St. Tammany farmer., 1922-07-08
THE ST FARMER coVGToN La SATURDAY july 1922

surprise ne carefully concealed He
guessed that this was belated at.
tempt on the part of Miss Whitford'.
nance to overcome the palpable dislike
ne had for her friend. II so, the i'm.
pulse that inspired the offer was q
creditable one. Lindsay had no desire
to take In any of the plague spots OF
the city with Bromfeld. Something
about the society man set his back up
to use his own phrase. But because
this was true he did not intend to be
outdone In generosity by successful
rival. Promptly and heartily he ac-
cepted the invitation. II he had
known that note and card from
jerry Durand lay In the vest pocket
OF his cynical host while he was hold
Ing out the olive branch, it is probable
the Arizonan would have said, mo,
thank you, kind sir"
me note mentioned no names. It
said, Wednesday, at Maddock's, IL
p. m. Show this card"
And to Maddock's, on Wednesday,
at an hour something earlier then IL.
the New Yorker led his guest after a
call at one or two clubs.
Even from the outside the place had
a dilapidated look that surprised
Lindsay. .The-bell was Of that brand
you keep pulling till you discover 1t
ls out Of order. Decayed gentility
marked the neighborhood, though the
blank front Of the houses looked i'm
peccably respectable.
AS feeble camouf1age Of its real
reason for being, Maddock's called
itself the. "Omnium club" But when
Clay found how particular the door
keeper was as to those who entered
he guessed at once 1t was a gambling
house.
From behind a grating the man
peered at them doubtfully. Rromf1eld
showed a card. and aftp,. some hesi-
tation on the part Of his inquisitor,
passed the examination. Toward Clay
the doorkeeper jerked his-head inquir.
ingly.
"He's all right" the clubman
vouched
Again there was suspicious and
lengthy scrutiny.
The door opened far enough to let
them slide into a scantily furnished
hall. On the landing was another
guard, heavy, brutal-looklng fellow
who was no doubt the "chucker-out. ;"
He, too, looked them over closely, but
after a glance at the card drew aside
to let them pass.
Through door near the head Of the
stairs they moved into large room.
evidently made from several smaller
ones with the partitions torn Gown and
the ceilings pillared at intervals.
Clay had read about the magnifi-
cence Of Canfield's In the old days
and he was surprised that one so fas-
tidious as Bromfield should patronize
a place so dingy and so rough as this.
At the end Of one room was a marble
mantelpiece above which there was a
defaced, gilt-frame mirror. The chan
deliers, the chairs the wallpaper, all
the same note Of one-time
opulence worn to shabbiness.
A game Of Klondike was going.
There were two roulette wheels, faro
table, and one circle Of poker players.
The cold eyes Of sleek, slippery
man sliding cards out Of a faro-box
looked at the westerner curiously.
Among the suckers who came to this
den of thieves to be robbed were none
OF Clay's stamp. Lindsay watched the
white, dexterous hands Of the dealer
with an honest distaste. All along
the border from Juarez to Calexico he
had seen just such soft, skilled fingers
fleeing those who toiled. He knew
the bloodless, impassive face Of the