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Newspaper Page Text
FENTON'S WAGER By John Elkins (Copyright, 1917,. W. G. Chapman.) Bruce Fenton was walking briskly away from the barber's when a man blocked his way. "Isn't this Bruce Fenton?" he asked. "Why, Jack Forbush!" exclaimed the other with hand extended. "Where did you hail from?" "Come and dine with me and I'll tell you." "Thanks, I can't I've a special engagement" "Oh, come now," urged Forbush. "I haven't seen you in seven years. Yoti've got to eat somewhere and we will hustle." Fenton went somewhat under pro test, but the delight of again seeing his old friend was too great a temp tation to set aside. He was ushered Into an apartment handsomely fur nished in oriental style. A subtle odor of exquisite perfume was every where. "Well, you must have been knock ing around in the Far East," ob served Fenton. "I have." Fenton looking about the room dis covered a slender thread of blue smoke rising from a cabinet in a corner. "Where did you find that incense burner? It's wonderful?" Forbush smiled a bit mysteriously. "I promised not to tell," he said. Fenton looked guestioningly at the other man. "Have you become a Parsee, a Rosicruciantor a Brah min?" he queried. "Perhaps a little of all three," was the rather ambiguous answer. The dinner was extremely good and well served by an irreproachable waiter. After the second course Fen ton looked nervously at his watch. "I must be out of here in 15 min utes," he said. i "What! You don't mean to slight my dinner that way!" "I'm sorry but I told you I had a pressing engagement" "Pretty woman?" ventured For bush a trifle sardonically. "The loveliest in the world." "I thought so. To most men there are only two important engagements, business and women. That careful manicuring seemed to point toward a Sat Still as Though Fascinated. y lady. But am I not to have a peep -at her?" . "Perhaps so, some day." "After she is securely yours?" ' ,L . "Exactly. After that" . yf Fenton beamed." It was his turn to become mysterious. His friend re garded him curiously. Fenton meet ing his eye became serious. "Somehow, you don't seem to be the same man I used to know," he said. "Perhaps I'm not," laughed For-!