Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-22
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER "
The Inner Circle


CHAPTER ~
The Inner Circle
" Hey caught the afternoon train
for the city.
1t was a perfect summer eve
ming in June. They mounted the
breakneck spiral to the top Of bus
and jolted and swayed across to
Fifth avenue, then uptown in blocks
of motors and taXis. Everywhere
were gay crowds, almost as if New
York were itself a summer resort.
Sauntering slowly down Forty
Ninth street, they found the address
of the Inner Circle, a big old brown
stone house midway in the block
west of the avenue, back Of high
iron fence with plain brass knocks
setting off the sections. Heavy grill
ed doors opened into an English
basement. Two or three smart mo-
tors were drawn up along the curb.
"Recherche" nodded Dick, hest
tating a bit.
Garrick turnet. in at the gate and
dressed a button by the side of the
doors. aren't I s. lect enough tor
re inner Circle?" He Strengthened
with true British swank.
The door swung open. Garr1ck in
uuired nothing, explained nothing
He inclined slightly toward DICK to
nrecede him and they passed the
Anericanized butler. 1t had been a
MAGNIFICENT gesture on Garrlck S
part. The most difficult thing had
been accomplished on sheer nerve.
He might have owned the place as
he the way un I , short flight OF
stairs from the former basement.
"Monsieur Georges-as I live"
Garrick grasped the hand Of a
thick-set, erect, very dark French
man with a black, pointed mustache.
He had been standing just at the
head Of the ctairs.
"Ah-h! Is it Monsieur the Adml-
ralv' The Frenchman grinned pleas
antlv, displaying VOWS OF splendlo
teeth. Indeed he seemed in tine
trim.
Before them opened little alcove
reception room. Garrick paced on
into it, followed by Georges, and In
troduced Dick.
"You must know Monsieur, Dick,
who made the old C--ateau Rouge up
by Tarrytown so wonderful IN the
old days?" -.
Georges motioned them to a lit
tie table, clapped his hands sharp
ly and a waiter appeared on rub
Der heels, took an order and they
settled themselves. Nov for the
mystery of the dancing men," Whls-
pered Garrick to Dick just as
Georges turned. There was just
shade of contempt in Garrick's tone
of raillery. At a glance he had TAX
en- 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. Gradual
ly Dick pieced together the drama
Of the present.
It seemed that group Of rapid
young people, many of them his
own acquaintance, had started
what they called the Fifty club"
There had been a split Of some
kind, reducing the stalwarts down
to twenty. The twenty had tried
to go it alone. But it had been too
much for their allowances. 1t had
been q bit too exclusive.
Now it was really a private club
run by M. Georges who had catered
to the elite of a generation at the
Chateau Rouge. Most of the TWEEN
ty had stuck, and enough of the
selected elect admitted by card kept
the inner circle going.
The long, wide, high-ceilinged par
lor of the old house had been re-
modelled into a dining room with a
beautiful dance floor. Outside they
could hear the plaintive rhthmic
notes of the clubs own Hawaiian
orchestra of three performers.
AS nearly as Garrik could make
it out, M. Georges was making an
excellent thing out of the revolt
against reform.
In a lull of the conversation and
above the soft Hawaiian strains
floated new voices from a table OUT
side.
"Well, Glenn, here we are. alone
for once"
Dick peered cautiously out
through slightly-parted portieres
and nodded to Guy. 1t was Vira.
"It does seem good, doesn't it?''
she was saying. mo Rae, no Ruth,
no rumpus. Let's have no worry.
You've been looking nervous. late
ly."
"Vira, you're great tonight! That
violet tweed is slick. If 1 stole a
kiss . would you register anger?
That's the word they use, isn't it?
Register?" Glenn chuckled con
tentedly as they toyed with thin
stemmed glasses. tits mighty fine
| Of you, Vira, to notice that
haven't been looking quite right.
didn't think you cared any more
for me than for the rest of them
To tell the truth I am worried .
but L can't tell anyone"
Il don't believe it's over exams
You don't seem to be carrying youl
! Horace or calculus around in youl
| pocket. You're not in love, are you
GLENN" Vira gave him look that
would have thrilled the audience OF
any movie palace from coast tt
| coast.
| Glenn reached over, took her hand
passed his foot under the table anC
laid it gently over her dainty ankle
Honest to God, Vira, 1 love your
Then he added fervently, 81 want t.
get you in my racer, soon, and wei
motor out to some nice quiet spot
like Canoe Place used to be
and I'm going to tell you all about it
Will you let me tell you hoV
much 1 love you?"
Dear boy, I'm just dying to go OF
that ride with you" Her eyes wer,
sparkling like dew drops on a greer
leaf in the morning sun. Vira knew
it, meant them to sparkle. AT ;
lower level she would have reasoned
how could one get over dramatic mo
ments on the screen unless one livec
them? AS it was she merely felt.
Make it tomorrow, Vira." Glenl