The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-11-11
u l1eIgIIe DagLsson 20



Z 1 beiieTo 4 was q theory Of Robert
Louis Stevenson that one could have
40 sense Of completer physical COM
5ort IN this ne than to escape from tho
.I3a tile Of Civilization and dine onf
tinnad bologna and q cake Of chocolates
under the, pines OF Gevaudan, where
God keeps an open house" The aVss
era9e dweller IN New York. who could
hardly locate Gexaudan with an atlagSi
win think, Be found keptlcally dis
senting. He win cite, rather, the
comfortable state Of one who takes
his steamfnE dinner at a good hoste1ty.f
Let the table be set snugly by VIM
dow. let the night be dark and rainy
let one warm and hungry look out at
the splashing street, the bedrabbled
passers. the huddIed cabmen turning:
their gIIstening backs to the wind. 1t!
Is like sitting comfortably In Abra-i
hams bosom with a good view OF
Divesi
On such night Of April, had the
corner table at window IN the Dres-
den looking out in the dripping ave,
nue. a good dinner set over a white
cloth, a bottle cooling in a tub Office,
q cigar awaiting me on the servants
tray. q hunger like q wood-chopper's
and a-cert9t4ty Of exemption from the
rigor Of me elements.
y had arrived happily at my coffee
with its thimble Sef brandy. when
servant came to say that carriage
vas waiting for me at the door. re-,
Piled that Ehad ordered no carriage,
and began to cut the end OF my cigar
The man went away, but almost in-S
stantly returned, saying that some one
In a carriage wished to see me at
once. went to the door and the
porter took me under his umbrella to
the carriage. had no idea who de
manded thus peremptorily to see me.
end my surprise was not greatly less
ened when Randolph AIason's voice
spoke to me out OF the darkness OF the
carriage, bidding me accompany him.
I returned to the hotel. got my coat
and hat and sat down in the carriage
beside him, wondering what could be
his mission on this uncomfortable
night. It must be an unusual, high
IL important matter to take him up
town IN this chilling rain, for 1t was
rare that Randolph Mason would
leave his house to see any man, no
matter OF what Importance. His view
Of men was that attributed academical-
s II TO the 1aw-an equality ideally ex-
act: IL ones AFFAIRS presented suits
able problem, the individual in it was
q factor to be estimated and dealt
with, but otherwise not to be consid-
cred. This voyaging In the night then
meant first that the person involved
could not so to Mason. 1t might be;
some man behind a lock, some inno-
cent person involved in another's
Il In
seized and must be helped back to.
bis freedom. or else it was woman.
In the meantime the carriage contin=
ned uptown. Randolph Mason was sic
IentIy smoking a cigar, lying back in
his corner of the seat, and followed
his example. It thus happened took
no notice OF our route. However, aft
er perhaps an hour, the carriage
stopped and observed that we were
under the porte-cochere Of one Of the
new palaces on Riverside Drive.
The door was thrown open and we
stepped down into the presence Of
liveried footman, who led US into the
house and removed our coats. and then
took US up a flight of great stairs. On
the first landing we passed two nur-
ses in their white caps and aprons
a moment later we were uSuSEeu 4uSO
a sittinE-rooua or a bedchamber. Be
SIDE a table a man sat propped up in
an invalid chair. He was a huge bulk
of a man, rather over six feet, I should
think. with a tremendous. muscular
chest, thin gray hair and heavy,
puffy face Nature had built him for
gigantic labors. Energy, strength, de-
cJsive action sat in his big muscles:
but they were dying now, like the
man. A mere loose, devitalized. pudgy
hulk remained of what was once
splendid animal. The eye alone
seemed living. A brilliant, determined
brown eye, burning steady and clear
like a ships light. The last. unfailing
servant OF an indomitable spirit max
ing ready to abandon its worthless
house.
The man nodded to Randolph Ma
son. For a moment he regarded me
with a curious glance, then he nodded
likewise to me. The servant closed
the door, leaving the three of US alone,
and we sat down opposite the table be-
side the sick man. With the light
OF the lamp full IN his face. knew
him now, from his Autograph on va
ricus bond issues. He was Richard
r. Carts. president of the Life Assur-
ance Company of North America. His
ghastly physical condition oppressed
me, he was 50 evidently intended for
an the vitaIities of life and he was so
: evidently dying. looked at Randolph