The adventurous piano salesman halted at the cornerand considered. Then he crossed the street， walked downa block， recrossed and joined the upward current of peopleagain. Without seeming to notice the negro as he passedthe second time， he carelessly took the card that washanded him. Ten steps away he inspected it. In the samehandwriting that appeared on the first card “The GreenDoor” was inscribed upon it. Three or four cards weretossed to the pavement by pedestrians both following andleading him. These fell blank side up. Rudolf turned themover. Every one bore the printed legend of the dental“parlours.”
Rarely did the arch sprite Adventure need to beckontwice to Rudolf Steiner， his true follower. But twice it hadbeen done， and the quest was on.
Rudolf walked slowly back to where the giant negrostood by the case of rattling teeth. This time as he passedhe received no card. In spite of his gaudy and ridiculousgarb， the Ethiopian displayed a natural barbaric dignityas he stood， offering the cards suavely to some， allowingothers to pass unmolested. Every half minute he chanteda harsh， unintelligible phrase akin to the jabber of carconductors and grand opera. And not only did he withholda card this time， but it seemed to Rudolf that he receivedfrom the shining and massive black countenance a look ofcold， 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， theblack had selected him twice from the throng for theirrecipient； and now seemed to have condemned him asdeficient in the wit and spirit to engage the enigma.
Standing aside from the rush， the young man made arapid estimate of the building in which he conceived thathis adventure must lie. Five stories high it rose. A smallrestaurant occupied the basement.
The first floor， now closed， seemed to house millinery orfurs. The second floor， by the winking electric letters， wasthe dentist’s. Above this a polyglot babel of signs struggledto indicate the abodes of palmists， dressmakers， musiciansand doctors. Still higher up draped curtains and milkbottles white on the window sills proclaimed the regionsof domesticity.
After concluding his survey Rudolf walked briskly up thehigh flight of stone steps into the house. Up two flights ofthe carpeted stairway he continued； and at its top paused.
The hallway there was dimly lighted by two pale jets ofgas—one far to his right， the other nearer， to his left. Helooked toward the nearer light and saw， within its wanhalo， a green door. For one moment he hesitated； thenhe seemed to see the contumelious sneer of the Africanjuggler of cards； and then he walked straight to the greendoor and knocked against it.
Moments like those that passed before his knock wasanswered measure the quick breath of true adventure.
What might not be behind those green panels！ Gamestersat play； cunning rogues baiting their traps with subtleskill； beauty in love with courage， and thus planning tobe sought by it； danger， death， love， disappointment，ridicule—any of these might respond to that temerariousrap.
A faint rustle was heard inside， and the door slowlyopened. A girl not yet twenty stood there， white-faced andtottering. She loosed the knob and swayed weakly， gropingwith one hand. Rudolf caught her and laid her on a fadedcouch that stood against the wall. He closed the doorand took a swift glance around the room by the light of aflickering gas jet. Neat， but extreme poverty was the storythat he read.
The girl lay still， as if in a faint. Rudolf looked aroundthe room excitedly for a barrel. People must be rolledupon a barrel who—no， no； that was for drowned persons.
He began to fan her with his hat. That was successful，for he struck her nose with the brim of his derby and sheopened her eyes. And then the young man saw that hers，indeed， was the one missing face from his heart’s galleryof intimate portraits. The frank， grey eyes， the little nose，turning pertly outward； the chestnut hair， curling like thetendrils of a pea vine， seemed the right end and reward ofall his wonderful adventures. But the face was wofully thinand pale.
The girl looked at him calmly， and then smiled.
“Fainted， didn’t I？” she asked， weakly. “Well， whowouldn’t？ You try going without anything to eat for threedays and see！”
“Himmel！” exclaimed Rudolf， jumping up. “Wait till Icome back.”
He dashed out the green door and down the stairs. Intwenty minutes he was back again， kicking at the doorwith his toe for her to open it. With both arms he huggedan array of wares from the grocery and the restaurant.