Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-11
CHAPTER III
Gray Meets a Friend

| IerV1oWlng the elusive CALVIN Gray
| whoever he might be-but luck appeared to
| be with him, for shortly after his arrival at
| the hotel the object of his quest appeared
| Mr.. Gray was annoyed at being discovered;
| he was, in fact loath to acknowledge his
| identity. Usually Mr.. Gray's secretary saw
| interyiewers. However, now that his identi-
| ty was known, he had not the heart to be
| discourteous to fellow journalist. Yes! He
had once owned a newspaper--in Alaska. In
| cidentaly, it the farthest-north publca-
| ton in the world
/ Alaska was hard country quite So but
nothing like Mexico during the revolution.
! Mexican sugar and mahogany, it TRANSFERRED
had occupied Mr.. Grays attention for time
as had Argentine cattle Yucatan hennequin
and an engineering enterprise in Bolivia, not
! to mention other investments closer to home,
| Once the speaker had become reconcied
| to the distasteful necessity of talking about
himself he suggested an adjournment to
his rooms where he would perhaps suffer
less embarrassment by reason of his I'M
avoidable use of the personal pronoun.
Gray noted the effect upon his visitor of
the governors suite and soon had the young
man at ease, with Corona between his
teeth. Then followed a full three-quarters
of an hour, during which the visitor dis
coursed in his very best style and his caller
sat spellbound
Gray called at several other banks that
morning. He strobe in swiftly, introduced
himself with quick incisiyeness and tarried
only long enough to fix himself fndelibly in
the minds of those he had come to see,
then he left On the street, his long legs
covered the ground at something less than
run, his eyes were keenly alert, his face
set in purposeful lines Pedestrians turned
to look after him.
At the mayors office he was denied ad-
mission to the chief executive but insisted
so peremptorily as to gain his end. The
call ended by the two men lunching together
at the City club, as Gray had assumed it
would, and he took pains that the bankers
upon whom he had called earlier in the
morning should him in company with
the mayor
TT returned to his hotel that afternoon
II pretty well satisfied with his efforts
and hopeful that some of the seed he
had sown broadcast would be, ripe for the
reaping ere long. But he received an cleo
trio shock as he approached the desk, for
the bell captain addressed him, saying:
'Mr. Haviland wishes to see You at once,
in his office"
There was curious brightness to the i'm
posters eyes, a reckless hooking smile upon
his lips, when he stepped into the managers
office.
Haviland handed him a copy of the lead
ing afternoon paper, and Gray's eyes flashed
to the headline of an article reading
Calvin Gray, Hero of Sensational Exploits,
in Dallas
Adventures Read Like Page of Romance
Famous Financier Admits Large Oil Interests
Behind Him
From the opening paragraph Gray judged
that he had impressed the reporter even more
deeply than he had supposed, but he took
no satisfaction therefrom, for Haviland was
saying:
i've read the whole story, but l want
you to tell me something more about your
| self"
"4Ehat do you wish to know"
Were you in France?"
Over the visitors face there came a subtle
change. Whereas, upon entering, he had
worn an expression of careless defiance, now
he appeared to harden in every fiber and
to go on guard
81 have been many times in France"
II mean during the war. Did you server"
There was a pause Il did," Gray's eyes
remained fixed upon his interrogation, but
| they had begun to smolder.
Then you're Colonel Gray. Colonel Calvin
Gray"
"Quite So" The speakers voice was
harsh, and it came with an effort but
you didn't read that in the Post. Come!
What's the idea? Out with it,
Strange circles we move in" Haviland
was saying do you know who owns the
controlling interest in this hotel? Surely you
must know or can guess. Think moment.
It's somebody you met over there and have
reason to remember"
| sound escaped from the throat of Col
| onel Gray-nOt a cry, but rather gasp OF
| amazement, or of rage.
"Aha!" Haviand grinned in triumph. Il
| thought"
| His guest leaned forward over the desk,
| with face twitching Passion had driven the
blood from it, and his whole expression was
| one of such hatred, such fury, the metamor-
! phosis was so startling, that the hotel man
stiffened in his chair and stared upward in
! sudden amazement.
aNelson!", Gray calculated. "Nelson By
God! He's here!"
! Haviand stirred Fl don't know what
you're talking about. Who's Nelson?" After
| second he exclaimed: Good Lord!
thought I had pleasant surprise for you,
and 1 was gracefully leading up to it, butt
must have jazzed it all up. l was going to
tell you that the hotel and everything-in it
| is yours"
| H"Eh?"
"Why, the Ajax is one of the Dietz chain!
/ Herman Dietz, of Cincinnati, owns it. He
I left for the north not an hour ago. At the
! last minute he heard you were here-read
| this story in the paper-and had bellboys
securing the place for you.'
Colonel Gray uttered another exclamation,
this time an expletive of deep relfefJ He
! fought with himself moment, then muir
INJURED an apology Sorry. You gave me
a start-decdedly Herman Dietz he. Well,
well! You made me think for a moment
that was a guest in the house of some other
friend"
! "Friend?"
Exactly Gray was himself again now.
He ran a loosening finger between his collar
! and throat "Quite start, I'll admit, but
some of my friends great practical