Evening star., 1935-08-25
Magazine Section
Christophine Discovers
America
Continued from page eight
America
Continued from page eight

cold creams as if they'd been a sea OF
oblivion. And when at last / started
for Indianapolis, to wind up my trip
and pick up my luggage, was calmer
and had myself better in hand than l
had had since leaving New Orleans.
/ was even able to look with
equanimity and some degree of in
terest at the city which specializes in
mixing motors and authors. publishers
and machinery into clean, handsome
city which, at its center, looks like the
Place Vendome, but takes its char
acter from the fact that, instead of
Napoleon at its columns top it has
triumphant figure commemorating
the fighting men who gave their lives
to protect that Democracy which is
Indianapolis essential spirit.
For once the home Office had in
dicated truly luxurious hotel as my
address, and at the Marott l found a
letter from Give Harding. had been
expecting one of course. since this was
the end of the trail. But the contents
were surprise.
You have done so WELL" he wrote,
that / am going to ask you to take
in little more territory, and am de-
pending on you to do as we'll for us
there, as you have done during the
past weeks. think the commissions
check. enclosed. will speak for itself"
And it did - delightfully."-. Then he
went on with specific instructions
about Cincinnati and Detroit.
WELL" l thought. with a small
glow of satisfaction, IF can't man.
age my personal life, thank heaven,
at least I'm not a business flop as
wellr'
sent the porter to Union Station
for my bags. And then l set out to
have a look at James Whitcomb
Riley's old home and a glimpse of
Tarkington's. as we'll as a general
round of the city. This looking a town
over as soon as l hit it had become a
regular procedure with me, because
found that if got the feel of new
territory before / started to do my
business, did better business. A town
reflects the character of its people,
unmistakably, and gives one some
idea of the proper approach. When l
got back to the hotel, a porter had
returned with ali of my bags except
one.
"One bag never came through" the
man said. returning the check to
me.
1T must have! l checked them
myself at Minneapolis, and / know
they were all there. But thanks just
the same. I'll see the express people in
the morning"
And when my first interviews were
over. took the noon hour to run down
to the old Union Station. But the bag
was not there. was annoyed, but not
greatly so, because there was nothing
in the suitcase that l particularly
wanted. So leaving a Cincinnati
address and the request that my prop
erty be forwarded to it when found.
thought little more about the matter
until three days later, when it was
brought sharply to my attention.
Twas in an almost gay mood when I
reached Cincinnati. Business had been
splendid, and the stimulus of this
busy, forceful part of the country
was like wine to me. All the depression
and foreboding which had filled me in
Chicago was gone, and when walked
into the Netherland Plaza, | was
riding on top of my particular world.
So much so that / scarcely noticed
that the room clerk had a rather
peculiar expression as checked in, or
that the bell boy who carried up my
bags eyed me in sly, nervous manner.
But l did notice that he had no key
to my suite.
There - there's someone waiting
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