The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-21
The Wine of Life
STORY OF AN AMBITIOUS Young SCULPTOR

confidence. BY this time, too, he
had become calmer. The guile of
the stalker, even with his won hap
piness as the quarry, had returned
to him.
He wrapped up the box in a
sheet of drawing paper and car
ried it to a Twenty-third street
basement 1ocksmith, explaining
that he had lost the key and would
like a duplicate. An uncomforta-
BILE sense of guilt crept over him
as the locksmith took the box In
his hand. inspected 1t and then
with an equally pointed stare in
spected Storrow.
1t would not be an easy key to
cut, the mechanic explained, but
II could be done by noon the next
day, II the box were left with him.
That, Storrow confusedly explained,
was out of the question. Then the
silmpest procedure, the locksmith
retorted, pointing to the makers
name on the lid. was to take the
box to the Broadway store where 1t
had been bought and have a dupli-
cate fitted.
The Box Unlocked.
Storrow. with the feelings Of a
safe-cracker burdened with over
suspicious loot, proceeded to the
Broadway store in question. There
the box was promptly fitted with
key which he paid for and peck
eted. Then with a quickened pulse
he made his way back to the studio.
As he crossed Fifth avenue at
Twenty-sixth street. he heard him
self accosted from a passing taxi
cab.
Hello, Captain Kidd!' cried a
voice close beside him. The APP
positiveness of that salute sent a
tingle through the body against
which a ravaged treasure-chest was
so tightly pressed. He glanced up
to see Matte Crowder's hectically
calsomined face laughing down at
him from the door of the slowly
moving cab. He recovered himself
and called back at her with an as
sumption of light-heartedness which
later impressed him as vapidly
ludicrous. He was relieved when
he was once more able to lock him
self safely in the studio.
There, with elaboration which
was a mild surprise to him, he pro-
ceeded to examine the contents of
the box. He found the soiled
chamois bag with, its rings and
trinkets. He found a small silver
watch without a crystal, a sheaf Of
newspaper clippings and, theatrical
programs and champagne cork
with a date written On II in lead
pencil. He found a druggist pre-
scription and the dinner card Of a
coast steamer overscored with I'M
mistaably clever drawings, inter-
spersed with humorous and affec.
tionate comments.
He found two reservation slips
with the dates obliterated, for draw
ing rooms on the West Shore Rail-
way, between Weehawken and
Buffalo. Then came a few soiled
dance favors, the remnants of
small cluster of violets which had
once, apparently, been pressed be-
tween the leaves of a book, and
small gold pocket pencil infinitely
indented, as though 1t had been re-
peatedly and meditatively held be-
tween firm and pointed teeth.
Next came a photograph Of Tor
RE, in costume with the inscription,
my first part" written in ink
across the bottom, a snapshot of five
laughing girls clustered about the
steps of a Pullman car, and still
another picture of Torrie, in her
youth, revealing soft-oyed and
smooth checked girl in her early
teens, flower-like in her freshness,
with wonder touched by curiosity or,
the rapt young face above the
archaic looking fichu and the over
heavy locket that nestled in its
frills.
b TO Be Continued Tomorrow