The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-05-16
The MAN WHO SPOKE LATIN.
CONTINUED From Yesterday

a glaring July morning. People
came and went; people of all de-
gress and descriptions, none of
whom suggested in any particu-
lar the first century, B. G. One
individual only maintained any
permanency of situation. He was
a gaunt, powerful, freckled man
of thirty who sprawled on a set
tee and regarded Average Jones
with obvious and amused interest.
In time this annoyed the Ad-
Visor, who stopped short, facing
the settee.
Hes gone" said the freckled
man.
Meaning Livius the Roman"
asked Average Jones.
Exactly. Lucious Livius, son
of Marcus Praenestinus."
Are you the representative of
this rather peculiar person, may
ask?"
at would be a dull world, ex-
cept for peculiar persons" OBJ
served the man on the settle phil
osophically. I've seen very many
peculiar persons lately, by the
simple process of coming here
day after day. No, I'm not Mr..
Livius' representative. I'm only
a town-bound and interested OBJ
server of his"
There you've got the better of
me-" said Average Jones. 81 was
rather anxious to see him my
self"
The other looked speculatively
at the trim, keen-faced young
man. "Yet you do not look like
a Latin scholar" he observed;
"if you'll pardon the comment"
Nor do you," retorted Jones,
"if the apology is returnable.
II suppose not" owned the
other with a sigh. 1--WE often
thought that my classical capac-
ity would gain more recognition
II ! didn't have a skin like Bob
Fitzsimmons and hands like Ty
Cobb. Nevertheless, I'm in and
of the department of Latin of
Johns Hopkins University. Name,
Warren. Sit down."
Thanks" said the other.
Name, Jones. Profession, ad-
vertising advisor. Object, cur
iosity."
"A. v. R. e. Jones; better
known as Average Jones, l be-
lieve?"
"Experto crede! Being dog
Latin for You seem to know all
about 1t. :" The newcomer eyed
his vis-a-vis. perhaps you-er
know Mr.. Robert Bertram," he
drawled.
"Oculu-the eye-tauri - of
the bull. Bull's-eye!" said the
freckled one, with a Grin. "I'd
heard of your exploits through
Bertram, and thought probably
you'd follow the bait contained in
my letter to him."
Nothing wrong with your
nerve-system, is there?" inquired
Average Jones with mock anxiety.
Now that I'm here, where is L.
Livius And-so-forth?
elegantly but uncomfortably
housed with Colonel Ridgeway
Graeme in his ancestral barrack
ON Carteret Street"
as this Colonel Graeme
friend of yours?"
Friend and foe, tried and
true. We meet twice week,
usually at HIS house, to squabble
over his method of Latin pro-
nounciation and his construction
of the ablative case. He's got a
theory of the ablative absolute"
said Warrent with a scowl, "fit
to fetch Tacitus bowling from the
shades"
"A scholar, them"
"a very fine and finished
scholar, though faddist of the
rankest type. Speaks Latin as
readily as he does English"
"Old?"
"Over seventy"
"Rich?"
mot in money. Taxes on his
big place keep him pinched; that
and his passion for buying all
kinds of old and rare books. He's
got, perhaps, an income of five
thousand, clear, of which about
three thousand goes in book auc-
tions."
ANY family?"
s'No. Lives with two ancient
colored servants who look after
him."
"How did our friend from B. c.
connect up with him?"
".Oh, he ran to the old colonel
like a chick to it's hens. You see,
there aren't so very many Latin
lists in town during the hot
weather. Perhaps eighteen or
twenty in all came from about
here and from Washington see
the prodigy in the Park of
the Boar after the advertisement
appeared. He wouldn't have any
thing to do with any of us. Pre-
tended he didn't understand our
kind of Latin. l offered him a
place. myself, at a wage more
denarii than I could we'll afford.
I wanted a chance to study him.
Then came the colonel and fairly.
grabbed him. So / sent for you
lin my artless professional
way"
why such enthusiasm on the
part OF Colonel Graemef"
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