New Britain herald., 1924-07-03
NOW co oS WITH THE STORY

crimes In the first place, And haV- ing decided that my only safety lay in working alone. l could hardly eulti- vate the acquaintance of criminals, and learn their plans In advance. What had seemed. for several weeks, a most excellent theory. became sud- denly almost Impossible Of practice.
 And yet the theory was sound. l assured myself of this, Because I did not see immsdiately how to put 1t into working practice proved nothing against the theory. Still, though l cheerod myself with the re- fection that Opportunity is never so disguised but that keen eyes may learn her identity. was rather de- pressed as, dressed for dinner, I left my apartment in order to keep an enga cement with some casual ac- qualntanccs met at MaXim's bar.
 
 They were Americans like myself, who were in Paris on business, and who had. in return for some little courtcsies that I had shown them, expressed a desire that I should he their guest on tour of Montmartre.
 met them at the appointed time. had seen before, all that Mont martrc offered, but there were pleas ant chaps, gentlemen both, and 1t was pleasure to associate. however casually, with ones own kind. And they could get something of thrill from visiting the tawdry dives with which Paris is infested.
 We wound up, late at night, at the Jardin des Nymphcs. ] would rather have said good night at the door of this place, but did not wish to seem unappreciative of my compatriots' hospitality. Nowing that l could not hold another glass of wine, I yielded to their importunities and en- tered the notorious dance-hall.
 All Tenderloins are alike; the Jar din des Nymphes has its parallel in New York, in San Francisco; I pre- sume that India and China could offer the vice-hungry visitor something similar. The underworld must make it's contacts somewhere, with the upper world on which it feeds --
 And nowadays these contacts are franker than they were dozen years ago. The so-cafled upper world has been invaded and conquered by bar barians: these outlanders bring to the circles to which their money has admitted them the crude tastes of the uncultured. So long as they arc amused, they care not who furnishes their pleasure.
 Tonight l saw pillars of finance embracing in the dance, women whose faces told their trade. I saw slant -browed youths, but yesterday from the gutter, one-stepping with women of assured social position. A philosopher noting how assduously the upper world courted the lower, might wonder at the pretense of diff ference between the two. But I was no philosopher: l was merely very bored and tired gentleman who wished that his friends would permit him to retire to his bed.
 One of my hosts ordered cham pagne. A moment later a bod-eyed girl smiled from an adjoining table. My friends rose gallantly to the oc- casion: in a moment the smiling fair one had acquired two other friendly maidcns, and they had crowded about our table at the edge of the dancing space.- More champagne was brought, and in another few moments my two hosts were dancing with their newly acquired charmers.
 
 I pleaded fatigue. The lady who had selected me as her gallant sighed with relief.
 Me, l ave dance my shoes almos' off," she said. q am glad that Mon seur feels not too gay"
 l looked at her; l did not even wish to talk to her. But after all, my friends had practically invited her to join us; common courtesy demanded speech. So we talked at random. Little by little l drew from her bits of information about the habitues Of the place, She had brutally droll humor, and was not sparing in it's use. A writer for one of the scandal papers would have reveled in the gross gossip, concerning the great and the near-great, which poured from her lips. For she knew which matron had compromised herself, which man had succumbed to harqy charms.
 And then she emitted a whistle of surprise. She had become intimate with me by now. She gripped my arm, and pointed at d tall, white haired man who was entering box on the other side of the floor. In the bright lights that illuminated the room I could sec him quite clearly. Well groomed, with an easy, assured manner. certain droop at one corner of his wide mouth seemed to indicate 1 that of the two worlds represented here, the lower had spawned him. That" said my fair informant, "is the White Eagle. Monsieur has 1 heard of him? No?"
 Who is he?" 1 asked.
 She shrugged her powdered shoul- ders. He is the White Eagle, mon- sieur. If the name means nothing She shrugged again.
 | 1 looked again at the box across | the floor. The White Eagle had sat down now, and had accepted cham pagne from the gentleman already ! there. observed that gentleman. Gross, vulgar-seeming, his ostenta- tion of dress and manner was only eouaIled by the painted and bejeweled fat old woman who was his com panion. l sat them down immedi-