New Britain herald., 1924-06-28
NOW co ON WITH THE STORY

1 Alnsley tries to take stock of his host and his surroundings.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 The man unquestionably was not a gentleman. His clothing was too l garish, his iewelry too blatant. His | speech, too, was coarse and sloven. and he used phrases that betokened an unfamiliarity with polite speech. His apartment, moreover was fur nished badly. The pictures on the walls clashed violently with the fur nishings. l would have set him l down immediately as a parvenu, pos sibly one of the recent species of profiteers, but for a furtiveness of l manner. Moreover, I had first seen him in a pawnshop.
 Why had he followed me? What was he? Well, I could wait for the answer. And so, forcing myself to be slow, to chew each morsel care fully, l waited for him to direct the | nothing. He delivered a monologue, based for the most part on places he had visited, events, mostly of sport ing nature, which he had witnessed. l began to think that he was prob ably a gambler, perhaps a follower Of the race-track.
 Then, having decided that had eaten all that it was well for mo to take at this time, l followed his ex- ample and walked with him into the next room.
 Smoke ?" he asked.
 Perhaps ] had suffered almost as much through the abstinence from tobacco as through the lack of food. Certainly his question aroused mem ories of sufferngs that had seemed unbearable. With tho first dizzying inhalation of the cigarette he gave me, ] felt my own man once more. I had been the sport Of circumstances, hit of hotsa on the ciiys tide. Sud denly felt master Of my own destiny.
 Drink Cocktail? Highhall? Cham paEne?" he asked.
 l shook my head Never touch it," I said. And I thought in those days no one hut millionalres had such variety"
 Who said I ein't a millionaire? ?" he demanded.
 "t beg your pardon" said T. mar yelling at tho auecr vanity of him.
 ''lt's all right" he said. "I sup pose, having seen mo talking to Weinberg you thought I was busted"
 "l didn't think anything about it," I replied,
 He laughed in a peculiarly harsh. faN yond thinking about anything. took a look nt you. and says I to my self; ''rhis bahy's about due for tho mnrgue."
 felt myself color. "t do look pretty badly" admitted. And on top Of what Weinberg had been tcll- ing you about me, it was easy 10 guess that I wasn't millionaire"
 His eyes. hard blue, narrowed You sec things, don't you. Tumbled right off 10 Weinberg wising me un about you. eh? Well. I knew right off that you were no boob. l thought you were the lad needed; now know it. Like little dough?"
 laughed. odd how a few ounces of food change the whole world. What do you think ?" I countered.
 I'd say that you were ready te do anything 10 make a stake" he asid.
 Almost anything" l amended.
 Pussy" he asked.
 Tin a gentleman" told him. The words sounded erandiloqusnt. absurd.
 "Nes. suspected as much" said my host. starvation hurts q gentle mans insides inst like if does an or dinary roughncck's, don't it? Are you proud ?"
 Suppose you explain" I sug- gestcd.
 Make it snappy, eh? All right. l will. ] take if you have no friends in particular. You wouldn't be starving if you had. Am right ?''
 ''Go on." I said.
 '1f you got a chance to mako money. real money, important money. you'd jump al if. Ann I right?"
 'Go on some more. You interest me" smiled.
 There's 8 lot of money lying around this town waiting for good man to pick it up." he said.
 show it to me-" suggested.
 Suppose I do? Have you got nerve enough to grab it?" he de- manded.
 I reached for another cigarette. then drew back my hand empty. The conversation he'd taken a turn that mystified me. vas not sure that I wished to place myself under further obliration to my host.
 'I don't think understand" Il told him.
 He put his hand into a pocket and withdrew it. I don't think that ever in my fife I had seen so much actual cash as he placed on a table beside him. Certainly there must have been fifteen or twenty thousand-doIlar bills. and as many more or lesser de- nominations ranging from fifty 10 five hundred.
 Understand those? ?'' He pointed to the wad Of bills.
 ] managed to lift my eyes from the money and looked at him.
 'Go on" ] said again.
 Tin in business, and there's lots