The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-10-14

dition would permit longer voyage in
his pleasant circumstances. Conse-
quently they were going on to South
America. Mr.. Sidney wanted to revisit
Montevideo.
From Montevideo had letter from
Jed in different tone from his sarcas-
tic banter and haunting. / thought 1t
was the letter of man who had suf-
fered shock. / could not say why
thought SO, but / thought something
had disturbed him. / 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. / then felt invogorated,
as by promise in March of hepatica.
My winter was breaking up.
1 met an old-time acquaintance. a
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. / was lonesome. Al
colt may have been. There is lone
someness associated with return to
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 Sinking over exploits which ne
might relate If his restraints were
broken down.
He had a talent for merely carnal
stories. They gained additional car
nality in his telling of them. l must
have been given the record of half the
amatory experiences of South America
for two years. Alcott told them with
gusto. The che 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. l think he
wanted, by other instances, to suggest
his own adventures.
A man named Sinclair-that was as
Alcott remembered the name, but 1T
might, he said, have been st. John or
Southgrcve 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 a standardized episode--this
man Sinclair, an Englishman or man
from the States, fairly young man,
anyway, and attractive, had fallen In
love with a most charming young wom-
an of excellent family.
Alcott could not remember whether
this little episode had been staged in
Rio or Valparaiso or Buenos Aires or
where.
at 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 a great deal OF
money. When he fell in love, he was
an advantageous match. The parents
accepted him gladly.
Sinclair and the young lady were
married, but he did not have the Latin
genius for isolating and guarding
woman. Neither did he have the
genius for completely interesting and
absorbing woman. He was in the
shipping business. He was very prac-
teal and business-ruled man, but, AL
colt had heard, a genial and joyial man
nevertheless.
Lovers came, as lovers will. The
lady was too charming and had too
much freedom. She was innocent and
guileless, but her husband was not the
barrier needed. AlcOtt said he thought
she was of noble sort and was betrayed
by her idea that human beings had
character.
He was not precise as to the dilem-
ma she had entered, how or why she
entered it. A man of reputation for
discreet gallantry, handsome man of
attractive culture, was encouraged by
her frank and unchilled attitude to-
ward him to try desperate measure.
There was a designing servant in the
house. The lover corrupted the serv-
ant and was introduced into the house.
The husband was supposed to be away
on a business trip. He came back
ahead of time, as husbands sometimes
do. and stopped at his club before he
went home.
A friend of the lover saw him and,
knowing what was being essayed at
the mans home, was aghast. He in
duced other friends of the lover to try
to detain the husband on one jovial
pretext or another while he commune
Gated with the house. He was unsuc-
cessful in his attempt to use the tele-
phone. The other men were unsucceSs-
full in their attempt to detain the hus-
band. The friend began a race with
the husband to reach the house. I'm
luckily for him. the cab he took not
only was pulled by the faster horse,
but, he being conscious that it was
race and the husband being uncon-
scious of it, his driver had reasons
given him for speed.
1t was unfortunate Cor the friend,
because there was a tragedy later, and
he was its victim. He arrived In time
to warn the lover. The lady, appalled,
by the appearance of the lover, aghast
to consider that she had been thought
.-...x.o..xt,xx &c ~, n ffro ot fhoco q tfor-