The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-02
CHAPTER III.


Fitzgerald's view from his oiDb
window afforded the same impersonal
outlook a. from window in car.
II was the two living currents NOV
5ng in opposite directions, each max
ing toward a similar goat. only In
million different ways that absorbed
him SubcCasciousiy he vas always
counting, now Icy tTts row ny tens
bu, invariably found new entertain
ment ere he reached the respectable
three numerals ef an even hundred.
Sometimes II Was a silk hat which
he followed till Ii became lost up
the avenue; and as often as not he
would single out "A waiting cabman
and speculate on the quality Of his
fare: and other WITNESSES,
That this vas such and such wo
man, or that was such and such
man never led him into any of that
gossip SO common among ciubplen
who are out Of touch with the vital
things in life Even when he espied
friend in this mysterious flow Of
souls, there was only a transient fash
cf recognition In his eyes. When he
wasn't in the tennis courts. or the bill
Hard or card rooms. ne was generally
to be found ina this corner, He had
seen all manner Of crowds. armies
pursuing and retreating, vast concords
in public squares at coronations, at
catastrophes, at play, and he never
lost Interest In watching them: they
were the great expressions OF human
ity. This is perhaps the reason why
his articles were always so rich In
color. No two crowds were ever alike
to him. consequently he never was
at less for fresh description.
To-day the Italian vender Of plas-
ter statuettes caught his eyes. For
an hour now the poor wretch hadn't
even drawn the attention OF one Of
the thousands passing. Fitzgerald
felt sorry for him, and once the
desire came to go over and buy out
the Neapolitan. but he was too com
Portable where he was. and beyond
that he was expecting a friend,
Fitzgerald was thirty. with clean
shaven. lean and eager face russell
in tone. well offset by the fine blue
eyes which had the faculty of see
ing little and big thing as the same
time. He had disspatsd in a trifiing
fashion, but the healthy, active life
he lived in the open more than coun-
teracted the effects. A lonely orphan
possessing a lively Imagination. Is
seldom free from some vice or other
There had never been. however. what
the world is pleased to term entanRle-
u1ents. His guardian angel gave him
a light step whenever there was any
social thin ice. on, he had some
relatives, but as they were neither
very rich nor very poor, they seldom
annoyed one another. He was. then
a free lance in all the abused word
y implies. a11d he lived as he pleased
spending his earnings freely and often
careiessly, knowing that the little his
father had left him would keep a
moderately hungry wolf from thc
Goor. He had been born To a golden
spoon. but the food from the pewter
one he now used tasted tust as good
So here YOU are, I've been in the
Billiard room. and the card room and
the bar room"
Talking Of bar rooms" Fitzger-
aid reached for the button. Sit
down. Hewitt. old boy. Glad to see
s&sss Now. t'ii teil'you right on the
bat nothing viii persuade me For
years I've been jumping to the -four
points Of the compass at the beck OF
your old magazine and syndicate,
I'm going 10 settle down and write
novel;
"Pifie," growled the editor, drop
ping his lanky form into q chair.
"Thank goodness, they haven't swivel
chairs ia the club I've been whirl-
4bb IoAAAd ia pit ttAA E$-~-d IViEt Ndii
Scotch, please-but novel. l say,
piffie,"
aPinle it may Toe, but I'm going
TO have whack at it. II ! ever do
another article. Il win be- as h mil
iionsire's private secretary. | should
hike To study his methods for saving
his money. What is II this time"
"A dash tn the North Pole"
Never again north Of Berlin or
south OF Assuan for mine. No"
Come. Fitz; great chance"
When you sent me 10 Manila
explored hell for yon. but I've cooled
off considerably since then. No ice
for mine. except In silver buckets ~
you've made a pretty good thing
out OF us: something like five thou
sand year and your expenses; and
with the credentials we've always
given you. you have been able to
gee the world as few men see it."