TAXI

Bj George Agnew Chamberlain

An Adventure Romance

MADGE. Ernop^a — Robert Hsrrar Pa»dolpb. jrouec New Trrk mao-about-tewn. Irarra the homa at bia awaaU bMTt. Made* Van TrllMr. chagrtnad brcaaa* of her rofuaa] of hli proposal of marriage. HI* Income. SIMM a rrai. which he must aurrander If a certain Mias Imoip'Pamala Thornton twbom ha haa ■aan only aa a amail girl ten yrara bafora) la found. U not conaldered by the girl of hla haart adaquaU . i n B “d^ 4 eara"

_ I ha driver, and la driven to the atage door of a theater. A knoera. Duke Deancr. ln- . follow, la ( br Randolph and the movaa on. Hla new acquaint- > talla Randolph aba la a c home gtrl. and haa loot her poattloo She la In dlatreaa. uvea hungry, and be taken bar to hla apartment. Thera, after lunch, a chance remark convinces him tb. girl la the missing Pamela •.horntor.. Ha does not tall her of bar good fortune, but aecuroe her pro-alee to etay In tha flat until the morning and leaven her. Realltlng that tha glrTa reappearance haa toft him pracU =»Ur pennUaaa. ha bribes the taxi driver to tot him take hla Job. and leaving word with tiw toga! rapraaantabra of the Thornton estate where ha can find Pamela, takas up hla new duties under the name of "Slim Harvey."'

PART II—Continuad. “Sound* klnd-n phony to me." the captain grimly, “con*l(Jer1n• you took this name gent home a week ago com;- Friday." ' “Did IT" Mid Slltn. and with telgoed surprise managed Anally to recognlre the men* of evening clothe* thut wai huddled on a near-by bench. “You’re right. Captain. He’* drunker than I ever saw him before and besides, he'* wearln' a new set of ahlrt-atud*. Kind of changed hla look*." 811m lingered. “I>ook here." he murmured to the captain conflder.rlally. "You're on to roe. but Just let me whisper. Fm getting »o be the delivery wagon for all the high-spot soaks In town. The first one of 'em that lose* hie Jewelry between the curb and his own fruit door Just tel: mi where I get off. will youf I’m nonest I got a reputetlon. an' I tell you. Captain. Pm willin' to bill ’em through for you when you ask for the home port, but It's nix on me handlin' all the hlgh-esploslve freight north of Fortysecond street. Get me?" "Sure. Slim.” said the captain, appreciatively. •Til pass the word, lad." Thus did Mr. Randolph make good his Q-w front name and a Utile capital besides, working on the stalwart old motto: Every knock Is n boost. Instead of becoming a mystery and consequently anathema to the Force, an Impression was creeled that Slim was a bustier, but clean while goods ready to gectlfice a fare or two that be might sit high up alongside CarBar's wife. By stopping at two or three strntcfcics'ly placed police stations during tie wind before the dawn to ticket such drunks as were of his acquaintance, he wus able to give the glsd hand rf farewell to a Joo not to his taste. About ihls time a series of coincidences befell the young and fevered FaP of the city of New York which would have riven pause to the persona Involved had they been able to get together and compare the dope. Take W.iat happened to Miss Georglette Hnttone. her people had played In hard luck and died Gcorglc bad sc cured a Job and was doing pretty veil r.t It until young IVvctor Bones met bv *.nd gradually i**rsi.nde*i her Ihi. -hr was threatened with gallop Ing -onsumption. Once he had frightct>ed her. the real looked «-v; he v vuld take her out o.* had ventilation into hla run-about and the opcn-alr— out of the goodness rtf nls heart and the fullness of hts purse, he would take rare of her. ♦ He began by leading her to a Neth•erllmb Hhow and supper afterward. TT’ey danced a little and for the first Xlme In her life, but order medical "drier, she took something In the WOT of stimulant after the Initial pretty rocktafl. They Issued from anpper and It was when Mr. Chauffeur 811m Bervey heard the whispered address that the game became n threesome Counting upon the abstraction, or rather, the roorentrattnn of hls fares on Interior fittings. Driver Herrey soon switched hls cab from the < bartered root*- and made for down-town through silent back at reel*. In Just ten minutes ue drew up at an oldfashioned bouse ui a very quiet square, shut off hls engine to the Idle and waited. Not for long. Out of the cab came a blasphemous exclamation In medical tooe* and itn n a cry of swtkcclug from Georgte. Through one window she looked up>« the homo of her rhUdbood; through the other upon that happy railed gar-den-square, which wsa the umbrageous gamer-close of all her dearest, purest anil dreamiest memories. "Oh!" she gasped "No. you nuatn't •cold him. This la Just where 1 want to g*' out and walk. It*»—It's extraordinary." Then troLj the curb “1 may hr going to dia of cotuuupUoa, doc-

