The Old Adam: A Story of Adventure

  V.

  "Well," said Edward Henry, "you're a great man!"

  "No, I'm not," said Mr. Seven Sachs. "But my income is four hundredthousand dollars a year, and rising. I'm out after the stuff, that'sall."

  "I say you are a great man!" Edward Henry repeated. Mr. Sachs' recitalhad inspired him. He kept saying to himself: "And I'm a great man too.And I'll show 'em."

  Mr. Sachs, having delivered himself of his load, had now lapsedcomfortably back into his original silence, and was prepared to listen.But Edward Henry somehow had lost the desire to enlarge on his ownvariegated past. He was absorbed in the greater future.

  At length he said very distinctly:

  "You honestly think I could run a theatre?"

  "You were born to run a theatre," said Seven Sachs.

  Thrilled, Edward Henry responded:

  "Then I'll write to those lawyer people, Slossons, and tell 'em I'll bearound with the brass about eleven to-morrow."

  Mr. Sachs rose. A clock had delicately chimed two.

  "If ever you come to New York, and I can do anything for you--" said Mr.Sachs heartily.

  "Thanks," said Edward Henry. They were shaking hands. "I say," EdwardHenry went on, "there's one thing I want to ask you. Why _did_ youpromise to back Rose Euclid and her friends? You must surely haveknown--" He threw up his hands.

  Mr. Sachs answered:

  "I'll be frank with you. It was her cousin that persuaded me intoit--Elsie April."

  "Elsie April? Who's she?"

  "Oh! You must have seen them about together--her and Rose Euclid.They're nearly always together."

  "I saw her in the restaurant here to-day with a rather jolly girl--bluehat."

  "That's the one. As soon as you've made her acquaintance you'llunderstand what I mean," said Mr. Seven Sachs.

  "Ah! But I'm not a bachelor like you," Edward Henry smiled archly.

  "Well, you'll see when you meet her," said Mr. Sachs. Upon whichenigmatic warning he departed, and was lost in the immense glitteringnocturnal silence of Wilkins's.

  Edward Henry sat down to write to Slossons by the three A.M. post. Butas he wrote he kept saying to himself: "So Elsie April's her name, isit? And she actually persuaded Sachs--Sachs--to make a fool of himself!"