Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-27
CHAPTER XVIII.
GABREAU'S ERRAND.

e.; 81: e.: !: Is: 81:
and Diyitt herself.
IT tell dem you are not well. she
crooned. II think they will not send
you on errands mebbe today"
That suited Gabreau very well. He
would not eat breakfast. but drank
some coffee. Then he went out into
Rondeau street. passing along Royal,
entering the shop where he had taken
the picture to be framed.
Pierre put down a cup OF black coffee
as Gabreau entered from the narrow
street. But the dwarf. so intent upon
his errand. only nodded at the cheerful
greeting from Pierre.
Pierre had MANY things in his shop
besides frames. There were old carved
sofas and chairs. vases and lamps and
clocks, bracelets and brooches and rings
whose histories went back for centuries
hundreds of things that could be
bought for a song.
Gabreau had paused before a case of
old weapons, curious relics. some with
corroded blades and gems in the hits.
Pierre came over to him. pointing out
the beauties of an old scimitar
It's thin steel curve was iridescent
through the rust. Pierres face reflected
his enthusiasm over it-but evidently
Gabreau was not interested.
But Gabreau knew what he had come
to buy-the dirk with the smooth, sharp
blade and the handle that fitted snugly
into the hand.
Pierre nodded, taking it from the case.
Tell yo' mistress" he said l have
anudder table like de lit rosewood one
she buy I be please she come and see
him."
Gabreau took his parcel, flung down
the price and went out
Now you be keerful. bebby!" Con-
chita crooned that night You have
not eat, you have not slip. You have
not de streng' to go with Umberto. You
mus let him co de work. You let him
tex de chances"
Gabreau heard. When Conchita had
gone downstairs he removed the dirk
from its place behind the framed pic
ture and thrust it in his belt. From
the armoire he took an old black satchel.
placed a wrapped parcel within it and
went down the stair
He knew where Ledbetter lived-in
the great bachelor apartments. In the
days before Molly had turned the dive
into the Parlors he had carried certain
parcels to this house-parcels similar to
this parcel were empty, but they would
serve. The doorman would not doubt
remember him. People always remem-
bered him.
Gabreau, arriving at the apartment,
was told that Mr.. Ledbetter was not in.
He will be in later?" Gabreau said.
The doorman did not dispute this. He
appeared to divine the nature of Ga
| breau.s errand. Said to the elevator
boy. Take this up and put it in Mr..
Ledbetter's apartment But Gabreau
would not surrender his Satchel. The
doorman signaled him to go up with it.
The elevator boy knocked at Ledbet-
ters rooms. and presently unlocked the
| door, switched on the light. waiting
while Gabreau went in and set bottle
on the table. i've got TEX one on he
next flo" said Gabreau, his hand on
| the latch of the door, He himself
turned off the light. closed the door.
He came into the hall. II walk down" y
he said. The elevator bell was ringing
and the boy left him.
Gabreau started up the stair. came
down, walked back to Ledbetters door.
II opened at his touch. He released
the latch again. went in and closed the
door, turned on the soft light of sin
gle sconce.
He had never seen such a place
Richness of walls and hangings. of
lamps and paintings. divans and deep
chairs. Gabreau stole across the rugs,
opened the door upon bed room with
canopied bed and mirrored bath beyond.
Opposite the bed hung a painting
Venus reclining amid velvet. Gabreau
could see the white body dimly by the
light from the adjoining room. Above
it was a shaded globe. Gabreau pressed
q button. The light came on.
Voluptuously beautiful, languorous
dark eyes-eyeS as dark as those of his
Madonna. Did this man think? Had
he bought this as he-Gabreau-had
bought the Madonna?
Gabreau caught sight of himself in
one of the mirrors. He twisted away
from the livid reflection. starting sharply
turned off the sconce and the light
above the picture. He waited in the
dark of the bed room while the big
clock on the mantel struck 10.
He had hoped that he would find Led
better at home and alone: that. seeing
the satchel and thinking its contents a
gift. Ledbetter would admit him and
close the door. 1t had been too much
to hope for. Things didn't happen that
way with him-Gabreau. But he could
wait. He was used to waiting.
The sound died down the hall. Ga
breau brought a chair into the recess
behind the door and sat down. Let
better had gone to some festivity: he
would be late now. Perhaps he would
not be home till or O'Clock.
The thought made Gabreau nervous
At IL he began to pace the rooms. Once
he laid down on the bed, but even in
the dark he could see the white outline
of the recumbent Venus. feel her dark
eyes. He went back to his chair behind
the door.
Two o'clock came: 3. Gabreau sat
very still until the dawn began to gray
the windows, to sift into the room, till
the street noises and the noises of the
house told him that Le6better would not
come. Fury greater than the fury that
had brought him there possessed him.
He began to fling open drawers of the
table. the bureau. But drawers that
opened so easily did not interest him,
and many of these were empty. Others
contained only apparel, belongings so
suggestive of their owner that Gabreau's
rage increased at sight of them. If he
might find some locked drawer.
There was none. Apparently Ledbet-
ter possessed no treasureS-no treasures
except the things that were on the
walls, about the rooms. Gabreau's eye
fell on Nabian dancing girl in black
marble. slim Tanagra vase. These
we're precious, he knew. but he could
not take them away. He might su'ash