Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1925-06-11
CHAPTER VIII

i
the elevator into the great central
hall OF the hotel. He had discarded
his clerical stock. He wore a light
blue tie instead He was still a
young man. only a little more than
twenty-six, not long enough In Holy
Orders to have his profession recog-
nizably written on his face. A by
stander. interested In his appearance,
might have guessed him to be a young
barrister. or perhaps a clerk In one
Of the higher branches of the civil
service. But no one appeared to be
the least interested In TOmny's APP
pearance. or to care what he was or
what he did.
The large hall was full OF people.
Hotel porters In red jackets wheeled
barrows Of luggage In and out. Page
boys. as thickly decorated with but
tons as any OF their kind anywhere
In the world. went to and fro wall
ing the numbers OF the rooms OF the
guests whom they sought-guests
whom visitors had come to see or
for whom telephone calls had been
made Pussy travellers. newly ar
rived and filled with a sense Of their
own Importance, crowded round the
desk Of the reception clerk and de-
manded rooms. Self-possessed elder
ly men, mostly fat and often Jewish,
Iounged In deep chairs with cigars
in their mouths and surveyed the
scene through half-ciosed eyes. Amer
lean tourists eddied round the news
paper stalls In the corner of the hall |
and clamored for the New York Her
aid. 1t was In their eyes a sign OF |
the well nigh inconceiyable stupidity /
and Incompetence OF all European
peoples that the supply Of New York
Heralds was insufficient to meet their
demands. The desk OF a harassed
woman who sold concert and theater
tickets was besieged by ladies who
did not know exactly what they want
ed but hoped to secure seats at some
agreeable entertainment by asking
questions In bad German. A boy.
rather older than the pages, stood at
the swinging glass door and drove II
round on It's pivot with vigorous
pushes He drove It faster and fast
sr as more and more people passed
IN and out His hope was that some
lime In the course OF the morning he
would succeed In hitting slowly
moving passer with the following
wing OF the door. Those who en-
erred and left the hotel approached
he whiriing door very much In the
Ipirit Of medieval sportsmen who
ode at the quintaln.
All this delighted Tommy. he had
hitherto led a quiet and uneventful
lie, seldom disturbed by anything
more exciting than a Sunday school
reat. He watched the moving nR-
res gazed at the strange faces. lis
ened to a babel Of different Ian
uages. and felt that this was exact
, what he had come to Berlin 20 en-
oy. For some time he was content
imply TO stand watching and listen
NJ. Then he began to wonder what
e had better do next He had the
rhole day before him. His breast
ocket was stuffed with money. He q
ad a great city to explore.
Before leaving home he had read .
D Baedeker's Guide to Berlin, an old 8
opy borrowed from my sister EN-
y. He knew that there was a street
allied Inter den Linden which be 0
ught to see. a park called the Tier
arten, an avenue called the Sleges 9
lee. several churches and museums. {
here were theaters. picture CALLER I,
q and restaurants. all duly named q
nd the nature indicated by the
orthy Baedeker. At the moment d
) felt more attracted toward q ree q
lurant. His breakfast had been
~ light and though Il was only q
n O'Clock. be felt hungry He won D
sred whether Il would be possible to Il
smand luncheon IN q Berlin restau- b
mt at that hour without exciting p
q darisi0n OF the walters.
He felt a light touch on his arm
d looked round. Count caAImir 4
GOD beside hlnz In