South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-15
THE DEFEAT OF THE CITY

Robert WaImsIoy-s descent upon
me city Ecsulted IN a Kilkenny
elruggle- lie came out OF the fight
victor by fortune and a reputation.
ON the other hand. be was swallow
ID up by the city. The city gave
INN what he demanded and then
branded him with ils brand. II re-
modelled, cut. trimmed and stamped
him 10 the pattern 10 approves. If
opened lis 5ociai gates 20 him and
aut him tn on a close cropped, FOR
nal lawn with the select herd OF
ruminants. In dress. habits man
ucrs. provinclalisrl, routine and mar
rownrss he acquired that charming
l-solence. that irritating complete
ness. that overbalanccd pOise that
makes the Manhattan gentleman SO
delightfully."- small I'm his greatness.
One OF the upstate rural counties
pointed with pride 20 the successful
young metropolitan lawyer as O.
product Of its soil. Six years earlier
This county had removed the Wheat
straw from between its huckleberry-
stained teeth and emitted a derisive
and bucOlic laugh as old man
lValmslcys freckle-faced Bob"
abandoned the certain three-per-
diem meals OF the One-horse farm
for tho three-ringed metropolis At
the end OF tho six years no murder
trial. coaching party. automobile ac-
cident OF cOtillion was complete III
which the name Of Robert Walms-
ley did not figure. Tailors wayiaid
him in the street TO get a new
wrinkle from the cut Of his un-
wTinkled trousers. Hyphenated fell
lows IN the clubs and members of
the oldest subpOenaed families were
glad 20 clap him on the back and
allow him three letters Of his name.
But the Matterhorn of Robert
Walmsley's success was not scaled
until be married Alicia Van Der
Pool. cite the Matterhorn. for
Just so high and cool and white and
inaccessible was this daughter OF the
old burghers. The social Alps, that
ranged about her-over whose bleak
passes thousand climbers strug-
eled-reached only 10 her knees.
She lowered in her own atmosphere,
serene, chaste, prideful. wading In
no fountains. dining no monkeys,
breeding no dogs for bench shows
She was a Van Der Pool. FOun-
tains were made 20 play for her;
monkeys were made for other peO-
nIe's ancestors: dogs. she under
stood. were created TO be cOmpan
ions OF blind perscns and objection
able chara cters who smoked pipes.
This was the Matterhorn that
Robert Walmsley accomplished. II
he found with "A good poet with the
game foot and artihCially curled
hair, that he who ascends TO noun
tain tops viii find the loftiest peaks
most wrapped In clouds and snow.
he concealed his ChiIbrains beneath
a brave and smiling exterior. He
was a lucky man and knew Il. even
though he were initiating the Spar
tain boy with an ice-cream freezer
beneath his doublet frapeeing the
region OF his heart.
After a brief wedding tour abroad.
the couple returned 10 create "A de-
cided ripple in the calm cistern ESQ
placid and cool and sunless II isl of
the best society. They entertained
no their red brick mausoleum Of an
Gent greatness in an old square that
is n cemetery or crumbled glory.
And Robert Walmsley was proud Of
his wife: although while one OF his
hands shook his guests the other
held tightly 20 his alpenstock and
thermometer.
One day Alicia found a letter
written TO Robert by his mother. It
was an unerudite letter. full OF crops
and motherly love and farm notes.
To chronicled the health of the pig
and the recent red calf. and asked
concerning Roberts IN return. II
was a letter direct from the soil.
straight from home, full OF biOg-
raphies of bees. tales Of turnips.
paeans Of ueyg-laid eggs, neglected
parents and the slump I'm dried ap-
pies.
why have not been shown your
mothers letters?' asked Alicia.