The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-05
From the New York World.


p whose eyes stared out vacantly
from behind glasses, stole away
under a pail of darkness from his man
sion at Morristown. N. j. 1t was Rich
ard A. McCurdy, the former president of
the Mutual Life Insurance company. who
sailed on the Hamburg American liner
Amerka for Europe.
The old man seemed afraid of something
in leaving the community where for more
than a quarter of century and until
only few months ago he was counted
a great man. But his fear was ground
less, for he would have passed unnoticed,
except by the curious gaze of a boy with
a bucket of ashes, policeman shivering
in the icy wind and the station agent.
But the old man didn't know this. He
drove across country from Morristown to
Convent a station two miles east of
Morristown, where everything was dark
and where Lackawanna trains stop at
night out of force of habit. There he
heaved himself aboard the local which
left Morrstown at S:46 o'clock Two
Wallets and a coachman had to assist him,
and the effort exhausted him.
In the train were Robert H. McCurdy
and his wife and man friend. The boy
with the bucket of ashes and the SILVER
ing policeman saw the others get on the
train at Morristown With the old man
were Mrs. McCurdy. his daughter, Mrs
Louis A Thebaud, and her husband, who
are to go abroad with him.
The few who were in the car which
the McCurdys chose didn't seem to know
who the travellers were. As the old man
entered the car Mrs Thebaud exclaimed,
"Oh! how stuffy and warm it is herel''
"Oh! this heat is good; | am so cold'
said the old man. pathetically
McCurdy tottered up the aisle, followed
by his two Wallets, and wanted to sit down
at once The two servants held him up.
After a moment his mind seemed to grasp
what his Wallets were seeking to do, he
held out his shaking arms and they re-
moved his fur-lined great coat and muf-
fer. Then he sank into seat corner in
front of his wife and his head dropped
forward on his chest.
and opened YEARLY when Mrs. McCurdy
leaned forward and whispered in his ear.
He smiled with an effort, took off his
black derby hat and put on a short peaked
cloth cap, which he brought forth from
the breast pocket of his coat.
After pulling the cap down tightly on
his closely cropped head, the old man
turned painfully toward his wife and
smiled as a child at it's mother.
He turned away and put up a hand
back of him, moving the fingers back and
forth playfully Mrs. McCurdy leaned
over and caught the hand and pressed it
until the fingers were stilled. His whole
frame shivered as his wife relaxed her
grasp.
az am cold" he said, in low tone.
His wife leaned forward again, and
with her motherly hands placed around
her husbands shoulders her fur cape.
She patted his shoulder lovingly, and a
smile lighted up his face. He did not
turn again, but his eyes closed behind
their heavy glasses. his closely cropped
gray head nodded and minute later
he was sleeping Every now and then
the ola man Noulu give q start, The yves
would open and stare ahead Of him for
moment and then close. So it was until
the train reached Hoboken Part OF the
time his wife slept. too.
1t was a strange family party that the
McCurdys made Ahead of the sleeping
father and mother sat Mrs. Thebaud and
her husband. In her ears were great
pearl drops. Her gown was black and
rich and she talked necessarily. Her
voice made a constant buzz and her hus-
hand spoke only in monosyllables.
Different from the Thebauds were young
Bob" McCurdy-"Prince Bob''-and his
wife. Occasionally the wife tried to laugh,
and her husband now and again responded
but most of the time his eyes were gaz-
ing at the nodding head of his father
Several times he shook his own head
sadly, and once he said Poor old fellow!'
This seemed to direct Mrs. McCurdy S