The Bozeman courier., 1927-04-08
IN TWO PARTS-PART TWO
THE STORY SO FAR

THE STORY so FAR
Randolph, young artist, has returned
from study at Paris. He was now en-
plOyed at small salary in New York. Fail
ure in a recent contest for a design for a
memorial had diSheartened him. He sat
at the window of his room. A party was
in progress in the yard Of the Arthur
Townsend rome across the alley. While
he is brOOding over his i'll fortune, a
pretty girl waves at him and urges him to
come down and get a package she has
dropped over the fence. He does, and
when the package is opened 1t reveals
diamond bracelet and a note. The note
urges him to put on a costume and come
to the party, which he does and, as in
structed, he finds Mimi" She unfOlds
to him that she had found the bracelet
concealed in her clothing and she wanted
to shield herself. Just then Don Esca-
milo steps up and asks for the next
dance.
And now the story
n ANDOLPH jumped The funny
thing was that he knew the man
~ the moment he spoke; knew
him by his voice. That is, he knew
who he was. In a social way he
didn't know him at all; there had
never been an introduction. And
Escamille, as Randolph knew, was the
sort of lad to set store on such for
malities. His name was Bleeckmann,
Leonard Bleeckmann, and he was the
sort of man who belongs to good
clubs because he was put up for them
before the ink was dry on his birth
certificate, and elected because people
didn't want to annoy his family. Ran
dOlph had crossed his trail in Paris,
and what he knew of him he did not
like.
"where've. you been, BOOts?" he asked.
"My dance"
He bowed.
eve loved this" Randolph said. "I'n
hope for another later?"
Eyes, indeed!' she said, brightly. And
she laid her hand on EscamillO'S arm, and
went off with him.
Patiently he proceeded to put two and
two together. Only, he didn't have quite
enough twOs to get the answer. Four, he
could see, wasn't the sum. Mimi and Esca-
milo, thOugh-twO and two there, plainly
enough. But why? He could guess, and il
wasn't good for the enamel on his teeth
that sort of guessing. This pale and trem
ulOus Mimi, this utter darling of a Mimi
and BlCeckmann. who owned city blocks
as some people own necktieS. Money, Oh
damn money, anyway! But there it was
Blame her? Not he. Not after his taste
Of genteel poverty in the metropolis of the
new world. And it was worse for a girl
Still, it wouldn't do. She'd see that, too
But when? In time he hoped, for hel
sake. Why should he care? He hadn'
/ known she was alive an hour ago. But h,
did care. How had she known his name
| Oh, well-why bother about a trifing mys
| terry like that, with those diamonds in hi
room, and all? But he did bother abOu
! 1t, Of course. Being personal to him it in
| trigued him more than all the rest. Mr.
Randolph was wholly human.
He continued to think about himself,
little. 1t amused him to reflect upon hOv
/ rrNN In OF h,,r l.,
career and war memorials and things lik
that since he had Obeyed the imperOu
! beckOnings of Minis arm. And on
thought led to another, and the next on
was an idea, that came to him full grown
like Venus rising from the sea. He lOOke
upon it from all sides, and it was good
Oh, it was damned good He put it away
complete, for future reference, when and
he had time again for such things. n
architect oh? He'd show them!
But just now he was at a party, and a
that party he was to stay so long as Min
stayed. And at parties of this sort on
was supposed to dance. So he did. II
began cutting in, happily and irrespOn
sibly, culling the choicest blooms of
lovely bouquet. He danced, and, with
certain discretion, but not too much b
tiirted. Always, though, he knew wheI
Mimi was. He had a grand time. Every
thing was in his favor. He brought, 70
see, certain freshness to this party.
! or" he said, once to q ladv of the ReT
: aissance, with modern tendencies and
great curiosity about him. "Oh, I'm NJ
body! crashed the party. I'm a strul
! Cling architect. Have lunch with me Il
l morrow and III show you part of a roo
: did for Schwarz and Stein, whOlesa
. pants, Seventh avenue"
; They loved it.
All the time, OF course, the banked fir,
! of Vesuvius seethed below and the swOI
= Of DamOcles quivered by it's hair abOv
- Randolph did, at times, wish he knew ju
: a little more. 1t would have been int
esting, for instance. to be able to identi1
{ Margaret Townsend, bereft OF her jewe
D and likely at any moment to begin ute