tor. hut. after all. I'd rather—rather die that way." Twist tilings around a little and you'll get what happened to Mlnr Terry de Guest wlUi the difference thrg that beautiful and hungry young woTan who bad all but-turned her b»-k on Settlement work nod her face the Great White Way, suddenly awoke not in the moonlit embrace of Clalrmonte. but before the accusing face of a Bouse In Henry street. Nor was Mr. Slim Bervey partial to sex In salvation. There was the In stance of young Bertram Bloasooie who ahame-facedly hurried into hls cab a painted, wan-faced waif of the street with self-accusing eyes. No case this of hurted and hunter—rather two strayed bits of weak humanity driven before the unleashed dogs of poverty and lust. How readily and unque»’IonIngly the boy slipped froti the cab a* hla home address, mlrar-: lously confused almost as by the Meddling finger of God with su» very different: How gratefully the girt took the possible fare and "something over." and how ber tears brimmed wh- n ten minutes later the blue-eyed chauffeur, a wage-earner 'Ike herself, said: "Xeihlog doing. Sister. The ride Is ou me," and promptly whirled away I While all tbeoe Incidents were engaging. each In Its own way. and showed a reasonable profit to all con■vraed. Mr. Randolph looked upon them r-ore or leas as a means of getting In hi* hand during a period of Initiation. Once he felt sure of himself ana of hla new chauffeuring point of view and attitude toward the gay world from the under side, he began to haunt the neighborhood of East Ninth street at the hour when dinners are plenty and taxis artree. Twice he saw Mis* Madge Van TeUler carried off In Somebody's private car, but he was not discouraged, for he recognised In the very fact of that public privacy the badge of pre-

*Tm Getting to C« the Delivery Wagon for All the Hiph-Spot Goaka In Town." llmlnarj outings. In due courae hls night and hour came. He was batlevl by the arriving Mr. Beadier Trem.mt and ordered to stand by; twenty minutes later he wag listening to that gentleman explaining to Miss ‘'an T. that a cylinder had itfme wrong on hls own car at the last moment. Mlsi Madge Van Telller. upon whom Mr. Randolph had not laid eyes since the very definite parting of tl.elr way* on the rock of ready casli, was mur beautlful tonight than at any other timr since the evening of her comingout party. The reasoa was one and the aau.e. Tonight, as upon that other, ahe stood within a shrvahold and peered out on Ulfe with n big 1- A fiame was In her cheeks and In hsr eyes: her Ups were bulf-paned and thirsty, her bosom agitated. She was divinely drraaod. They were very silent on their way to dinner at the Knickerbocker, but they exuded an rura of tense expectancy tha: made nothing of the glass barrier between them and the car pilot. who soon felt himself tlfied and carried in its wave. Komethlng wa* rooking t>eyood a doubt sod be then am * 1 there determined to stick a fist through (he crust of the pie Just before the smell of burning. There Is ni-thing more sirrvotyped than a night run Iwfore the fever hounds of New Tort. It 'a Invariably a four-ad play that starts with a single cockirll oud a tasty dinner, goes on to a show peppered with double meanings, thickens ai the cabaret In the clow harmony of boon- and dan<« music and finally burst* "somewhere In the country.' The first set was easv for Randolph: he went on with the villain and the leading lady, but once the revolving door of the hotel bad ducked on their backs be had to withdraw to the w Inga and iipe nut a :n<ana uf evolving

