River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-11-07

Bronze Helmet" at the BROAD ouee'
4heater in Philadelphia. 1t was no
table event in America. Gafki came
directly from Berlin, and staged the
drama in it's every detail, as he mad
done it for the emperor at the Ma
tional theater on Inter den Linden.
philadelphia society possessed the
Broad street theater that night. A
Drohibitive tariff set by Gafki barred
out many.
/ can recall but few details of the
Bronze Helmet" after the first act.
When the curtain came down / went
over to the box Of the aged Mrs. Van
CouVer-Benson to talk a little with
Margaret Garnett She and her faith
er, the president of the Consolidated
Fuel Railroads Of Pennsylvania, were
about TO sail for winters visit with
our Ambassador at London, and this
was my only opportunity to present
personal adieus. Mrs. Van Couver-
henson is a mere wisp of woman,
one at the roads end, painfully cling
ing a moment longer to life. She sat
in a corner of the box, bit Of breath
ing wax covered with costly laces, iso-
lated by deafness. Margaret Garnett
was alone, but for this senile aunt.
She welcomed graciously my arrival
in the box.
How do you do, Courtlandt," she
said Then she waived a presentation
to the ancient aunt with a screening
pleasantly. Aunt Van is absorbed in
the perils Of Caesar; sit down by me-"
] sat down, and touched at once on
the motive of my visit Il came" l
said ito wish you favorable winds"
She turned to me instantly. we
are not going" she said.
mot going!" / echoed why not?"
She laughed a little. There is
man in the way"
l hecked the chair arm lightly with
my finger "How little thing"
said ito stay the sailing of Semira-
mis-
Not SO little thing" she answered
to my fiippant sally. "If you will look
presently at the first chair of the fifth
row on the right of the center aisle,
you will see him. Is he, then, 50 little
a thing?"
] looked a moment later with ris-
ing interest. The man who sat in that
first chair of the fifth row was never
a little factor in any human equation.
He was on this day a star DETECTING
the orbits of political leaders in his
state, one playing at the Grachii-the
Commoner, sustained by the toiling
hive, but he was not of it. He came
of a family older yet than Penn; one
powerful under the first congress, but
afterward cOntentedly fallow through
idle generations, and now, by the me-
dunn of this man, returning actively
to life
The career or this man was some
thing of a wonder to us all. Com
manding by his birth station of the
highest order, he had Of his own vo-
lition become a leader of the people;
and then, when he stood an authority
to be reckoned with in the placing of
federal patronage, he chose strangely
and with small spirit, we thought,
the position of a United States mar
shall. The men who usually got this
office were aspiring sheriffs. Why,
then, did this man, reared in kings
houses thus strangely wish it?
| forgot on the instant Gafki and his
Bronze Helmet" Here was indeed
news. The engagement of Margaret
iGarnett! The big Englishmen would
not haunt now our Ambassadors
house in Park Lane. The tall girls
idestiny had arrived.
made the usual conventional
speeches, bit highly colored, l fear
rather eulogistic, over-appreciative,
laden with tropical platftudes.
She heard me, like a sphinx calmly
to the end, then she dropped a gull
lotine knife on the dainty speeches.
Very pretty, Courtlandt," she said,
but you are giving tongue on the
wrong trail. Mr. Wood is not at pres
ent intending to marry me- He is abb
sorbingly engaged in an effort to adj
vance his own fortunes, somewhat at
the cost of my fathers"
! stammered my way back, and she
went on, covering thus unconscious
" my confusion.
L fear that father is not coming OF
as he would wish in this contest with
Mr.. Wood. He laughed a little at the
opening skirmish, somewhat like CAT
ks Caesar, sitting in his tent: but
within the last month he has advanced
his standards, as Caesar always did
when he was being cut to pieces. You
see how much l am influenced by this
thing of Gafki. Father has abandoned
1ur winter in London He must be
here, happy if by being here he can
prevail against Mr. Wood. It is in
this manner, Courtlandt, that the man
at the end of the fifth row is standing
in the way"
l was still deeply puzzled How
could one of but moderate fortunes. a
mere United States marshal, interrupt
thus seriously the plans of an indus
trial emperor like John A Garrett.
waited for further explanation. 1t did
not Immediately come.
"Courtlandt," she said, tell me
about Randolph Mason"
Randolph Mason" 1 echoed. What
interest can you have in Randolph Ma
SOM"
You will learn that a little further
on" she said. Then the dominant
quality IN her, in her father. in every
Garnett, came imperiously forward:
Begin now, Courtlandt, please: I am
listening"
| began then with what willing spir.