Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-11-26
Nv. RIsToRTs.

S0e IuTueu SudEpiJ, udll-Wdy uOWQ
block in the shadow of the Elevated,
and with the calm assurance of her ap-
parent kind entered what had once
been q dwelling of scme pretentious-
ness, but now was dedicated to the
decadent uses of-according to it's
painted signboard-"Risto Table
d'Hote-Dinner with Wine 75c.-
Luncheon Soc"
II the corridor at the head of the
first flight she turned to the back of
the house and laid a confident hand
upon the knob of the furthest door. 1t
turned, but the door was stubborn.
With a movement of impatience she
knuckled the panels with a triple
knock of peculiar timing. A hum of
voices In the closed room died away,
a heavy tread became audible. a key
grated. the door swung open. She
went in. nodding lightly to the man
who had admitted her and, finding
herself under the concentrated regard
of eleven pairs OF eyes, paused in the
middle of the floor and struck a spir-
tied pose.
"Good evening, folks! Pipe my new
ragsl"
The silence that answered her was
broken after little by Red Carnehan,
who said heavily: "Hello, kid. Sit
down"
Ignoring his invitation to an empty
chair on his right, she dropped her
pose but remained where she had
stopped, lifting her brows little and
reviewing the company with quizzical
gaze.
Though both windows were open
closed shutters prevented any draught
from vitiating the STIFFNESS of the
private dining room"-a bed-chambei
In the intention of the architect. Ir
an atmosphere sitting with smells oi
food, alcohol and truculent perfume
the smoke Of imitation Turkish tobac
co hung In lazy, lilac reefs. Discol
ored paper of a morbid pattern wa'
parting in reluctant spirals from th'
walls. Dust of decades weighed dowI
an elderly carpet and obscured TT
forid design. Scorbutic paint disfig
ured the fine old woodwork.
The man who had let Leonora fl
having resumed his chair, twelve wer
seated at table Uttered with debri
of meal, unclean earthenware plates
and those high-shouldered bottles o
dark glass, guiltless Of labels, whicl
seem to be the sole habitat of the VII
du pays so generally known as ire
ink" that to name it by this alias n
longer excites a smile.
Because of the heat all the men bu
one-Mr. Harry the Nut-had put oi
their coats and collars, while the won
en- had loosened their blouses at th
throat. Sweat beaded faces of variou
compilations, ranging from the sar
guine countenance of Red to the past
ness Of Charlie the Coke. Leonor;
looking from one to another, foun
each, with the exception of Reds, su
len Of cast if not openly hostile. Sh
sketched lofty smile.
whats the funeral?"
Red Carnehan-red of head an
: hand-an Italo-Celtic product, as slel
der, supple and sinewy as a snake, an
| as deadly-replied sufficiently, an
body's--yet," and again waved a han
toward the vacant chair. "Whyn't yc
a sit DOWN. He added: you're prett
q late"
9 "What about it?" The girl fiounce
$ to the table and threw herself sid
u ways into the chair.
English Addie, blonde, blousy ar
q full-bodied, sprawled half across Il
e table and, without removing the cig
s rette from her mouth, spoke in accen
/, of cloying affection fatty denied |
r her semi-sober stare Of jealousy:
d maybe you won't mind telIin'
q wat mide you lite, dearie :"
f Leonora experienced a qualm of mi
givings. Had somebody spied on h
and Mario and hurried ahead to ts
= tie? F.. Even so, that was a matt
between Red and herself, nothing
d excite ill-feeling in the others. B
Red was apparently unruffled, althou
d unusually subdued for him, and pt
haps a shade suspiciously impartial
!. his attitude.
She lied readily, without q quivt
naming two nlain-clnthes man sha h