The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-02-18

forward quite close to him, re.
ceiyed my first impression of the
man himself. OF the man as apart
from his body and from the tor.
rent OF blasphemy l had heard
him spew forth. The face, with
large features and strong lines,
of the square order. yet well filled
out, was apparently massive at
first sight; but again, as with the
body, the massiyeness seemed to
vanish and conviction to grow
OF a tremendous and excessive
mental or spiritual strength that
lay behind, sleeping in the deeps
of his being. The jaw, the chin,
the brow rising to a goodly height
and swelling heavily above the
eyes, these, while strong in
themselves, unusually strong
seemed TO speak an immense
vigor or virllity of spirit that lay
behind and beyond and out OF
sight. There was no sounding
such spirit. no measuring, nc
determining of metes and bounds,
nor neatly classifying in some
pigeonhole with others of similar
type.
The eyes-and Ii was my des-
tiny to know them well--were
large and handsome, wide apart
as the true artists are wide. shell.
tering under heavy brow and
arched over by thick black eve.
brOws. The eyes themselves were
OF that battling protean gray
which is never twice the same;
which runs through many shades
and colorings like intershot silk
in sunshine; which is gray. darn
and light, and greenish gray, and
sometimes of the clear azure Of
the deep sea. They were eyes
that masked the soul with "A thous
and guises, and that sometimes
opened. at rare moments, and al
lowed IL to rush up as though il
Were about to fare forth nakedl,
| into the world on some wonder
full adventure,--eyes that coult
brood with the hopeless sombre
ness of leaden skies; that coult
snap and crackle points of fir,
like those which sparkle from {
whirljng sword; that could grow
chill as an arctic landscape, ant
yet again, that could warm ant
soften and be all a-dance will
love-Aghts, intense nd masculine
hrfns and compelling, which a
the same time fascinate and dom
mate women till they surrender
in a gladness of joy and OF relic
and Sacrifice.
| ] But to return. ! told him that
unhappily for the burial service
/ was not preacher, when he
sharply demanded:
what do you do for livingg
! confess | had never had sucf
a question asked me before, MOI
had ever canvassed it. ] was
quite taken aback, and before
could find myself had Silly STAN
mered, IL am a gentleman"
His lip curled in swift sneer.
Il have worked, do work.
cried impetuously, as though he
were my judge and required vim
dication, and at the same time
very much aware of my arrant
idiocy in discussing the subject
at all.
| For your living?"
There was something so impera-
tive and masterful about him that
| u was quite beside myself-"rat-
tied" as Furuseth would have
termed 1t, like quaking child
before a stern schoolmaster.
who feeds you?" was his next
question.
81 have an income" answered
stoutly, and could have bitten my
| tongue the next instant. All OF
| which, you will pardon my OBJ
serving, has nothing whatsoever
| to do with what | wish to see you
| about"
But he disregarded my protest,
who earned It? Eth?
thought so. Your father. You
stand on dead mems legs. You've
never had any of your own. You
couldn't walk alone between two
sunrises and hustle the meat for
your belly for three meals. Let
me see your hand
His tremendous, dormant
strength must have stirred, swift
ly and accurately, or ! must have
slept a moment, for before l knew
1t he had stepped two PAGES for
ward, gripped my right hand in
his, and held 1t up for inspection.
| tried to withdraw 1t, but his fin
gers frightened, without visible eff
fort, till | thought mine would be
crushed. 1t is hard to maintain
ones dignity under such circum-
stances. ] could not squirm or
struggle like a schoolboy. Nor
could | attack such creature
who had but to twist my arm to
break 1t. Nothing remained but
to stand still and accept the in
dignity. | had time to notice that
the pockets of the dead man had
been emitted on the deck, and