Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-09-03


From Montevideo had a letter from |
Jed in different tone from his sarcas- |
tic banter and taunting. 1 thought it |
was the letter of a man who had suf- |
fered shock. 1 could not say why |
thought so, but 1 thought something
had disturbed him. l gathered the
idea that something had changed Jed's
view of life.
Early in March came letters saying
that my folks shortly would be on their
way home, to arrive after our uncer-
tain spring had resolved itself securely
into weather safe for feeble man who
had accustomed himself to luxurious
temperatures. I then felt invogorated,
as by promise in March of hepatica.
My winter was breaking up.
1 met an old-time acquaintance, q
dentist who had been several years in
South America. His name was Alcott,
Henry Alcott.
Alcott and never had been intimate
or affectionate, but we greeted each
other with ardor. I was lonesome. AL
colt may have been. There is a lone
someness associated with a return to
a place which has forgotten you and
receives you as an alien.
We had dinner together and enjoyed
our meeting. There was furtively, at,
dinner, reminiscent amativeness in
his conversation. 1t suggested that he
was smirking over exploits which he
might relate If his restraints were
broken down.
He had talent for merely carnal
stories. They gained additional car
nality in his telling of them. I must
have been given the record of half the
amatory experiences of South America
for two years. Alcott told them with
gusto. The one that fascinated me he
did not emphasize more than the 9TH
ers. AS he told these stories he was
trying to convey the charm of seX-ad-
venture in Latin America. I think he
wanted, by other instances, to suggest
his own adventures.
A man named Sinclair-that was as
Alcott remembered the name, but it
might, he said, have been st. John or
Southgrove or Sergeant or anything
else beginning with S; it was long be-
| fore Alcott's time in South America,
and he merely told the story because
it was standardized episode-this
man Sinclair, an Englishman or a man
from the States, fairly young man
anyway, and attractive, had fallen in
love with most charming young WON.
an of excellent family.
Alcott could not remember whether
this little episode had been staged in
Rio or Valparaiso or Buenos Aires o,
where.
1T might have been in Montevideo,'
he said. He did not emphasize the re
mark. but the remark subsequently EN-
phasiZed the story for me.
Sinclair-Alcott thought we might as
well agree upon Sinclair as name
had come out of somewhere or no
where and had made great deal o.
money. When he fell in love, he wa:
an advantageous match. The parents
accepted him gladly.
Sinclair and the young lady wer'
married, but he did not have the Latil
genius for isolating and guarding ;
woman. Neither did he have th'
genius for completely interesting ant
absorbing a woman. He was in tn
shipping business He was very prac
tical and business-ruled man, but, Al
colt had heard, genial and jovial mai
nevertheless.
Lovers came, as lovers will. TIL
lady was too charming and had to
much freedom. She was innocent an
guileless, but her husband was not th
barrier needed. Alcott said he though
she was of noble sort and was betraye
by her idea that human beings ha
character.
He was not precise as to the dilen
ma she had entered, how or why sh
entered it. A man of reputation fo
discreet gallantry, handsome man G
, attractive culture, was encouraged b
her frank and unchilled attitude tt
ward him to try desperate measure.
There was designing servant in th
. house. The lover corrupted the SER
ant and was introduced into the hous,
5 The husband was supposed to be ava
/: on a business trip. He came bac
: ahead of time, as husbands sometime
do, and stopped at his club before b
, went home.
? A friend of the lover saw him an,
r knowing what was being essayed {
: the mans home, was aghast. He IL
| duced other friends of the lover to tt
: to detain the husband on one jovi;
t pretext or another while he commun
] Gated with the house. He was unsu
e cessful in his attempt to use the tel
b phone. The other men were unsucces
: full in their attempt to detain the hu
e band. The friend began a race wit
e the husband to reach the house. u
luckily for him. the cab he took n,
d only was pulled by the faster hors
e but, he being conscious that it was
:. race and the husband being unco
a scious of it, his driver had reasoI
:, given him for speed.
l. It was unfortunate for the frien
d because there was tragedy later, ar
he was its victim. He arrived in tin
: to warn the lover The lady, appalle
t by the appearance of the lover, agha
n to consider that she had been thougl
e so unworthy as to attract these ate
d tions, and suffering from a confusit
+ which blunted her judgment, had n
called her servants, but had endea
e ored with a dignity consciously sci
r compromised to assert her self-respe
k and recall her lovers reason.
/, In turmoil of abasing emotions 81
It was engaged in this effort of self-co
troll and assertion of dignity when Il
5, friend destroyed all composure by b
e announcement. The lover went
n stantly out of window. The frien
e having his own dignity of innocenc
would not compromise his self-respe
!. In this fashion. The husband arY-iy,
acation System
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