第25章

The boy, Captain Elisha's acquaintance of the morning, was out, regaling himself with crullers and milk at a pushcart on Broad Street, when the captain returned to the officers of Sylvester, Kuhn and Graves. The clerk who had taken his place was very respectful.

"Captain Warren," he said, "Mr. Sylvester was sorry to miss you.

He waited until half past twelve and left word for us to telephone if you came. Our Mr. Graves is still ill, and the matter of your brother's estate must be discussed without further delay. Please sit down and I will telephone."The captain seated himself on the leather-covered bench, and the clerk entered the inner office. He returned, a few moments later, to say:

"Mr. Sylvester is at the Central Club. He wished me to ask if you could conveniently join him there."Captain Elisha pondered. "Why, yes," he replied, slowly, "I s'pose I could. I don't know why I couldn't. Where is this--er--club of his?""On Fifth Avenue, near Fifty-second Street. I'll send one of our boys with you if you like.""No, no! I can pilot myself, I guess. I ain't so old I can't ask my way. Though--" with a reminiscent chuckle--"if the folks I ask are all sufferin' from that 'Ugh' disease, I sha'n't make much headway.""What disease?" asked the puzzled clerk.

"Oh, nothin'. I was just thinkin' out loud, that's all. Mr.

Sylvester wants to see me right off, does he?""Yes, he said he would wait if I 'phoned him you were coming.""Um-hm. Well, you can tell him I've left the dock, bound in his direction. Say, that young chap that was here when I called the fust time--studyin' to be a lawyer, is he?""Who? Tim? No, indeed. He's only the office boy. Why did you ask?""Oh, I was just wonderin'. I had a notion he might be in trainin'

for a judgeship, he was so high and mighty. Ho! ho! He's got talent, that boy has. Nobody but a born genius could have made as many mistakes in one name as he did when he undertook to spell Elisha. Well, sir, I'm much obliged to you. Good day."The Central Club is a ponderous institution occupying a becomingly gorgeous building on the Avenue. The captain found his way to its door without much trouble. A brass-buttoned attendant answered his ring and superciliously inquired his business. Captain Elisha, not being greatly in awe of either buttons or brief authority, calmly hailed the attendant as "Gen'ral" and informed him that he was there to see Mr. Sylvester, if the latter was "on deck anywheres.""Tell him it's Cap'n Warren, Major," he added cheerfully; "he's expectin' me."The attendant brusquely ushered the visitor into a leather-upholstered reception room and left him. The captain amused himself by looking at the prints and framed letters and autographs on the walls. Then a round, red, pleasant-faced man entered.

"Pardon me," he said, "is this Captain Warren?""Yes, sir," was the reply. "That's my name. This is Mr. Sylvester, ain't it? Glad to know you, sir.""Thanks. Sorry to have made you travel way up here, Captain. Iwaited until twelve-thirty, but as you didn't come then, I gave you up. Hope I haven't inconvenienced you.""No, no. Not a mite. Might just as well be here as anywhere.

Don't think another thing about it."

"Have you lunched, Captain Warren?"

"No, come to think of it, I ain't. I've been kind of busy this forenoon, and a little thing like dinner--luncheon, I mean--slipped my mind. Though 'tain't often I have those slips, I'm free to say.

Ho! ho! Abbie--she's my second cousin, my housekeeper--says I'm an unsartin critter, but there's two things about me she can always count on, one's that my clothes have always got a button loose somewheres, and t'other's my appetite."He laughed, and Sylvester laughed with him.

"Well," observed the lawyer, "I'm not sure that I couldn't qualify on both of those counts. At any rate I'm sure of my appetite. Ihad a lunch engagement with an acquaintance of mine, but he hasn't appeared, so you must take his place. We'll lunch together.""Well, now, I'd like to fust-rate, and it's real kind of you, Mr.

Sylvester; but I don't know's I'd better. Your friend may heave in sight, after all, and I'd be in the way.""Not a bit of it. And I said 'acquaintance,' not 'friend.' Of course you will! You must. We can talk business while we're eating, if you like.""All right. And I'm ever so much obliged to you. Is there an eatin' house near here?""Oh, we'll eat right here at the club. Come."He led the way, and Captain Elisha followed. The Central Club has a large, exclusive, and wealthy membership, and its quarters correspond. The captain gazed about him at the marble floors and pillars, the paintings and busts, with interest. After checking his hat and coat, as they entered the elevator he asked a question.

"Which floor is your club on, Mr. Sylvester?" he asked.

"Floor? Why, the dining room is on the fourth, if that's what you mean.""No, I meant how many rooms do you rent?"

"We occupy the entire building. It is our own, and a comparatively new one. We built it three years ago.""You mean this whole shebang is just one CLUB?""Certainly."

"Hum! I see. Well, I--"

"What were you going to say?"

"Nothin'. I was wonderin' what fool thing I'd ask next. I'm more used to lodge rooms than I am to clubs, I guess. I'd like to take home a picture of this place to Theophilus Kenney. Theoph's been raisin' hob because the Odd Fellows built on to their buildin'. He said one room was enough for any society. 'Twould be, if we was all his kind of society. Theoph's so small he could keep house in a closet. He's always hollerin' in meetin' about his soul. Iasked the minister if it didn't seem ridic'lous for Kenney to make such a big noise over such a little thing. This where we get off?"The dining room was a large and ornate apartment. Captain Elisha, when he first entered it, seemed about to ask another question, but choked it off and remained silent. Sylvester chose a table in a retired corner, and they sat down.

"Now, Captain Warren," said the host, "what will you eat?"Captain Elisha shook his head.