Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-11-01
The Correct0r of Destinies
Being Tales of Randolph Mason as Related bv
His Private Secretary. Courtland Parks
THE DANSEUSF
BY Melville DAVIDSON Post
Copyright by Edward ]. Clode

recklessly into every possible expert
ence. The American lacked the fore
sight OF King David; within a wear he
nad startled continent by his gam
bling at Monte Carlo: he had heen
nned In every city of Italy for the
reckless driving of motor cars: he had
been publicly elected from the Moulin
Rouge for excuses passing even the
elastic standard of Paris.
On his way Of riot he came under
the eye of Viennese danseuse. Su-
zanne Kinsky, creature with the al
Turing person Of dryad and the hard
practical mind Of an inn-keeper. She
attached herself instantly to this flow
Ing gold-pot In the gas-lit region of
Cockaigne, the American was no equal
OF this experienced adventures: she
had come up from the obscurest. reek-
Ing tarns of it; she knew with hide
GUS certainty what fate awaited pov-
erty and the loss of youth in that
tlnseled kingdom. Like every woman
OF her class, arrived at a certain sta
ton, she determined to secure at any
cost a permanent fortune and a foot
irg in the world OF responsibility
above her. The coming of this rich
western licentiate was direct answer
to Satanic invocations.
After this fatal meeting, the Ameri-
can travelled through the south of Eu-
rope like the Fifteenth Louis, the divi-
dends of the second greatest business
In the world skipping through the Gig
arette-stained fingers of a Viennese
danseuse playing desperately for an
established marital relation.
The end was not far to seek. Re-
called to America by his business as
sociates, Charles Porter repaired to
New Haven, established there a con-
structive residence, alleged the deser-
ton of his first wife and secured a
divorce by an order of publication. I'M
mediately upon the entering OF the de-
cree he married Suzanne Kinsky and,
later, returning to New York, took a
country house on Long Island.
During all of this time his, former
wife had remained quietly with her
father in New York city. Unfortu-
nately, she could not accompany Por-
ter on his disastrous European tour
because of the birth of the little boy.
For time she was absolutely loyal to
the dissolute husband, in the face of
convincing private advices and the
lurid public reports brought glaring-
ly to her attention. Even the man s
divorce and subsequent marriage in
duced no word of comment or censure
from the lips Of this remarkable
woman.
The spoke IN the wheel of fortune to
which Suzanne Kinsky had so desper-
ately chung, having carried her unbe-
lievably to the first realization of her
hopes, went on swiftly upward. The
physical machinery of Charles Porter,
unused to dissipation and driven at a
pace thus killing, went suddenly to
pieces. Two months after his second
marriage, his brain softened like a
dish of porridge. He got up one after
noon from his desk in his Office, drag
ing his feet, his mouth drooling, his
speech simian jabber. The danseuse
acted with the most daring resolution.
She isolated him instantly in his coun-
try house on Long Island, gave out
that he would conduct his affairs from
his residence and caused all his pri-
vate papers, including the tin boxes In
which his very securities were packed,
to be removed to it. His deposits in
banks were, likewise, Immediately
drawn out. His yacht, motor-cars and
racing stables were sold hurriedly at
auction. Suzanne Kinsky thereby got
at least one-seventh Of the mans es-
tate safely into her hands while he
was yet alive. The great bulk OF his
fortune she could not lay hands on;
It was in iron and steel stocks, de.
posted with trust company under an
order permitting their withdrawal only
upon the written direction OF syndi-
cate committee of which Charles Por.
ter was a member, and encountered
by further agreement requiring them
to be first offered to the members OF
the syndicate before being exhibited
otherwise for sale. This estate was
valued at, perhaps, seven millions OF
dollars.
The far-sighted, practical second
wife was not greatly alarmed over the
status of these seven millions. Every
other scrap of the estate was in her
possession-cash and negotiable as
sets aggregating, perhaps, a million
dollars. One-half of these remaining
six millions the law would give her at
the husbands deb Porter had made
no will and he was now forever IN
CAPABLE of executing one. These iron
and steel stocks were personal prop
erty. and one-half would go to the
wife should the husband die, as ne
was doing, without Issue by the sec
ond marriage, the child OF the nrst
marriage having been provided Tor IN
the decree of divorce by a meager an
nuity in, lieu of future property rights.
Then when every detail was snugiy
arranged, she carried Charles Porter
to the medical experts. They pro-
nounced him utterly incurabie' Win
~orhoDo CIV months to live.