Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1920-10-01

with n brief excuse for his tardi-
ness. Fltzhugh took the chair at the
opposite side Of the desk and scanned
some important papers requiring his
signature. converslng busily with Hunt
rs he read. lie had signed but n 81
them. when. with nm ejaculation upon
the warmth OF the weather, he 7ung
OF his cap. and %loosening the clasps
Of his coat collar, walked into the adJn.
cent room.
In n few minutes he ~rcappenred
and. having discarded the motoring
uuster. he was outwnrdly transformed.
Snow-whlte ducks. white outing slip
pers. with sllken hosiery shimmerlng
where II showed. n soft white shirt.
through the attached collar OF which
was looped n volumlnous tie OF blood
red hue. a crush hat. white as an
Easter lily. turned up In front and
down behind and encircled by n Grim.
son rlbbon-these mnde up his attire.
"You look like the epltome OF a
comic opera" Hunt laughed, aside
from the phone. "Whither awayf
Yachting7"
mo" replied Fitzhugh. a%ppending
his signature 10 the rest OF the papers.
"No, I'm not going yachting" He put
down his pen, picked up his cane, stood
up. I'm going into the pit"
"Prt what the" Hunt. who had
half-risen from his chair, sank back.
bewildered. "Whnt the dickens do you
want TO expose your hand for. Danf"
Daniel showed his teeth In nm odd
grin. For an instant II somehow sug-
gested 10 the other something sinister
like a wolf barring Its fangs.
BETTER come along and watch me,
Hunt, starring toward the door. "rm
going to give 'em something to talk
about. ComlngT" He waited at the
door, Tapping his can against his linz
maculnte trousers.
And this day began a spectacular
flourish OF SNOWY hlstrionlcs unrlvaled
before or since on the Chicago Board
Of Trade. During the rest OF the days
session In the wheat pit. Fitzhugh, the
actor, was the center of oil attraction.
The visitors In the gallery remarked
him and pointed him out to one onoth-
err; the spectators. dealers, brokers'
clerks, officers Of the board, all those
whose duties brought them IN the
floor" soon or late found their atten-
ton directed toward him. His extreme
height. emphasizing his unusual garb,
rendered him strlkingly conspicuous
among his fellows. OF them all he
was the only n who stood out dis
tlnctly. He was the only one OF his
sort. The dramatic scene comported
with him. He was In his native ele-
ment. This was the moment he had
dreamed OF long ngo when he had
stood up yonder In the visitors gallery
his whole being keyed to the martial
pitch OF gold that screamed to hin
from the battlefield.
But how different the realization
None OF those who clamored about
him, chatting him, seeking to take nd
vantrge OF what seemed to them d
mental alteration, knew he was beinf
tortured by n ghost. The ghost Of {
woman OF raven hair and olive Skin
and sad, accusing eyes that ever re
preached him, that ever seemed tC
shy: "You were cruel, DanIel-al
ways cruel" They did not know tina
when often he gestlculated TO 20 end
or that when he Numbered his loudesi
and appeared most abandoned to tn,
feverlsh excitement OF the pit. the up
brnldlngs Of the ghost were cutting
him to the quick. were lnshing him thu
hardest.
As the days passed Fitzhugh's pas
sion for Showing on" Increased amnz
lngly. Ever prolific with freaks OF act
ing, he kept his associates on tenter
hooks OF curiosity. None could imag
Inc what he would do next. lie nj
ways aid the unexpected. Nothlnl
was o fantastical. Once during
Saturday %noonhour he started n Juror,
In the rotunda OF the bonrd of trad
by strlding through the crowd playlnl
hOisteruusly on a mOuth~rrgnn, Will,
round him capcred several monkeys
borrowed from some Forquer stree
Italians anon nc n dinner IN his apart
ment one evening he received hi
guests In war paint and feathers AM
the fun regnlln Of an Indian chleftain
Yet those who knew him lntlmatell
-ns Hunt and two or three others
were not long In noticing "A change hat
come over him, When he thought Ia
was unobseryed ne was given to lon
periods Of broodlng. and, ms they right
~ supposed, all his blzarrerle was no
the real Fitzhugh, but only a mask
all his theatrical excitement not genu
Inn nm nuIu a nlnnL fnn IN Iurnr ~.