The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-06-26
CHAPTER I.
A Dog and a DamseI.


AS ] sat on a bench in Madison
square after half past eleven in the
evening a dog came trotting up to me,
stopped at my feet and whined.
There is nothing remarkable in hav-
ang strange dog run to one, nor in
seeing the creature rise on its hind
legs and paw at you for notice and a
caress. Only, this happened to be an
Eskimo dog.
1 strOked the beast, which lay down
at my feet. raising it's head sometimes
to whine and sometimes darting off a
little way and coming back to tug at
the lower edge of my OvercOat But
my mind was too much occupied for
me to take any but perfunctOry in
tereSt in its maneuverS. My eight
years Of thankless drudgery as a
clerk, following on a brief adventur-
GUS period after ran away to sea
from my English home, had terminal
ed three days before upon receipt of a
legacy, and L had at once left Tom
CarsOn's employment.
Six thousand guineas-thirty thou
sand dOllars-the will said.
I had seen for some time that Car
son meant to get rid of me- 1t had
been a satisfaction to me to get rid
OF him instead.
He had been alternately a prospec-
tor and company promoter all the
working years of his shabby life Tom
was as secretive as a clam, except
with Simon Leroux.
LerOux was q parish politician from
some place near Quebec, and his
clean-shaZen, wrinkled face was as
hard and mean as any city boss in the
United States. He and old Tom used
to be cioseted together for hours at
a time.
I never liked the man and I never
cared for Carson's business ways 1
was glad to leave him the day after
my legacy arrived.
My plans were vague. I had been
occupying, at a low rental, q tiny
apartment consisting of two rooms, a
bath and what is called q Kitchen
ette," at the top of an old building
In Tenth street which was about to be
pulled down. l he'd half planned to
take boat for Jamaica. 1 wanted to
think and plan.
The Eskimo dog was growing un-
easy. It would run from me. looking
round and uttering a succession of
short barks, then run back and tug at
my overcoat again.
Evidently 1t wished me to accom-
pany it, and wondered who its mas
ter was and how it came to be there
1 rose and followed the beast, which
showed its eager delight by running
ahead of me, turning round at times
to bark, and then continuing on its
way with d precision which showed
me that it was certain of it's destina-
ton.
The dog turned down a street in the
Twenties. ran on a few yards, bound
ed up a flight of stone steps and be-
gan scratching at the door Of a house
that was apparently empty.
This place knew by reputation. It
was Jim Days notorious but decently
conducted gambling establishment,
which was running full blast at time
when every other institution of this
character had found it convenient to
shut down.
So the creatures master was inside
Days, and it wished me to get him
OUL. = lOOhCQ SOIIS disappointment
at the closed doors and turned away.
] meant to go home, and 1 had pro-
ceeded about three PAGES when the
lock clicked. I stopped. The front
door opened cautiously and the gray
head OF Jim's- negro butler appeared.
Then emerged one of the most beau
dful women that have ever seen.
She could not have been more than
twenty years of age Her hair was
of a fair brown, the features modelled
splendidly. the head poised upon a
fawless throat that cleaned white be-
meath neckpiece Of magnificent
sable.
She carried a sable muff, too, and
under these furs was a dress OF I'M
stylish fashion and cut that contrasted
curiously with them. I thought that
those loose sleeves had passed away
before the nineteenth century died. In
one hand she carried a bag, into which
she was stu1ing a large roll Of bills.
She passed so close to me that her
dress brushed my overcoat, and for an
instant her eyes met mine. There was
a look in them that startled meter
ror and helplessness, as though she
had suffered some benumbing shock
which made her actions more auto
matte than conscious.