Evening star., 1922-03-26
EVERY MAN HAS HIS PRICE

down the avenue came to an automatic
stop.
OF the northbound cars. the one
which halted nearest the curb was
4 big gray limousine which Wallace
Ramsey. who stood waiting to cross.
would have recognized at once. even
IL his attention had not been caught
and held by one Of its occupants.
girl. who. at the pause. leaned for-
ward and glanced over the sidewalk
throngs.
Her eyes encountered his for sec
ond and then swept on. But for
Ramsey il was one of those heeting
moments which come to all OF u.s.
when tho world about US seems sud
denly unreal.
The girl turned again to the man
heside her, whom Ramsey now recog-
nized as Haywood Atchison. Her
manner toward him was one of joy
Gus confidence, and she seemed to
be plying him with excited questions
broken by happy laughter. Atkinson
bland and smiling. his gray head
bent toward her. was answering them
with indulEent. pleased amusement
and Ramsey saw that one of her
hands was slipped into his. Then
the signals flashed again, and they
drove on.
Ramsey walked on up the street,
his mind ranking with indignant
protest. A girl like that with Ach-
son, Athene and a satyr! Who was
she? Possibly 4 relative. the
thought was consolatory. Atchison
was a bachelor. but bachelors did
often have nieces.
Ramsey had taken a long, aimless
stroll and now he realized that the
dinner hour was passing and that in
spite of his preoccupation he was
hungry, SO he stopped at one of the
hotels and went into the grill room.
Near the door some one hailed him.
1t was Howard Brown, a newspaper
man Of his acQuaintance.
Il was just wishing some one
would come in said Brown. I'm
all alone. Why don't you join me:'
Glad to-" returned Ramsey. and
took the opposite chair.
NO dinner Of herbs for me tonight,
laughed Brown presently, indicating
the array Of dishes before him. GIVE
got to stoke up the old engine.
There's work ahead, and 4 long, cold
drive behind me. I've just got back
from looking over Achison's ruined
bungalow"
"Achison's ruined bungalow" re-
pcated Ramsey. What do you
mean?"
Brown picked up the evening paper
beside his plate and handed it across
the table, pointing to brief article
on the front page.
They gave it only a couple OF
sticks" he said. contentedly. "Its
good for headlines in my sheet to-
morrow morning
d AMSEY hastily read the paragraph,
~ which stated that the country
homo Of Mr.. Haywood Achison, the
distinguished lawyer and art col
Iector, had been burned to the ground
shortly after noon. and it was re-
ported that a painting Of great value
had been lost in the flames. This had
not been verified. however, as it was
impossible to locate Mr.. Achison be-
fore going to press.
Anything that pertained to Achison
was Of interest to Ramsey, but he had
his own reasons for not showing that
fact too patiently.
"Too bad.' He tried to make his
comment casual. whats behind it?
Not much news value in the mere
burning of a bungalow out in Jer-
sey."
The backbone of the story" said
Brown, "is. so to speak, 'fade-in.'
We must flash back to the Edgewater
collection. Ever hear Of it? No: I
forgot that you are more or less of
newcomer among lis.
'well-In have to talk between
bites-Edgewater was queer old
Of money of a shoestring-back in
the seventies and eighties-got the
picture craze. and developed a pas
sion for collecting. He had agents
buying for him on the other side, and
was always a high bidder at the i'm
portant sales here. But when any
thing passed into his hands. it was
seen no more.
HE had a big house opposite the
mark, on the East Side. with the win
dovs barred like a Jail, for he lived
in constant dread Of his treasures be-
ing stolen. This obsession deepened
as time went on, until finally he ac-
tualiy set fire to his enormous gal
lery.
"when the fremen broke into the
house he was found dying, over
come by the smoke. A few OF the PIC
lures were saved-chieny the less
valuable ones, l believe.
"His widow was in q sanatorium al
.ba time, She is still alive, I under-
.tand. q great sufferer from rheuma-
tism. She got practically nothine
fr,m the estate. Edgewater had
sauandered his entire fortune on the
niotures, and they were gone-insur-
anoe imperative. Of course, under tne
circumstances. All she has had 10
.unnort her since his death was wna'
.he could get from an occasional sale
~ one or another of the small lot OF
pictures.
Among these. SO the story goes
v., a genuine, though unestablished
veIasouez. Achison-you know what
a bug he is on that sort Of thing
rot on the trail Of it and several
hov~ht if from her, prob.