from a super Into a star of the first magnitude. He decided that It didn't much matter who wafted the couple from dlnnei to the show, hut that the next entr'act would hold the crux of the night's entertainment, for the cab that secured the freight for the cabaret would stand a good chance of nailing It after the bait. Consequently he was content to pick up a gutter-snipe and then tre.ll bis prey to the theater. '1" •m la the two," he said to hls ally, suborned with the promise of two biu. cash on delivery, “the John with the high hat and the dream-dame In smoke-colored chiffon." "That * some name for a akin. Cap." arid the extreme youth adm'rtngly. “an' some akin, believe me. Nor I I won't forge: 'em." And he didn't. No aoooer had Mr. Beacher ."remoat. bearing a thlstleuowu burden on hla arm. swelled out from the .beater with the anxious look on his face cf a man with three can In the garage at home and no call number In hi* left band waistcoat pocket, than the imp wag at hls side. '“Smy. mister, wanier taxi? Got one at the bead of the line that Td give up J'ist to youae for a dime." “Lead me to It." said Mr. Tremont. “Day." said the snipe to Randolph as tbo car Jumped. "I've took the bos* Inside on fer a friend. You watch yeaelf." It was a short ran to the lair of the Midnight R.-llc. bat Mr. Randolph was not surprised at the double wage he received tor at the murmured conversation that accompanied It. "Fill up your gas tank and wait for roe at the Seventh avenue northeast comer. Get mer "Sure." granted Mr. Randolph. “Where to. mInterV “Greenwood hostelry." breathed the villain. “Tm on." said Mr. Randolph, ran hla car to the comfortably quiet nook designated, dug oat a road map of Manhattan and vicinity, scrutinised It carelessly and ne"ied down to meditate. To a select and once affluent few the name of the G. hostelry above mentioned will bring certain vivid n•collections and will also place the •iironolugy of this yam. for the said abode of revelry was too good to lost very lor.g; It choked to death on Its own popularity and consequent publicity. From the outside, even In it* hey-dny. It presented a most innocuous appearsn e. Just a renovated farmhouse standing under i clump of veiling sugar-maples on ti .• top of a bill whence the nearest neighbor was ou> of sight. But once within it* modest portal, ’’s habitues found themselves In the cleverest fake atmosphere of a pleas-ure-loving decade. An organizing genius, sensitive to all those cheap adjuncts which usually izrate on the soul hovering at the edge of the decline to AvemiM, bad pandered effectively to an Ig-Mible end and made of each small room an Ule of forgetfulness; price, twenty-five bucks in advance, sapper *iud (Irina* extra. For the bereflt of those who do not reinvmovi Uie epoch of the Grisenwood hoat'lry and are consequent 1 } reading on and on In mortal dread of the paragraph that will Introduce the War. let It lie said at once. Forget It. Stake out the beginning of the International tnlx-up. hurl another boundary mark Into November of 1318, and the time left outside of those limit* will be found entirely sufficient to the needs of this chronicle. Let It further be noted that It la Inconceivable lha’ a tingle drop of the kind of blood which floaed In the veins of Mr. Rob ert Hrrcey Randolph could ever an awer io the name of slacker, proof positive In Itself that the events here'n set forth happened when the War didn't.

J UST why !t Is that women from Maine to California are all seized at one and the seme time wlrh u desire for one particular kind of hat er frock, has never been explained. Bel so I* happen*, and some fine moraliumllliaeni from everywliere l>egin Ing Into their wholesaler* for a wtain «traw or silk hot and merchant* find one fabric has cn«» all others in the shadow of neglect. Ju«i at present there Is a furore for crepe-de-Chine. Everybody demand* :t—in gowns. In blames. In hats, nlone or In company with other material*. fTrpfi ill 1 rtilm we have always with u*. having Imtrowed It from China many generations ago. hut we are newly awakened

Its beauty.

T‘> . very simple and very pretty afternoon frock*, shown In the Illustration. are of the straight-line \a rlely which can only be developed successfully in crepe* or other very soft and clinging fabrics. These are in crepo-<Je-chlne. ■ blue at the left, with deep hem and four tucks about the aklrt run with heavy silk floss. The

square-necked bodice and short sleeves are finl*h«d off with plalnted frill* of cream-colored georgette. Where the frill* Join the sleeve* there appears again the running stitch in silk flo.oi—the utmont in simplicity of finish. The designer must have had In mind tie 1 fashioning of a refined and quaint little fr >ek without any frivolity about If. and the little cluster of three crocheted blossoms, posed on the neck frill, bears out tills Idea. The frock nt the right i* more pre . tentinu* and boast* acvt.al new style feature*. It calls georgette to Its aid anil preoerts the long tun’e. the foil ! sash and girdle, and bodice with spreading opening at the front. Hint hove all marked this season for their own. It Is all In gray with outline | embroidery on the tunic and about the arm’s-eye. Tbr c-v-rger- undersleevea ! are unusual and becoming, and georg- | el'e makes the bloused vestce. The I He of narrow ribbon at the front ’ might lie in any of the new shade*, as | flamingo, pink, tangerine, tournto,

red.

'Daddy's fairy Tale BCmER STUPED GROUND-SQUIRRELS. “Such beautiful stripe* a* all my grandchildren have." »ni 1 Granddaddy Striped Ground-.Squirrel. "They are all *0 slender and so lovely; they all wear such pretty brown suits with such bright and gay decuraUons. "Not only do my grandchildren make themselves look very line and handsome md smart, but they wear these suit* so as to protect themselves from all the weasels, skunks and foxes and coyotes. “Tlicse animals would attack the Striped Ground-Squirrels If they could. But because the Strl|M*l GroundSquirrels wear suits which make Hiets look like brown earth with Its pla-jln, they are usually protected and safe. "Of course I don't mean Hist you wear salts of the earth with plants growing upon them. “No, indeed. I don't mean that! "It would not be at all beautiful for you to wear earth suits with plants sticking out all over you. Bat wha* I mean Is that yorr suits are of the color of the warm brown earth and your markings or decorations arc of Hie color of plants. "In other words, when you keep quite atlll you might be taken for a part of the earth and not for a Hula animal nt all. 'And dear Striped Ground-Squirrels. Granddaddy Striped Ground-Squirrel wonts to warn you of many things. "Though you wear such a safe and sensible costume or salt you must be very crreful. for you have lots o' enemies. You must never think only of yourselves. That Is not brave That Is not right. “When danger Is near, you muit give low warning sounds to each other., and now 1 will leech you those warn Ing notes." So Granddaddy Striped GroundSquirrel taught Hie llttie squirrels the different naming sounds which they could make to tell each other If danger were near. “You must be very careful When there Is danger you must be very still. You must be so still that on one will notice you move so much as an Inch or a half an Inch. "You must be u» still as though yon had no life In you at all. Come, let us practice this." So Granddaddy Striped GroundSquirrel gave the little Striped Groard-Squirrel* n lesson in bow to sit up on their hind feet and stay

