The Washington herald., 1920-07-27
THE GREEN
DOOR
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

inspected it. In the same hand
writing that appeared on the first
card The Green Door" was in
scribed upon it. Three or four
cards were tossed to the pave
ment by pedestrians both follow
ing and leading him. These fell
blank side up. Rudolf turned
them over. Every one bore the
printed legend OF the dental
''parlors."
Rarely did the arch sprite Ad-
venture need to beckon twice TO
Rudolf Steiner, his true follower.
But twice 1t had been done. and
the quest was on.
Rudolf walked slowly back 10
where the giant negro stood by
the case of rafting teeth. This
time as he passed he received no
card. In spite of his gaudy anu
ridiculous garb, the Ethiopian dis
played natural barbaric dignity
as he sto, d offering the cards
suavcly to some, allowing others
to pass unmoicSted. Every half
minute he chanted a harsh, unin-
telligible phrase akin to the jab-
ber of car conductors and grand
opera. And not only did he with
hold card this time, but It
seemed to Rudolf that he received
from the shining and massive
black countenance, a look OF cold,
almost contemptuous disdain.
The look stung the adventurer.
that he had been found wanting.
He read in il a silent accusation
Whatever the mysterious written
words on the cards might mean.
the black had selected him twice
from the throng for their recipi-
ent; and now seemed to have
condemned him as deficient in the
wit and spirit to engage the
enigma.
Standing aside from the rush.
the young man made a rapid es-
innate of the building in which
he conceived that his adventure
must lie. Five stories high it
rose. A small restaurant occu-
pied the basement.
The first floor, now closed.
seemed to house millinery or
furs. The second floor, by the
winking electric letters. was the
dentists. Above this a poIyglot
babel of signs struggled to indi-
cate the abodes of palmists. dress
makers. musicians. and doctors.
Still higher up draped curtains
and milk bottles white on the
window sills proclaimed the re-
gions of domesticity.
After concluding his survey
Rudolf walked briskly up the
high flight of stone steps into
the house. Up two flights of the
carpeted stairway he continued:
and at its top paused. The hall
way there was dimly lighted by
his right, the other nearer, to his
left. He looked toward the
nearer light and saw, within its
moment he hesitated: then he
seemed to see the contumelious
sneer of the African juggler OF
straight to the green door and
knocked against it.
Moments like those that passed
before his knock was answered
measure the quick breath of true
adventure. What might not be
behind those green panelsi Came
Sters at play; cunning rogues
batting their traps with subtle
skill; beauty in love with cour-
age, and thus planning to be
sought by it; danger. death, love,
disappointment. ridicule-any of
these might respond to that tenn
erarious rap.
A faint rustic was heard inside
and the door slowly opened. A
girl not yet twenty stood there,
white-faced and tottering. She
loosed the knob and swayed
weakly, cropping with one hand.
Rudolf caught her 'and laid her
on faded couch that stood
against the wall. He closed the
door and took a swift glance
around the room by the light Of
. nickertnG gas lst. Neat but