delightful TO meet you
like ais-mos especially when am
begin to feel so desolcc. ! scarcl, for
my friends. Monster ct Madaune Du-
pont. who ave arrive by &c Rocham-
beau lis morning -and no place can
! find 2en. not even ere
no Plaza And where nigh, Eat
The Rriton's look grew more calcu-
launE. The woman's words meant
nothing; her manner everything: to
his understanding she had said moro
plainly than wore possible hy spoken
words.
~ must SEQ YOU alone Immediately:
have something important to com
municatc"'
l'o said quietly; "The Plaza's Just
round tho corner, YOU know. II you
don't m'nd. I'd hc charmed to show
YOU tho way
ov nice OF you"
80 they strolled away together
Rut their destination WIS not the
Plaza. once they had a corner, a
flourish Of tho Enslishman's stick sum
ncncd 10 the curb a cruising taXicab.
"Eut George. YOU mus not let me
impose or Your good nature"
My dear Nictorinc" protested the
gentleman whose name appeared to be
George rather than Fusion. IL am "a
most selfish person-you have way
OF making the little attentions one Of
fcrs you so pleasant"
She made NO more objection: they
entered tho cab. a twcnty-minute ride
set them down in front Of a dingy,
Senircputablc hotel on dead street
just east Of Union Square.
The brick walls. FIVE stories In
height. painted a sickly green. were
Iettered In black
HOTEL Du SUD
plate-glass windows, sadly in want
Of washing. disclosed a drcary lobby.
wherein q handful Of swarthy guests
lounEcd unhappiiy smoking black
tobacco apparently Latin
10 a man: CubanS. Mcxicans, Spanish.
South Americans-tha ilk.
Behind The lobby skulked restaurant
strongly fortified with reck COM
posed ot alcohol ana stale cigar smoke,
and boaatins number of small tables
covered with wine stained cloths. AT
one Of these Ni"torinc and George Gas
they now addressed each other) cstab-
IIshed themselves, and, when they had
been served by aud had dismissed a
melancholy Italian waiter. entered
upon Il prolonged confabulation, the
woman doing most OF the talking the
Briton attending with profound in
,erest and combining comment. for the
most part 10 monosy!labic interi.c-
tons
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