The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-16
THE MAN WHO QUIT


anything with 'them9'
 Can I do anything with them? Just watch Whats the number Of your l room atsthe hotel You'll find me there with sufficient means of enter tainment when you get through"
 The nights story was a rather long one and before 1 had turned the last sheet over to the operator the hour was well on to midnight. found Mount in my room asleep with his head on the table in a blaze of light. A big bottle opened and with it's con- tents lowered was nearby and in easy reach He walked at my step and deflce of his close acquaintance with the bottled article on the table were too pronounced to be ignored, but he was coherent and intelligent, if lit- tie reckless.
 ''Great story we've got tonight" he said genially. If you can't handle It, let me do It."
 DO you really think you could do the story" I asked with an intended taunt in my voice.
 "Do I think can do 1t? Look here. It's big story. But I've handled a bigger story for a bigger paper than yours. I covered the sudden over- throw of Dom Pedro's government in Brazil for The New York Herald. guess you haven't handled anything bigger than that"
 And you have been newspaper man. too," I said, when I had lit cigar and was established in a rocker Mount, there is a great big story in you Richard Harding Davis ought to run you in that series of his on real soldiers of fortune.
 Mot him. Not Davis..' he returned hotly. If there's a story there it's for somebody elses I know Davis. l was in command Of one of Hearst's newspaper boats in '97. The Cuban revolution was going on them. It was before our Government jumped into the light. I had to take Davis and Rem ington down-on the southern coast to l put them in communication with the | insurgents. Remington has the nerve all right to stick to his job if 1t is l dagerous, but Davis--welI, since that | trip Hearst has never had him to write. another line for his papers. And since that trip I have never cared to meet | Mir Richard Harding Davis." His loosened tongue went swiftly on. i in another hours "reminiscences of ad venture and tragedy which until then had remained untold. At length deem- ing the time propitious. I asked him quite bluntly:
 What is the matter with you? You
 are not an old man, Your mind is as strong and your body as strong as they ever were. There are few men today i of your education and your training and your experience. The best work you have ever done you could do today and do it quite as we'll And yet you are today not much more than a cipher. l,WhaFs the matter with youg' 'Oh I quit" he said, iundisturbed and | unruff1ed. l. But why?" I asked "was 1t this?"
 leaned forward and touched the bot
 tie on the table.
 NO that never troubled me. It nev-
 CT mastered me. have always ruled it."
 And he continued somewhat savage ly and somewhat bitterly:
 Tt was something worse than that. ! know success I have tasted it's
 sweets. know the joy of fighting. l
 have fought breast to breast with life for its honors and rewards. I have
 fought and won the honors and re- wards. But the time came when there was no sweetness in victory and what
 was worse, no joy in fighting. Then I
 quit. quit cold.
 '"rhe day may come when may take hand again in the fighting, but |
 doubt it. I'm out of it. 4 ! He knitted his brows and said slow
 ly:
 T have been married. My wife had money left the navy to please her. |
 shaped my life--I fought my fight to
 please her. Well--we are not living
 together now. And have quit. -t
 'Its midnight and I'm tired. Good
 night"