A Business Career

IV

18 seemingly arisen by the merest accident, might open up away by which Wendell Truscott could be brought to bay. If it resulted in nothing else,it would at least satisfy a veryreasonable curiosity to know what manner of man had played so large and so disastrous a part in the family history. IV. Stella had no difficulty in finding the place, a large, new building on a corner of the principal street in the heart of the city. The offices of the Truscott Refining Company were located on the eighth floor of the ElDorado, a modern steelframe structure towering to the skyas if in defiance of earthly metes and bounds, and housing the population of a small town upon a superficial area no larger than that occupied by a suburban dwelling-house. Stella entered the elevator,which shot skywardsrapidly. The sensation of swift upward movement was a novel and disagreeable one. Stella put her hand involuntarily against the side of the car to support herself, and felt a pronounced sense of relief when the car stopped to let her out. "Eighth floor! Out here,please,lady," said the elevator man. "Number 27, to the right, at the end of the hall." When Stella had stepped out, he slid the door into place by pulling a lever, and continued his upward flight. Stella stood in the hall a moment until she had got her bearings. Then she walked along the hall toward the office designated. She could see the number in large gilt letters on 19 the transom over the entrance, and the name of the company on the glazed upper half of the door itself.Shehad never been in so fine a building. The floor on which she walked was of mosaic, the walls of the passage were wainscoted in white marble and painted in arabesque designs. The wood work was of polished oak with bronze fittings. Stella knocked at the door somewhat timidly. It wasopened by a lad of about fourteen, who seemed surprised at the formality of aknock at the outer door to abusiness office. Hewas evidently impressed by Stella's appearance, for when he had glanced at her a somewhat impudent expression gave way to one of greater deference. "Walk in, ma'am," he said, and added, when she had entered, "Whom did you wish to see?" "Mr. Truscott. Is he in?"she asked. "No, ma'am, he's stepped out for a fewminutes, but he'll be back right away. Did you want to seehim on business?" "Yes." "Then you might wait. Just step in here and sit down." He led the way into an adjoining room, and set a chair for her. "That's Mr. Truscott's private office," he said, pointing to a room beyond, "and he'll prob'ly pass through here to reach it. He'll be in verysoon. Perhapsyou'd liketo look at the mornin' paper?" he added, bringing it to her."There's averyinterestin' piece in it about a horrible murder and suicide." Stella thanked him, and let the paper lie on her lap, while she glanced about her. From her seat she could seeat a glance 20 the plan of the office, or suite of offices. The room into which she had been shown opened to the right of the one she had entered from the hall. Toher left as she went into the second room lay the private office indicated by the boy. These three rooms wereat the north side of the west end of the floor, and formed, as it were,three fourths of a square. The other quarter constituted part of a long room occupying the remainder of one side of the eighth floor. The entrance hall contained a washstand, a table and some chairs. In the room where Stella sat were a filing case, a letter press, a typewriter cabinet, and a green-topped office table. Through the open door to the private office she sawthat itwas furnished in a style of substantial elegance. She remembered, faintly, havingvisited her father's office once, when a verylittle girl; but its furnishingshad been vastlysimpler than these. The floor had been bare, whereas this was covered with a thick Persian rug. Her father's desk had been an upright affair of black walnut. The one here was a massiveroll-top structure of mahogany. A clothes-press stood in one corner. There were several large photographs...