After the first Chicago chapter house was gutted by a mysterious fire, Max Mercer purchased new quarters for the Aeon Society. He selected a large Romanesque Revival structure located at 1313 Astor Place in the affluent Gold Coast neighborhood, not far from the shores of Lake Michigan. Built in 1884 by the distinguised firm of Cobb and Frost, the large brownstone was constructed on a foundation that survived the Great Fire of 1871. The current day is Saturday, December 17th. The afternoon sky is