Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-28
THE TWICE
AMERICAN

AMEMyM
Continued From Page ~
talking in the shops and to sailors.
The English--well, l grew up where
some sa DAY I've Eve got IT to oFf talk decent"
"Decently," supplied the Baron.
"Because," said David, his voice
low, 'some day I'm going to talk to-
lady"
"Ah!" The Baron looked long at
the boy: t'Well,-w have'a long o
age before us. Suppose I teach you
the Portuguese of a gentleman"
The s%cantiness Of kindness In
David's life had made gratitude. q
fervent emotion with him. How in
ing him. he could not divine, but his
glance was an ardent answer. .tE
Before the end Of the voyage, the
two who were so different became
friends. Afterward. David spent the
intervals of his voyaging at the da
Fuente house in Rio de Janeir0. The
Baron was not a very, wealthy man,
but he had q library open to the boy.
He had a wife and family Of grown
sons and grandchildren who were
good nature itself to the little north
erner.
When David was sixteen, he had
assembled the oldest sort Of educa-
ton. He had had two tutors, two
schools. He learned of Captain Blake
and the life abroad ship: and he
learned of the old grandee and his
household. From the last he gained
something Of the quiet bearing, the
gentle courtesies, the stately amiabtli-
ty that made. an atmosphere he eager
ly and easily assimilated, seeing its
worth. Youth and the Baron aided
have supposed him a young, kinsman
of the house..
In the other half of his life, with
Captain Blake and the sailors, he
learned practical navigation and an
understanding of the vast business
and shipping affairs of South Ameri-
ca. He could fight with the cunning
and hardihood practised. on the East
Side and perfected in ports all. down
both coasts. He fair shot with
a revolver and a good n with q
rifle. AS a contrast to the charming
home life of the da Fuentes, he had
seen in his short experience more
varieties of wickedness than most
men or women ever near of; and
learned to look on at such things with
the unsurpassed, matter-of-fact dis,
taste that he felt for the huge spiders
and reaches sometimes brought on
board with cargoes of rankly tropical
things. They were to be kept aloof
sible, they were to be crushed out of
the path, of course One had to go
on!
That cold, steady persistence in go
ing on was David Noel's most individ-
ual trait throughout his life. His
.tenacity of purpose, an idea nee con
ceived, never lossened. His methods
were fluent; he would abandon essay
after essay without regret to take up
new means of possible accomplish
ment, but he never abandoned the
self. Among the more volatile, easily
swayed people Of the South he found
a mass ductile to that force of his,
rarer among them than among his
own race, yet rare even there in one
sc young. And he was in a land
where men have been revolutionary
leaders. at sixteen and, dying before
their majority, yet have left histories
behind them.
There was something more, without
which he might have reached
AAAAAo~AA vi ~
heights; he loved the people and the
country. He did not exploit them,
he a one of them. He liked the
mobile faces that smiled readily in
stead OF 'grudgingly; he thrfved In the
strong light and heat like an Indian:
he was at home in the swarming,
good-Itatured. dangeroud9citiss:f'as g4,'Naa
One day he came to Captain Blake,
when the ship-{ay in a port; far to the
south of BRAZIL
I'm going to stay here, next trip.
sir" he announced. I'm going up
country"
Captain Blake studied him thought
fully. Even when he spoke English,
David had grown to use unconscious
ly the grave, composed manner
caught from the old grandee of the
empire. He vas fastidious about the
neatness of his parse white shirt and
trousers girded by a broad black belt
as the Baron could have been. But
he moved with the soundIess swift
ness Of a mocassined Indian instead
of the southerner's languor.. The
meagreness of starvation. had long
since given place to wiry htheness.
Yes, he had changed amazingly,
Blake reflected, sensing the approach
Of still further change.
What for?" Blake asked.
"To-work! I don't want to be q
sailor; as you know. sir. I've got a
PLAN" s. ".
Captain Blake shook his head
doubtfully.
Going to stay ashore now?"
Next time, sir. Ia heat that
was not of the sun iared over the
boys dark face-'I've got to go back
to New York for a day. I've not been
there for five years-and--I've got an
errand. I can go down from Boston
and get back the same day can't IT,
pretty nearly nodded|BIake.
He was very curious but somehow
David did not invite and neverNGhad
invited questioning IN tfs ss Sftt:sss
So once more David made the ia
miliar voyage north.
Continued in tomorrow
Evenings Herald.