The Gates of Chance

on second thought I w

park area, and the old-time residences, with their curiously wrought-iron stoop-railings and graceful fan-lights, have been degraded to the base uses o

-time houses-now, alas! one of the dirtiest and most dilapidate

ctly on the grimy floor, and upon it a man in the last stage of consumption. He glanced up at Indiman and waved his

e door-there's enough

turned on the draught. The flame leaped up instantly, the crazy smoke-pipe rattling a

, slowly. "I have in my possession one of your

odless lips, but the dark eyes were full o

d Indiman, shar

and joined Indiman. "Gone!" he said, briefly. "Gone, a

ad actually stolen the "Red Duchess," what were his motives in multiplying copies of the picture, a proceeding that

dea that by study of it he should discover the secret of its power. He had made copies of the picture and sold them in order to supply himself with the necessiti

er admitted for a moment that he was a failure as an artist; there was a cabal against him, and that accounted for everything. This affair was simply his revenge upon his critics and detractors; he would turn out these reproductions of

picture returned

copies-that was t

, then-the 'R

ed canvas," said Indiman, gravely. "I don't know, I can'

ect copy,"

" answered Indiman. "'Where ignorance is bliss,' etc. What d

as a big thing, right enough, but somehow I seem to have missed it all r

arters there for an indefinite period? In exchange for services rendered, as he put it, and somehow he made it possible for me to accept the invitation. It had been twenty-four hours now since I had first enjoyed t

opped suddenly and picked up a small object. It was a latch-key of

y you are an incorrigibly prosaic person. A key-does it

ut a door," I an

a door upon which this little key may be profitabl

romi