The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Gates of Chance, by Van Tassel Sutphen

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Title: The Gates of Chance

Author: Van Tassel Sutphen

Posting Date: May 13, 2009 [EBook #3758]
Release Date: February, 2003
First Posted: August 21, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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The Gates of Chance

by

Van Tassel Sutphen

Contents

I THE GENTLEMAN'S VISITING-CARD
II THE RED DUCHESS
III HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK
IV THE PRIVATE LETTER-BOX
V THE NINETY-AND-NINE KISSES
VI THE QUEEN OF SPADES
VII THE OPAL BUTTON
VIII THE TIP-TOP TIP
IX THE BRASS BAGGAGE-CHECK
X THE UPSET APPLE-CART
XI THE PHILADELPHIA QUIZZING-GLASS
XII THE ADJUSTER OF AVERAGES

I

The Gentleman's Visiting-Card

The card that had been thrust into my hand had pencilled upon it, "Call
at 4020 Madison Avenue at a quarter before eight this evening." Below,
in copper-plate, was engraved the name, Mr. Esper Indiman.

It was one of those abnormally springlike days that New York sometimes
experiences at the latter end of March, days when negligee shirts and
last summer's straw hats make a sporadic appearance, and bucolic
weather prophets write letters to the afternoon papers abusing the
sun-spots. Really, it was hot, and I was anxious to get out of the dust
and glare; it would be cool at the club, and I intended dining there.
The time was half-past six, the height of the homeward rush hours, and,
as usual, there was a jam of vehicles and pedestrians at the Fourth
Avenue and Twenty-third Street crossing. The subway contractors were
still at work here, and the available street space was choked with
their stagings and temporary footwalks. The inevitable consequent was
congestion; here were two of the principal thoroughfares of the city
crossing each other at right angles, and with hardly enough room, at
the point of intersection, for the traffic of one. The confusion grew
worse as the policemen and signalmen stationed at