The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-10-04

Louis Stevenson that one could have
no sense Of completer physical com
tort tn this Life than to escape from The
"Bastille Of Civilization" and dine or
timed bologna and q cake OF chocolate
under the pines Of Gevaudan. Where
God keeps an open house" The av
srage dweller In New York. who could
hardly locate Gevaudan with an atlas,
viii I think. be found skeptically dis
senting. He will cite. rather, the
comfortable state OF one who takes
bis steaming dinner at a good hosiery.
Let the table be set snugly by q win
dow, let the night be dark and rainy,
let one warm and hungry look out at
the ~splashing street. the bedrabbled
tpasses, the huddled cabmen turning
their gi~istening backs to the wind. 1t
is like sitting comfortably in Abra-
hams bosom with u good view OF
Dives.
On such a night OF April. | had the
corner table at u window in the Ores
den looking out In the dripping ave
nue.. a good dinner set over a white
cloth. q bottle cooling In a tub OF fee.
q cigar awaiting me on the servants
tray, a hunger like a wood-chopper's
and a certainty Of exemption from the
rigor OF the elements.
l had arrived happily at my coffee
with It's thimble Of brandy, when a
servant came to say that q carriage
was waiting for me at the door. / re-
piled that I had ordered no carriage,
and began to cut the end Of my cigar.
The man went away. but almost in.
etantly returned. saying that some n
IN a carriage wished to see me at
once. I went to the door and the
porter took me under his umbrella TO
the carriage. l had no idea who de-
handed thus peremptorily TO see me.
and my surprise was not greatly less
ened when Randolph Mason'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
neside him. wondering what could be
rs mission on this uncomfortable
flight. II must be an unusual, high
Z important matter to take him up
Y,own in this chilling rain, for It vas
bare that Randolph Mason would
1eave his house TO see any man, 10
matter OF what importance. His view
of men was that attributed ~academical-
iy to the law-an equality ideally ex-
.a@s 60 1r1'1 aNnfrr nrncnnfnI n cult
able problem. the individual in II 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 go to Mason. 1t might be
some man behind a lock, some inno-
cent person involved in another's
wrong-doing who had been suddenly
seized and must be helped back to
his freedom. or else II was a woman.
In the meantime the carriage contin-
ned uptown. Randolph Mason was ST.
iently smoking a cigar. lying back In
his corner Of the seat. and l followed
his example. 1t thus happened / took
no notice OF our route. However. aft
br perhaps ar hour, the carriage
stopped and I 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 a
uveried footman. who led US into the
house and removed our coats, and then
took VI up a flight OF great stairs. On
tho nrst landing we passed two nur-
ses In their white caps and aprons. |
A moment later we were ushered into
D sitting-room of q bedchamber. Be-
side @ table q man sat propped up In
an invalid chair. He vas a huge bulk
OF a man, rather over six feet, I should
think, with o tremendous, muscular
chest. thin gray hair and q heavy,
puffy face. Nature had built him for
gigantic labors. Energy. strength, de-
cisive 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 a
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 It's worthless
house.
The man nodded to Randolph Ma
son. For a moment he regarded me
with O curious glance. then he nodded
likewise to me. The servant closed
the door. leaving the three OF US alone,
aud We sat down opposite the table be-
side the sick mai. With the light
OF the lamp full In his face. / knew
him now. from his Autograph on va
rious bond issues. He was Richard
r. Curtis. president Of the Life Assur-
ance Company o: North America His
CHASTITY physical condition oppressed
me, he was SO evidently intended for
all the vitalities OF hfe and he was SO
evidently dying. l looked at Randolph !
Mason. He sat scrutinizing the In
face with the sharp. steady
glance OF taking stock OF what
qualities yet remained vital. The help
less man awoke no sentiment IN the
h0com M Mason. he r. |