Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-31
BY Katharine
0 NetVlin Burt

CHAPTER !
A Queer Customer

ysved as to nalr uhu very "Ye" "1"
..,.d as to fingers, minding the desk
:, the River Hotel. was twice aware Of
. .entlv spoken question before she felt
eon.trained to remove her gaze from
sn object Of stronger interest.
"When you get real weary, lady,
.hs gentle voice began a third time, and
now there was II drawl in it's gentleness,
nof ,azins at the blond feller that runs
~ buzz box. I'd sure be obliged IL
,ou,d transfer n little Of your attention
70 me-
At this she did--menning to look the
,,saker over ut her leisure. But she
slammed at his eyes. They seemed to
,.e All the little bones Of her head and
.u the little nerves that ran through
Tho sroy matter and all the sensations
and comments that were being carried
.iono these nerves; but. besides seeing
ali these things, the eyes seemed at
tbc same time to be looking quite
,hyoueh to n point miles and broad miles
bebind her, so that she was appallingly
conscious of the infnitesimal smallness
~ those afore mentioned bones and
nerves and the utter insigniRcance Of
.hsir devices, For the rest--the eyes
werc very gray. very cool, very bril-
liant. and-beyond all Miss Benton S
srperience Of eyes--direct.
:. Quite involuntarily and before she
vss conscious Of meaning to speak at
ali. she found herself stammering. 'Oh,
7 ber pardon and It was the first
fine in her capacity of clerk that she
had ever made even gesture Of apology.
A. The same time she blushed and,
Jropping her confused gnze. she pushed
tbs hotel register forward. dipped n pen
into the ink we'll and handed the holder
70 the owner of the extraordinary eyes.
lie took it with a certain deliberateness.
The hand was brown and well-kept and
muscular. 1t laid hold of the pen and
cramped itself awkwardly about 1t. A
sleek head with air Of nondescript sun.
bleached brown and a pair Of powerful
shoulders bent over the hand. With
royal disregard for lines, and limita.
tons, the stranger wrOte-wrote slowly,
wrote laboriously. wrote very large.
Fascinated by the great expenditure Of
force in his manipulation of the splut-
tprlng pen, Tue ElTl IOilONtu tuC SpI ava
ing letters with her look
q. r. Kinwydden
"Residence?" she murmured.
The pen hung for an instant in sus-
pense, Then it was laid carefully aside.
"If anybody asks you where | come
from, lady. you can tell 'em from all
over the West.
Mariana jumped as the eyes were
raised again.
81 want room and bath, ma am.
said Y. #. Kinwydden. Hot and cold
water runnin out of II tap and electric
lights you can push on and of with
your trigger finger. savvyE'
The blond elevator boy had moved
two or three steps closer. He had
prominent eyes. but at the moment they
were more than prominent They
bulged. His jaw hung loose.
Mariana took down Il key. Room
30. Bill" she said. The gentleman =
bag is over there by the door
.I'll pack my own stuff. thanks to
you just the same said the new guest
he walked with his bag into the ele-
vator. During the ascent he shut his
eyes and clenchcd his hands: also. he
murmured something under his breath.
W nut My uSkeU tHe UON.
'"'Nothin' it would do you any good
| TO hear. son. was the answer.
Bill disembarked on the fourth floor,
his passenger stepping out with Il ner-
vousness exaggerated. il would seem,
for his own private amusement.
Does she stay there till you get
back he asked. cyeng the elevator
as one eyes Il fascinating enemy.
Bill gaped and nodded.
ITS sure wonderful.
The long hall was Carpetcd in worn
aud faded red. the walls needed re-
papering, the woodwork needed re-
painting For that. Bills uniform
needed rcnovating, and it would not
lave injured his blondncss to shave or
10 wash back Of his ears. The door of
Room 90 was opened and n cubic square
Of stitay furnished space was offered to
Q, 7. Kinwyddcns occupancy.
where's your baggage. sir?' in.
quired Bill
The guest set town his bag in the
middle Of the brown figured carpet and
pointed at it. Here. sir, " said he.
"four trunks, I mean, sir
'lm agon' out to catch me up II
trunk after supper. sir. He looked
at Bill You wai,m' for Il tip.
Bill blushed
"Al right, sir. YOU sure asoin
TO capture one. What's this: Two
bits: Here You are, sOn-for your
courage and energy in runnin' the buzz
boz"
Rill took the tip and went out. 4
novel sensation Of shame possessed him.
lie wished he hadn't taken the tip. but
ne could not understand the cause
for so incxpicahle Il wish. Bill rubbed
his back hair. which needed cutting, and
went into the elevator. Queer Gus
l0mer, he said and sucked in his lips
The customer did conduct himself
Nueerly enough in sober truth. He went
quickly 70 tn" wall near the door after
hlll had closed it, and there he pressed
hEt a white button, then a black.
Studying meanwhile with huge gravity
ana interest the alternating effect on
me globe in the ceiling. He did this
ABOUT fifty times. Then he sauntercd
INTO tn" bathroom and turned the bath
'Hb handle labeled "IIot." When
'ond OF steam rose he shook his head.
sure wonderful" "
ne lett the water running and re-
turned TO the bedroom. He raised q
green and shabby shade and looked down
On the main street of Sluypenkill. There
was a garage opposite. An automobile
STOOD by the curb. The street was
,ined with hideous square buildings of
rame and brick, small hardware. dry
goods and stationers' shops, a liberal
sprlnkling Of saloons. Beyond the roofs
OF the town climbed down TO the broad
anu bright expanse Of the Hudson River
ana up to the base of round noun
am dishgured by funicular railway.
Across the river there was larger and
perhaps an uglier town bristling with