The Washington herald., 1920-11-22
CONTINUED IRON YESTERDAY.

Fergus McMahan was a friend
of mine in the capital. For a hand
some man I'll admit he was the
duty-free merchandise. He had
blond curls and Laughing blue eyes
and was featured regular. They
said he was a ringer for the statue
they call Herr Mees, the god OF
speech and eloquence resting In
some museum at Rome. Some Ger
man anarchist. I suppose. They are
always resting and talking.
But Fergus was no talker. He
was brought up with the idea that
to be beautiful was to make good.
His conversation was about as edi-
flying as listening to a leak drop
ping in a tin dish-pan at the head
of the bed when you want to go
to sleep. But he and me got to be
friends-maybe because We was so
opposite. don't you think! LOOK,
ing at the Halloween mask that
call my face when I'm shaving,
seemed to give Fergus pleasure;
and I'm sure that whenever heard
the feeble output of throat noises
that he called conversation / felt
lcontented to be a gargoyie with q
silver tongue.
"one time I found II necessary to
go down to this coast town Of Ora
tama 10 straighten out lot OF po-
liticai unrest and chop on a few
heads In the customs and military
departments. Fergus, who owned
the ice and sulphur-match conces-
sions of the republic, says he'll keep
me company.
$50, ina jangle Of mule-trsin
bells, We gallops. into Oratama. and
the town belonged to US as much as
Long Island Sound doesn't belong to
Japan when T. r. Is at Oyster Bay.
L say us; but ! mean me. Every
body for four nations, two oceans.
one bay and isthmus. and five archi-
pelagoes around had heard Of Jud-
son Tate. Gentleman adventurer,
they called me. I had been written
up in FIVE columns of the yellow
| journals, 10000 words with mar
ginal decorations) in a monthly
magazine, and a stickful on the
twelfth page of the New York
Times. II the beauty of Fergus
McMahan gained any part Of our
reception in Oratama, I'll eat the
I prico-tag in my Panama. 1t was me
that they hung. out paper flowers
/ and palm branches for. lam not a
jealous man; / am stating facts.
| The people were Nebuchadnezzarsi
they bit the grass before me; there
was no dust in the town for them
TO bite. They bowed down to Jud-
son Tate. They knew that 1 was
the power behind Sancho Benavides
"A word from me was more to them
than a whole deckle-edged library
from East aurora in sectional book.
cases was from anybody else. And
yet there are people who speno
hours fixing their faces--rubbing In
cold cream and massaging the mus
/ cles always toward the eyes) anc
| taking in the slack with tincturt
of benzoin and electrolyzing moles
Ito what end? Looking handsome
Oh. what a mistake! It's the larynx
that the beauty doctors ought to
warts. talk more than talcum, pal
more than bloom that counts-the
phonograph instead of the photo
. graph. But I was going to tell you
| "The local Astors put me and
Fergus up at the Centipede Club, q
frame building built on posts sunk
in the surf. The tides only nine
inches. The Little Big High Low
Jack-in-the-game of the town came
around and kowtowed. Oh, II
wasn't to Herr Mees. They had
heard about Judson Tate.
| "One afternoon me and Fergus
McMahan was sitting on the sea-
ward gallery of the Centipede
drinking iced rum and talking.
"Judson,' says Fergus, there's a
angel In Oratama.'
$50 long says I, as 1t amt Ga.
briel. why talk as IL you had heard
trump blow?
Its the Senorita Anabela "a.
mora. says Fergus. 'she's-she's--
she's as lovely as--as heli."
.Bravo!' says laughing hearti,
ly. You have true lovers elo,
auence to paint the beauties OF youl
inamorata. You remind me- says /
of Faust's wooing Of Marguerite
that Is, II he wooed her after ht
|went down the trap-door of tn,
stage.
"tJudson.' says Fergus. you know
you are as beautiless as a rhinoceros
You can't have any interest in WON.
len. I'm awfully gone on Miss Ana.
bella. And that's why I'm telling
YOU