Evening star., 1919-03-02

wfth her recent attitude toward him
TO show him her calculating worldli-
ess. stark, uneXcused
II thought I had passed through the
Golden Doors--that's phrase of
mine--hut after that night at the
Grantham when / saw you. l realized
that ] still stood far without them.
I saw that / had either TO vanish
or be willing to wait my time, per-
hapB long time, II ] would see II
through. l. decided on the latter
Yes Clifford prompted.
That meant" the unsparing voice
went on, that for long time Jack
and I would hardly dare be seen
openly together, that we had to live
In seclusiUn, ] made Jack see things
~as / saw them, so we suhlet an apart
neut on Riverside drive. and we're
known there as Mr., and Mrs, Gray
SON"
And what about Jacks going to
work."
II thought that II through my In
fiuence Jack should settle down, 1t
would help when his father finds out"
Il see"
u realize perfectly" the cold voice
had to face. Jack likes gay COM
pany; further. you said II is not
his nature to care for one woman
long, Wei, / must make Jack like
me for o. long time, and make him
like me despite the solitude. I shalt
lteve that Is everything"
They rode on in silence, Clifford
coVertly cycling the erect, contained
figure beside hin-guessing at what
1t must have cost her to give it up
her dreame ed of pleasure, to be forced
into seclusion, to be forced to under
take the responsibility of SOLDERING
down joyous Ependthrift, Life cer-
tainly had not given her what she
had expected In her bargain.
It All coming OUT?
The next afternoon Clifford, follow
ing Hilton, saw his quarry enter
the Mordona, the great apartment
house on the Drive before which he
had left Mary the night before. He
man disappeared into an elevator
He had no doubt on whom the dark
gentleman was calling, or for what
reason he called.
Opening into the elaborate lobby,
for whose gilded ostentation the ten
ants were assessed goodly portion
OF their rent. was a florists shop.
into the comparative privacy of this
Clifford stepped to wait until his
man came down; move that was
just in time, for from n descended
elevator, which must have passed
the one bearing Hilton aloft, stepped
the square. solid figure of Bradley.
Again Clifford had no doubt on whom
the call had been made. or why.
At last he picked up a. warm and
an indecision over the flowers he
should purchase, he waited for his
man to come down, trying to repro
duce the scene rhat was now going on
IN the "Graysons apartment, and
the scene prior to it in which Bradley
had figured. A quarter OF an hour
passed, then the debonair Hilton
emerged from an elevator and strobe
out with jaunty, smiling air.
The next moment Clifford was In
an elevator, shooting upward. and
two minutes iates Mary's maid was
bearing his card through curtained
doorway. He caught Mary'S voice
sounding as though it we're two
rooms away finishing what was OBJ
Viousiy a telephone conversation;
"Goull come as soon you can get
here9 That's most kind Of you. Good
bye"
There was a delay; he guessed that
Mary was surprised at this third sue
cessiVe call; then he was shown
through the curtained doorway into
the drawing room. His swift i'm
preston of the room was that II
was large for a New York apartment,
and that its prodigal furnishings be-
spoke wealth rather than taste on
tne part OF It's absent lessee. Inc
next moment Mary came I'm through
a door which he judged led from
the library. There was now IN her
bearing nothing of the cold frankness
which she had shown him the day
before, She was taut with controlled
excitement, which he knew to be the
product of the so recent interviews.
Her manner was challenging.
What do YOU WANT"
He tried to speak in a steady, inn
personal tone. "MT. Bradley was here
few minutes ago. Id be obliged
il you'd tell me what he came for"
Pardon me for not obliging you--
but that is my own affair. Is this
all?'
Another gentleman just called on
YOU, Would you tell me what he
wanted?"
THAT also is my own affair"
"it might help me greatly if | knew
exactly what he asked for" Clifford
urged.
Perhaps. But that cannot concern
me"
Then you Will not ten?"
"No"
care you aware who this man ."
Hes q friend of Jacks"
mot much of friend. ! hope"
Clifford still spoke in his steady. i'm
personal tone. MIR. Hilton is one Of
several men that | am after-and
he's one OF the cleverest and most
dangerous of the lot 1t Is the easiest
thing IN the world for crook who
is well dressed well hammered, and
who can dance ma kp apoIla int %