Curiosity and its famous cuisine, however, brought thither a sprinkling of the better classes--men about town, salesmen and their out-of-town customers, lawyers, brokers, merchants, and the sons of rich parents who thought it the correct thing to be seen there. The upper floors were divided into supper rooms for ladies and their escorts, and it was quite a fad among the upper crust of Kansas City aristocracy to drop in there after the theater. Mr. Bagley himself, rotund and red-faced, lounged in a big easy chair behind the cashier’s desk near the entrance. The room was nearly crowded at that hour, and while Vance was surveying the place with much interest a waiter approached Dudley and handed him a card. “We’ll go upstairs, Vance,” said the dapper gentleman gaily. “I’ll introduce you to a friend of mine.” Thus speaking, he hooked his arm in Thornton’s and, preceded by the waiter, they passed out again into the entry and walked up a couple of flights of richly-carpeted stairs, down to the end of a corridor, where a window opened on a gloomy prospect of dark roofs and irregular black voids. The waiter rapped on one of the doors that lined this corridor, and a voice shouted, “Come in.” The attendant stepped aside and permitted Dudley to usher Vance into a well-lighted room and the presence of a dark-complexioned gentleman in full evening dress and a young lady of unquestioned beauty, that was heightened by her chic air. They had just been served with supper, the chief dish being grilled bones. There were bottles of wine and ale on the table, and the couple seemed to be enjoying themselves hugely. “Hello, Dudley! You’re just in time. You’ll have supper with us, of course--you and your friend. Waiter, take the order.” “Sure,” responded the dapper young man; then, turning to the lady, whom he evidently knew, he said, “Miss Miller, this is Vance Thornton.” The young lady bowed with a sweet smile and a fascinating glance. “Carrington,” continued Dudley, turning to the gentleman, “let me make you acquainted with my friend Thornton. Vance, this is Sid Carrington.” “Glad to know you, Thornton,” said Carrington, rising and extending his hand. The boy acknowledged both introductions in a suitable manner and then took the seat pointed out to him, which was close to Miss Miller. “Vance, like myself, is merely paying a flying visit to Kansas City on business,” explained Dudley, and then he and Carrington began to talk together, leaving the boy and Miss Miller to entertain themselves. There was nothing backward about Miss Miller, for after Vance had given a modest order to the attendant she proceeded at once to make herself agreeable to the lad. “So you’re a stranger in Kansas City, Mr. Thornton? Are you from Chicago?” “Yes,” replied Vance, who was not a little impressed by the lady’s loveliness, as well as her fascinating ways.