The sun., 1919-10-26


/ noticed her hands, and her manner
and told myself l was a fool.
As / say, every one else took her as
a matter of course. So tried to be nat
uraI about it, even when / saw the
slow burning lights in her eyes fixed on
FIRST one member of the company and
then another, when she seemed to feel
that no one saw her.
looked at Arson Fairchild and his
mild and unsuspecting dignity made me
wonder whether he had ever been i'm
posed on-whether 1t would be possible
to impose on him.
A Feminine Mystery.
At last l put it Specifically to my
self:
who is this Hope Farrell. and what
is she doing here? Could she conceiv-
ably have a different purpose than the
rest of us?" And then l suddenly went
hot all over at the absurdity of the
idea
Mrs. Cassidy brought in the tea.
Mason was Immediately in his ele-
ment, dispensing plum cake, inviting
everyone to partake of sandwiches and
keeping everyone in good humor.
1t went to Evelyn Sheldon's head a
| little to have so much brotherly atten-
ton. and she behaved a little foolishly.
was evidently disappointed in her.
For the most part, we enjoyed our
selves. and l found solace from my I'M
comfortable feeling about one of the
guests after a refreshing conversation
| with another. / believed that Doris
Hazleton is a real artist, and that her
career will one day be watched BY the
critics with excited interest
II was after the departure of these
| o. hat nj nlafn he
nection OF the household with their sew
eral affairs.
They are all known to me through
| old clients Of mine. Doris Hazelton
| herself was one of my clients She's
| the salt of the earth. Evelyn Sheldon
has no parents and came to New York
determined to make her way. Her
uncle. who was her guardian, disap-
proved and cut her off without a cent
after few weeks-too short a time TO
have even tried her ability. She came
| to friend of mine and said that she
was to be evicted. I set Mason on the
hunt for a place for her, and he found
it. Miss Farrell / don't know much
about. She lives in the same house with
Miss Sheldon-a poor student Of some
kind. guess"
/ set myself the private task of finding
out for the sake of the HOUSEHOLD
Mason in the meanwhile had disap-
peared and came back with a huge map
of New York and pad.
The FairchiId System.
This is the way we work it, old top, >
| he said. "As soon as Fan-tan gets news
of the great departure of one Of New
York's own from the abode of the an
cestors he investigates to see whet
the plan is TO go up In the world OF
. down in the world-they always tell him
exactly. And then he writes the re-
quirements down and either Campbell
or 1 snap them up and hunt up the
new place. It's great sport. We have
every known kind of adventure In every
| known part of the city. The girls who
were here this afternoon represent tiny
apartments on Broadway and on the
upper West Side. way up. l must ga,
don't quite know how Miss Farrell
strayed up there, because she doesnt
look the type but there she is"
Speaking of maps" / said, doe.
this street show on yours?' / handed
Fairchild the address that had in MI
pocket He took 1t and looked at m,
rather queerly.
Way down by the docks" he said
Not very savory neighborhood
Whom do you know there?"
IT'S quite story" 1 said. And w,
sought the charmed circle by the from
windows and lit our cigarettes.
Fairchild listened to me intently as
told the story of Cyril Kent.
When / had finished he said: 20
course l don't know what sort of
youth he is, but If he's in a rockies
frame of mind he may find some mis-
cEievous friends down there. He ough
to be set at job that will take all hi
ingenuity and real constructive effort
or he may let go and drop into tn
II underworld. And once in II it's not cas-
to get out again. think we ought I
find him. And soon. Campbell coul
do it best perhaps. What do you sa,
: Campbell?'
III do 1t. He might be suspicious O
his fathers relatives"
And 80 1t was settled.
We sat in the dark Mason, Campbell
and myself upon the sofa Fairchild 4
D an old arm chair. The lights of the cit
were blurred softly together by the mis-
3 that had blown in from the sea in tn
late afternoon, and as the room wa
!, worm one of the windows was partl
open, letting the lessened sounds of tn
streets up to us. They seemed faintl
+, musical, blending into a symphony tina
I swelled and diminished, throbbing wit
= | "a and Et1htla