Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-02

solously searched through the great
restaurant Of black and gold for
Mary Regan---just as, almost uncon-
sciously. he haa been seeking her
wherever he had been during the six
months of agreed-upon silence since
they had parted. He did not expect
10 see her here, hence felt no disap-
poiptment when his rowing eyes did
not come upon her. She had said
she would write when she had
thought It all out, and when she was
ready to see him. Six months was a
long time, but he believed in her
woodland still waited, not once hav-
ing sought to penetrate that utter
privacy which she had asserted to be
for her, at that time. life's prime es-
sential. But. though keeping his
word, he had often been impatient,
and had often wondered.
Meditatively Clifford glanced over
this great crowd of well dressed
diners. For him they were atsvivid
concentration, a cross-section. OF
life-of life as he. in his philosophy,
and in tho pursuit Of his profession,
had come to see IT.. Here were mil
iionaires, many of them having made
their easeful fortunes by dubious op.
crations which shrewd counsel had
stored just within the law; here
were young men of moderate means,
spending recklessly; here were So
ciety women of the younger and
smarter set, with their escorts. SOW
ing the seeds, though they dreamed
1t not, of possible scandal and pos
sl~rA y H. HyxA
Of that breed Of humans who are
known as sporting men: here Were
the most finished types OF professional
crooks. many accompanied by the f1rl-
ished women Of their own kind. but
here and there with them girl who
with whom she ate and drank. and
no idea of the end Of this her pleas
ant adventure; and here were re-
spectacle mothers and their dsugh-
ters, who were innocent OF what sat
at the next table; and here were out
excited and exalted by the thought
that they were seeing life--New
York!--the real New York!
clifford smiled sadly. rather grim
~, 10 himself. These conglomerate
guests were proof OF what ne aad
tinct underworld. no distinct upper
world: that in ideas and personalities
the two were always merging. THIS
scene summarized what experience
Had made the basic idea of Clifford's
working philosophy: the, great IN
terrelation, the great interdependence,
Vfe great oneness Of all humanity.
y,ooking over this mixture of AL
Obrts, In which acquaintance was 50
easy to make. clifford thought Of the
strange dramas that had their begin
0ings in the Grand Alcazar and estab-
1ish,nents of it's kind. Thus much
Md the dancing c:aze. though now
receded from It's earliest frenzy ana
the practice Of dining and eating mid
night suppers In the SNOWY restau-
rants achieved; 1t had brought all
sorts Of persons. so long as they were
W elL Dire ssedr under the same roof and
had set them down at the same or ad-
Joining tables. Hardly since time be-
gan had that important requisite of
great drama been so nearly perfect az
IN these restaurants-for people or
different ideas and interests and
moral standards TO meet naturally
Npop II common ground
A little man. swart of face. his mus
tache tightly waxed. and in the
sfnnrtest evening dress that conVen-
tlon permits the male. paused and
spoke to Clifford gentleman whom
most OF the patrons of the pace
knew, If they knew him mt all, as
M. lie Balm Though the master OF
this ornate pleasure palace, he spoke
obseauiously.
i Clifford liked to see the great little
IMAM souirm. police trouble you
much here" he asked.
''No, Bob never see policeman
here. except when a captain or an in
spector comes I'm to eat the great
yestaurateur said nervously.
mot like the old days downtown
with their raids--eh, Joe?'
! 'Nothing Of that sort-evcr!' And
with g quick look around that showed
he feared some one might have over
heard these sentences and guessed
what lay behind them, he said some
room floor and hurried away.
| Clifford watched the famous res
faurateur. again smiling grimly. IF
these people here--thc respectable
ones at lcast--knew the record of Joe
Gordon (Which again was not the
name given him at birth), knew from
what places and occupations he had
made his way to his cmincnce of fore
most host and impresario of prandial
entertainmont--wf hat panic there
would be! COR would there be IL pau
ic?) Life was certainly strange with
ats emergencies, its juXtapositions, it's
crossing of thEeads--strauge at least
30 him who was always seeing behind
tho scenes. Yes, life was certainly
strauQei