The official chaperon

At the start of the story a sharply dressed stranger steps off a Pullman sleeper in Washington, D.C., hurrying through a chaotic station while a porter’s eager chatter hints at the city’s restless rhythm. He catches a lone taxi, drifts past marble mansions and a quiet library where a servant’s frantic dusting sends a stray document spiraling into the street’s hidden drains. The ride ends at the opulent Riggs Turkish Bath, where steam and cigar smoke mingle with the late‑summer heat, offering the traveler a brief sanctuary.

Inside the bath, three well‑heeled men lounge and debate the charms of a young debutante named Janet Fordyce, her name snapping the traveler to attention. Their banter weaves together talk of wealth, opium‑tainted money, and rival admirers, suggesting connections that could pull the newcomer deeper into the city’s undercurrents. The listener is left wondering how this fleeting glimpse of society’s glitter will shape the stranger’s unexpected journey.