Without seeming to notice the negro as he passed the secondtime， he carelessly took the card that was handed him. Tensteps away he inspected it. In the same handwriting thatappeared on the first card “The Green Door” was inscribedupon it. Three or four cards were tossed to the pavement bypedestrians both following and leading him. These fell blankside up. Rudolf turned them over. Every one bore the printedlegend of the dental “parlours.”
Rarely did the arch sprite Adventure need to beckon twice toRudolf Steiner， his true follower. But twice it had been done，and the quest was on.
Rudolf walked slowly back to where the giant negro stood bythe case of rattling teeth. This time as he passed he received nocard. In spite of his gaudy and ridiculous garb， the Ethiopiandisplayed a natural barbaric dignity as he stood， offering thecards suavely to some， allowing others to pass unmolested.
Every half minute he chanted a harsh， unintelligible phraseakin to the jabber of car conductors and grand opera. Andnot only did he withhold a card this time， but it seemed toRudolf that he received from the shining and massive blackcountenance a look of cold， almost contemptuous disdain.
The look stung the adventurer. He read in it a silentaccusation that he had been found wanting. Whatever themysterious written words on the cards might mean， the blackhad selected him twice from the throng for their recipient； andnow seemed to have condemned him as deficient in the wit andspirit to engage the enigma.
Standing aside from the rush， the young man made arapid estimate of the building in which he conceived that hisadventure must lie. Five stories high it rose. A small restaurantoccupied the basement.
The first floor， now closed， seemed to house millinery orfurs. The second floor， by the winking electric letters， was thedentist’s. Above this a polyglot babel of signs struggled toindicate the abodes of palmists， dressmakers， musicians anddoctors. Still higher up draped curtains and milk bottles whiteon the window sills proclaimed the regions of domesticity.
After concluding his survey Rudolf walked briskly up thehigh flight of stone steps into the house. Up two flights of thecarpeted stairway he continued； and at its top paused. Thehallway there was dimly lighted by two pale jets of gas—onefar to his right， the other nearer， to his left. He looked towardthe nearer light and saw， within its wan halo， a green door.
For one moment he hesitated； then he seemed to see thecontumelious sneer of the African juggler of cards； and then hewalked straight to the green door and knocked against it.
Moments like those that passed before his knock wasanswered measure the quick breath of true adventure. Whatmight not be behind those green panels！ Gamesters at play；cunning rogues baiting their traps with subtle skill； beautyin love with courage， and thus planning to be sought by it；danger， death， love， disappointment， ridicule—any of thesemight respond to that temerarious rap.
A faint rustle was heard inside， and the door slowly opened.
A girl not yet twenty stood there， white-faced and tottering.
She loosed the knob and swayed weakly， groping with onehand. Rudolf caught her and laid her on a faded couch thatstood against the wall. He closed the door and took a swiftglance around the room by the light of a flickering gas jet.
Neat， but extreme poverty was the story that he read.
The girl lay still， as if in a faint. Rudolf looked around theroom excitedly for a barrel. People must be rolled upon abarrel who—no， no； that was for drowned persons. He beganto fan her with his hat. That was successful， for he struck hernose with the brim of his derby and she opened her eyes. Andthen the young man saw that hers， indeed， was the one missingface from his heart’s gallery of intimate portraits. The frank，grey eyes， the little nose， turning pertly outward； the chestnuthair， curling like the tendrils of a pea vine， seemed the rightend and reward of all his wonderful adventures. But the facewas wofully thin and pale.
The girl looked at him calmly， and then smiled.
“Fainted， didn’t I？” she asked， weakly. “Well， who wouldn’t？
You try going without anything to eat for three days and see！”
“Himmel！” exclaimed Rudolf， jumping up. “Wait till I comeback.”