Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-10-05
WOODBURY., N J, THURSDAY, OCTOBER s. 1899
APART OF HIS STORY
ONE CHAPTER IN THE LIFE OF A
YOUNG ADvENTURER.

which May Have Ended Behind
Prison Bars or Which May Now BE
| BrimfuI of Happiness and Hope.
''These little detached passages in
other peoples stories that we are con-
tinually running into by pure chance, !"
said an old reporter off duty. are the
most fascinating and tantalizing things
in life. Sometimes we get whole
chapter, sometimes we get nothing
more than scrap of dialogue, and as
often as not it's only glance of the
eye or a gesture of the hand, but we
realize all the same that we have acci-
dentally intruded upon some poignant
human document of which we are
never to know either the beginning or
the end. have often amused myself
by taking such fragmentary morsels
and attempting to reconstruct around
them logical sequence of events, just
as naturalists build up fossil monstrosi-
ties from small sections of their big
toes, and l may add that the invariable
result of my efforts has shattered my
faith in comparative zoology. am
forced to believe that the naturalists
are taking us. However. when
"Oh, well. =" said somebody in the
office. go ahead and tell the story and
have done with itl''
The incident had in mind, /" con-
tinued the old reporter, looking some-
what injured. was narrated to me by
gentleman of this city who is now
manager of an extensive orange grove,
with offices in New Orleans. Eight or
nine years ago, before he assumed his
present position, he had charge of a
large sugar plantation up the river. and
one day during the grinding season a
young Englishman came to his Office
and applied to him for work.
1.-THE young fellow said his name
was John Mason, and his shabby clothes
and hungry look in his eye confirmed
the statement that he was badly in
need of a job. The manager liked his
face and manners and put him at light
work with gang at the cane carriers.
Mason proved very good hand. He
was steady and sober, but he attracted
no special attention, had no intimates
and never let drop word about his
history. At the end of the season he
drew his money and went away
"About month later the manager
received letter from lady in Eng
land inquiring about her son, John
Mason, whom she understood was
working ON that plantation. The letter
went on to say that he had left home
believing he had killed young woman
to whom he was engaged. He had
struck her with something in a fit of
insane jealousy. The woman was not
dead, and the trouble had been fixed
up. Meanwhile the young man had
come in for legacy of e5. 600. and his
mother wanted him to return at once.
The letter was evidently written by
person of culture and refinement and
seemed sincere. but. having no idea OF
Mason's whereabouts. all the manager
could do was to reply to that effect
That closed the correspondence
lone evening next grinding season a
very ragged. trampish looking man
came to the Office window and asked
for work Dirt, privation and heavy
beard had changed him considerably,
but the manager recognized him as
Mason at a glance. Didn't you use to
work for mef' he asked. No. replied
the man. 4 was never south before in
my life. Well said the manager, 1
have no work for you, but You remind
ed me at first of fellow want to see
fellow named John Mason.
sThe applicant stood for a while ir-
resolute. used to have a partner by
that name. he said finally; may be it
was him. What was it aboutH'
The manager looked him in the eye
L wanted to tell him that that woman
was not dead he replied.
Mason grabbed hold Of the window
sill and turned white as sheet under
his dirt His jaw trembled for min
ute, and then he began to blubber like
a child The manager came out, led
him in kindly, and as soon as the Eng
lishman saw the letter he admitted the
story of his flight was true. The reac-
tion was SO great that he became half
hysterical, but at last he was persuaded
to go to his old quarters for the night,
and the manager assured him that he
would make arrangements next day for
his immediate return to England.
sWell2" asked several listeners
THAT'S all there is to the story, I"
said the old reporter. Next morning
John Mason WASH t there. His bed had
not been slept in; nobody had seen
him. nobody has ever seen him since.
Where he came from, what became of
him, who he really was, nobody knows
The manager wrote to the mother and
got no reply, and the question arises,
Was it his mother after all Might not
the letter have been decoyf How did
the writer learn his addressi Was the
girl actually alive or dead? True, the
manager might have settled some of
these problems by further inquiries at
the English end, but he Is wise man
and has learned that 1t is not well to
meddle with detached chapters. 1t is
an excellent rule. New Orleans