Evening star., 1922-06-16
The Social Gangster
By Arthur b. Reeve.
One of The Stars Weekend Fiction Series.
Each story complete in three installments.

came out and stood in the entrance
her.
! Kennedy improved the opportunity
by calling another for us and by the
time she was ready to drive off we
the Prince Henry Hotel. where she
dismissed the machine and entered.
We did the same.
! by the way" asked Kennedy cas-
| ually. SaunterinE up to the desk az
ter she had stopped to get her keys
and letter, "can you tell me who
! that woman was?"
| The clerk ran his finger down the
names on the register. At last he
paused and turned the book around
to us. His fingers indicated: Mrs.
Katherine Du Mond. Chicago"
Kennedy and looked at each other
in amazement. Du Mond was married
| and his wife was in town. She had
not made a scene. She had merely
watched. What could have been
more evident than that she was seek.
/ ing evidence. and such evidence could
only have been for a court of law In
a divorce suit? The possibilities
| which the situation opened up for
Gloria seemed frightful.
| We left the hotel and Kennedy hur-
| ried down Broadway. turning off at
| the office of a young detective. Chase.
| whom he used often on matters of
pure routine for which he had no
| time
Chase" he instructed when we
were seated in the office, you recall
that advertisement of the lost neck
! lace in the Star by La Rue & Com
pany?"
The young man nodded. Every one
| knew it. Well resumed Kennedy.
Il want you to search the pawnshops,
particularly those of the Tenderloin.
for any trace you can find of it. Let
me know. If it is only a rumor.'
There was nothing more that we
could do that night. though Ken
nedy found out over the telephone, by
a ruSe, that, he suspected, the
country place of the Cabaret Rouge
was the objective of the gay party
which we had seen.
The next day was that OF the hunt
and we motored out to the North
Shore Hunt Club. 1t was a splendid
day and the ride was just enough to
put an edge on the meet that was to
follow.
We pulled up at last before the
rambling colonial building which the
Hunt Club boasted as its home. Mrs.
Bracket was waiting for US already
with horses from the Bracket
stables.
I'm SO glad YOU came" she greeted
US aside. Gloria is hereunder pro-
test That young man over there
10 HeT is SHlltH-
Brown. as they call him, was about a
moment ago-or. yes. there he is. COM
ing over on that chestnut mare to
talk to them. / wanted you to see
them here. After the hunt, If you
care to. think you might go over to
the Cabaret Rouge out here. You
might find out something"
She was evidently quite proud of
her handsome daughter, and that any
thing should come up to smirch her
name cut her deeply.
The Hunt Club was a swagger or
ganization, even in these degenerate
days when farmers will tolerate
broken fences and trampled crops.
and when democratic ideas interfere
sadly with the follies of the rich. In
cap with big peak. scarlet hunt
ing coat and white breeches with top
boots. Bracket himself made a strik
ing figure of NJ. +. II.
There were thirty or forty in the
field. the men in silk hats. For the
most part one could not see that the
men treated Gloria much differently
But II was evident that the women
did. In fact. the coldness even ex-
tended to her mother, who would
literally have been frozen out if it
had not been for her quasi official
position. 1 could see now that it
social life.
AS we watched Gloria we could see
that Franconi was lowering around
unsuccessfully trying to get an op-
portunfty to say word to her alone.
Just before we were off a telegram
came to her. which she read and
hastily stuffed into a pocket of her
lriding habit.
But that was all that happened and
fell to studying the various types Of
human nature. from the beginner who
rode very hard and very badly and
| m cal
NJ. F. H. to the old seasoned lun.er
who talked of the old days of real
! foxes and how he used to know all
the short cuts to the coverts
1t was a keen, crisp lay. Already
a man had been over the field pulling
along the ground a little bag OF
aniseed. and now the hunt was about
to start.
Noses down. sterns feathering zig
gag over the ground. shifting earth
and leaves and grass, the hounds
We, were brought rous ,niG up; One seemed to
lifted his head with a half yeIp. half
whine, high-pitched, frenzied. never
to-be-forgotten. Others Joined in the
music. Gone away" sounded a
hounds, however. for the most part
run mute and very fast, so that that
picturesque feature was missing.
But the light soil and rail fences of
hunting. Nor was it SO easy as it
seemed to follow. Also there was
the spice of danger. risk to the hunt
ers, the horses and the dogs.
We went for four or five miles.
Then there was a check for the
stragglers to come up. Some had
fresh mounts, and all of US were glad
of the breathing space while the NJ.
F. H. held" the hounds.
While we waited we saw that Mrs.
Brackett was riding about quickly,
as il something were on her mind.
A moment later she stopped to speak
to her husband, then galloped over
to us.