The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-05-11
starts ON Page u

tNtafiN ON fAst ~
the press. and. having succeeded. he
was enough of q salesman 20 avoid
the fatal error OF ovor-s1llinE.
Alone at last. sardonie erin orcpt
over his features 80 far 30 good
Now for the rest ~ these bankers
and the mayor. Gray was working
rapidly. bat be knew no other way
" working. and speed vas essential
u seemed 90 him not unlikely that
DELAY OF the slightest might force
him % turn in desperation 20 a
length % lead pipe and a mask. FOR
IA man must live, As yet he had
no very definite plans. he had merely
undertaken 20 establish himself In a
position 10 profit by the first oppor.
tunity. whatever it might he, And
opportunity OF some sort would sure
~ como. II always did. What Is
more, IL had an agreeable way OF
. turning M Just when he was mos.
In need Of n.
Gray called az several other hanks
that morning lie strodc IN swiftly.
introduced himself with quick In
cisiVencss, and tarFivd only Ions
enough 20 fix himself indcllhily In the
minds Of those he had come 10 see.
then he left Therr ara right and
wrong ways of closing deal or %
ending an interview. and Gray FIAT
tered himself that he posses al 'trr-
minal facilities lie was very busy.
always a bit pressed for time. always
a moment late; hts theory Of con-
slant forward motion never permitted
sn awkward pause in conversation.
On the street. his long legs covered
tho ground at something lesa than a
run. his eyes were keeniy alert. his
face sex in purposcfui lines Pedcs-
TRANS turned TO look after him.
AZ the mayors office he was de-
ned admission 70 the chief executive.
but insisted so perempioriiy as 10
gain his end. once inside. he con-
veyed his compliments with such a
graceful flourish that his intrusion
assumed tho Importance OF a cerc-
mony and the Peoples Choice was
fiattered. He inferred that this Cali
win Gray made a practice OF present
ing his formal respects 20 tho digni-
tares % all the large cities he visited
and deemed Il n favor 20 them. No
doubt Il was. II no so considered u.
for he appeared 10 be fully aware Of
his own importance. After all. il
WAS an agreeable practice. Since no
man in public life can risk offending
people OF Importance. His Honor uR-
bent. Gray turned current Jest
upon Texas politics into neat com,
pliruent TO the city's executive; they
laughed: formaiity yani he'd: person
nj magnetism made itself felt. The
call ended BY the two men lunching
together at the City club. as Gray
had assumed II would. and he took
pains that the bankers upon whom
he had called earlier In the morning
should see him in company with the
mayor.
He returned to his hotel that after
noon pretty well satisfied with his ef-
forts and hopeful that some OF tbs
seed be had rown broadcast would he
ripe for the reapiug erc-iong. Bu,
he received an electric shock MS be
approached the desk. for the ben
captain addressed him. saying:
-Atr. Haviland wishes 10 see you
at once. in his Office
Indeed: Anything Important
Very important, sir. I've been
waiting Tor you TO come in There
was something ominous about this
unexpected summons. or perhap.
about the manner OF its delivery. AZ
any rate. suspicion leaped. into Gray,
mind.
Sol haviland was wise, Quick
work that. Evidently he had invcs-
tigated. thru those mysterious
sources OF information available e
great hotels. or perhaps some one
had seen and recognized him. Wen
that was the way his luck had run
iately--every break against him. Nov
Z -Gray's shoulders lifted Ia shruf
Of resignation was nothing Il
do except wave aside the biindfol(
and face the firing squad like ar
officer and a gentleman. But II wal
a pity that the crash had come y
soon; fortune might have given hin
at least short interval OF grace
HaviIand was probably in a cold rag,
al the discovery OF the fraud. ant
Gray could only hope that h.
wouldn't get noisy about II. for scenes
we're always annoying and some
times they ran TO unfortunat,
ienRfhs