tTO HE CONTINUED ) Oyster* Hava Many Ensrrise. Between the planting and the harvest, 4n Internal of from two to five year*, tbe oyster cullurtat nenutue* many hazard*. On the New England (saant. after all hi* material Is Jowu Hie fickle “set" may not i-ppear. j-o*-sib!) because "t the critical time some weather'disturbance roar have killed tbe liaby oyster* while they were yet swimming near tbe surface. In the Gulf of Mexico Hie “net" ma. be so heavy that there is scant r.xjin for the oysters to grow, and many die. while those that ere left are half starved and taloahapen from crowding. Kvcti when the little i..v*ttr* or "spat." bav* attached themselves In favorable nut.. ber*. their pert * bsve Ju*t begun They are never safe from other enemies until they fall Into the haod* c» their arch foes.

greets Eastertide with various captivating furbelows In her p«.*se*slow Many of them are made of rit>bona—Easter gift* of friends who love that beauty should go beautifully, for ribbon* ace the long-time friend of lair women. Every year they grow in Importance, appearing in all her apparel from head to feet and from inside out. Toete I*, therefore, a long Ust of rtldwio fineries >o chonoe from, if on- Is looking for gills that women love, leading off with ahopplng bags and many other kinds of bugs. Next In Uuiiortauce are girdles and *n»he*. corau and il.'e-n ornaments, and then

» and h

Mraning of Feverish Drear*. To dream you have a fever signifies that you will excite the envy of your friend*; also dUBenti-va with goer i

joined under a 1 be replaced by with equally go.

I satisfaction of the wearer T this ; smart hat. The two bass show novel decoration tnad» of ribbon* and applied with stitches to a background of heavy ribbon In an Indefinite brocaded jmttcn Fruit* and flower*, leaves with veluIng indicated by perforations, make a rich nranmentatlo:'. across the lower part of the bag. The remaining bag shows a quaint figure In a swing, all cut out of ribbon* and applied to a curiously woven background. The swing Is simulated by a silk coni and tbe *klrt of the swinging lady by frill* made of narrow ribbon with fancy edge. The bodice Is cut from a bit of velvet nblM>!i and the face and arms from ]<ale pink satin. No detail Is neglected—even a -mall bonnet frames the face, ‘a which featuu* and h- r arc outlined with silg flos*. Millinery cent rs and foliage are supplied to the ribbon flower. In the two corsage oma-

Don’t Mean That" quite, quite xtl'.l until they would bn certain all danger had passed Ue taught them how to make tha low chirping calls and he taught them how .io whistle. "And do not lake any chances," be said. "Be on the safe side always. That Is the best IVir life is pleasant and you all want to live long You want to eat grain and vegetables. Food is something to live for! 'That I* what Hie Striped GroundSquirrels think about It. "Do not let your curiosity work against you. By that I mean be on tbe safe side even If yon are curious. It I* the batlt of the Striped GroundSquirrels to lie very, very curious. "Sometinic* you do not wait until danger U past, but you look about you to see what i* going on. and In 'bat way your curiovily can be of great danger to you. Live In your nice burrow nomes la the ground. Keep a .-.torehouiie for the bad days when yon don't wunt to go out to do any i-.arketlng. Keep your Hvlrr rooms comfortable with dry grnnsr* and soft rug* and cushions of grara. •'Striped Ground-Squirrel* aren't very beautiful when they come Into the world. •They come along In the springtime, about ten or twelve arrive at the different homes and they are very HiHe and helpless, with no hair and with 'heir eais scarcely showing at all. They are born blind, too. So all lltUe Striped Ground-SqiUrrel* should stay with their mothers until they are nearly grown In the fall of the year. “Do not bother to be g-title or kind, for the Striped Ground-Squirrels don't bother about such thing*. The* are different from some of their relations In this way. These are all of Granddaddy's rules

Reach Would Be Handicap. “Hov big Is a gigotr a*ked five-year-old Jim. "Does hls head loncb the skyf j “That's what they ted us." the little ■ boy's uncle replied. “Well." Jimmy said, “he'd have to