The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1913-02-27
CHAPTER XVII.
Opposite the Cathedral.

Opposite the Cathedral.
Fifth avenue at two o'clock in the
morning is fast asleep. There are To-
calities in New York which are more
widely awake at that hour than at
any other time of day, but the high.
way Of fashion is not one of them;
and i'll the neighborhood of Fiftieth
street, it's repose is as profound as at
any point of it's long, undeviatingly
straight course.
For over an hour l had waited in
that sumptuous white marble club edi-
flee of the plutocrats which ostenta-
tiously punctuates the avenue at Six
tieth street, and, tired of sitting, nerv.
GUS and disappointed, l had chosen to
walk down to my rooms, believing
that the exercise in the clear, frosty
air would serve to counterfeit, in a
measure at least, all three of these
vexations.
To the limit of sight there stretched
away a double, converging chain of
twin lights marking the curb line for
endless blocks, and Illuminating the
nearer sidewalk and roadway, if not
to e%ffulgence, certainly with a clearly
defining radiance. Now and then 1
met a quick-stepping pedestrian, usu-
ally in evening dress with cigar alight;
and at more or less brief intervals
l1mousined motors and taXicabs with
cleaning lamps sped by me at top
speed. Once a hanson passed, the
hoof-beats of the hard-driven horse re-
sounding j%arringly against the night
silence.
At ~Fifty-fourth street I cut diagonal
ly across the avenu to the west side,
and, continuing my way southwark,
absorbed in the problems confronting
me, had been for a little quite lost to
encompassing objects. Then, sudden
ly, fearing lest in my abstraction l
should pass the street on which my
rooms were located, l aroused myself
to get an idea of my location.
Across the way the grim facade Of
the Cathedral rising dark and sullen
as a fortress made all clear. But, on
my own side of the ven there had
been no such distinguishing mark. The
DAS"A oSo4S, ulOllOlOllOUSly
ugly, with their high stoops and balus-
traded areas, were no more enlighten-
ing than the stone tagging Of the side
walk or the asphalt of the roadway.
Scores of blocks presented practically
the same aspect as this. But as with
critical gaze | measured one after an
other of these combinations l was all
at once arrested by sight of a tall,
bent figure clutching the high iron rail-
ings which guarded the avenue 'front.'
age of the house on the corner-the
only really individual house in the
ROY
My first rough concept was that I
had come upon incapability resulting
from intemperance. At closer view,
however, | tempered my judgment.
The possibility of illness or injury in.
tervened, and 1 paused Sam~aritan-iike
to offer succor. The wayfarer was evil
IDENTIFY a man Of middle age, if l might
Judge from the contour of his back,
which vas towards me, and l saw at
once that he was struggling to keep
upon his feet by sheer muscular hand
hold of the ratings iron uprights, for
his knees were bent threateningly and
his arms were extended and tense.
Until / vas close beside him he gave
no sign of realizing my presence. In
deed l think it was not until I spoke
that he half turned his head towards
me, and, for the first time, I got sight
of his features.
Whether or not / uttered a word, or
made a sound, or stood for a long mo-
ment silent. l cannot say. I know only
that doubted my eyes and questioned
my reason; for, if these were not
playing me false, the profile thus re-
vealed to me was the profile Of Robert
Cameron.
To try to set down in detail Just
what followed must be an idle effort,
with fancy providing the bulk Of the
ingredients. Surprised, amazed, as
founded even, are all too feeble terms
to apply to my emotional condition.
Dazedly, / was fioundering in what
seemed a veritable sea Of unreality.
When the commonplace began to re-
adjust themselves, I was standing at
the curb, my arm wound supportingly
about Cameron's waist and his arm
pressing heavy on my shoulder. Draw
ing in to us was an empty hanson
cab, provided by Providence, and
hailed, ! suppose, by me, though I
swear I have no recollection Of 1t.
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