New Britain herald., 1922-06-08
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER "
THE INNER CIRCLE

They caught the afternoon train fo
 the city.
 If was a perfect summer evening in June. They mounted the breaknecl
 spiral to the top of a bus and joftec and swayed across to Fifth Avenue then uptown in blocks of motors anc taxis. Everywhere were gay crowds almost as if New York were itself ( summer resort.
 Sauntering slowly down Forty. Ninth Street. the found the addres: of the Inner Circle. a big old brow. stone house midway in the block west of the Avenue. back of high iror fence with plain brass knobs setting off the sections. Heavy grilled doors opened into an English basement two or three smart motors were drawn up along the curb.
 "Recherche!" nodded Dick, hesitat- ing bit.
 Garrick turned in at the gate and pressed a button by the side of the doors. Aren't I select enough for the Inner Circle ?" He strengthened with true British swank
 The door swung open, Garrick in- quired nothing, explained nothing. He inclined slightly toward Dick to precede him and they passed the Americanized butler, It had been a magnificent gesture on Garrick's part. The most difficult thing had been ac- complished on sheer nerve.
 He might have owned the place as he led the way up the short flight of stairs from the former basement.
 Monsieur Georges-as I live!" Garrick's tone of raillery. At a thick-set. erect, very dark French man with black, pointed mustache He had been standing just at the head of the stairs.
 "Ah-h It is Monsieur the Ad miral." The Frenchman grinned pleasantly displaying rows of splendid teeth. Indeed he seemed in fine trim.
 Before them opened a lir.-.e alcove reception room. Garrick paced on into it, followed by Georges. and in- troduced Dick.
 You must know Monsieur, Dick, who made the old Chateau Rouge up by Tarytown so wonderful in the old days?"
 Georges motioned them to little table. capped his hands sharply and waiter appeared on rubber heels, took an order and they settled htem- selves. Now for the mystery of the dancing men, whispered Garrick to Dick just as Georges turned. There nh of pt ir, Garrick's one of raillery. At al glance he had taken an estimate of the character of the place.
 For ten or fifteen minutes Gar rick reminisced of the old days be- fore and during the war Gradually Dick pieced together the drama of the present.
 It seemed that group of rapid young people many of them his own acquaintances, had started what they called the Fifty Club" There had been a split of some kind, re- ducing the stalwarts down to twenty. l The twenty had tried to go it alone. | But it had been too much for their | It had been bit too ex- elusive.
 Now it was really a private club | run by M Georgfes who had catered | to the elite of generation at the Rouge. Most of the twenty had stuck, and enough of the se- lected elect admitted by card kept the Inner Circle going.
 The long, wide, high-cellinged par Tor of the old house had been re- modelled (to a dining room with Mance floor. Outside they could hear the plaintive rhythmic notes of the clubs own Hawaiian orchestra of three performers.
 As nearly as Garrick could make it put, M Georges was making an ex- cellent thing out of the revolt against reform.
 In a lull of the conversation and above the soft Hawaiian strains loated new voices from a table out x side.
 Well, Glenn, here we are, aolne- Or once"
 Dick peered cautiously out through ,; ~h<,,, ro r<ad porfteres and nodded