South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-01-05
PHOEBE

I You are a man OF many novel
adventures and varied enterprises. ."
q said 20 capt. Patriotic Malone. DO
YOU believe that the possible element
OF good luck or back Iuck-if there
- such "a thing az luck-has infiu-
enced your career or persisted for
or against you 20 such an extent
that you were forced 60 attribute 20
the operation OF the aforesaid good
luck or bad Idcke"
This question (of almost the dun
insolence Of legal phraseOIogyj was
put while we sat ia RousscIin's little
red-tiled cafe near Congo Square IN
New Orleans.
BrOwu-faced. white HATED. anger
hinged captains OF adventure often
came 20 Rousselin's for the cognac.
They came from sea and land. and
were chary or relating the things
they had sfen-nOt because they
were more wonderful than the fan
iasies Of the Ananiases ~ print, but
because they were $50 different. And
was a perpetual wedding guest.
always striving 90. cast my button
hole over the finger ~ one OF these
mariners Of fortune This CAPT. Ma
NCne was "A HibcrnO-Iher!an creole
who had gone 20 and fro I'm the
earth and walked up and down in
st. RE looked like any other we'll
dressed man OF 20 whom YOU might
meet. except that ne was hopeIessly
weather-tanned. and wore on his
chain an ancient lv0ry-and-
Peruvian charm against evil. which
has nO,Aing at all % do with his
story.
MY answer 20 your question
said the captain. smiling. will be
"a HafH r.
Kearney. That rs. II you don't mind
hearing IT,"
Ny reply was to pound on the
table for ROUsselin.
"Stroliing along TchoupitouIas ST.
one night" began Capt. Malone. Il
noticed, without especially taxing
my interest. a small man walking
rapidly toward me. He stepped up
on a wooden cellar door, crashed
through 10 and disappeared I res
cued him from "A heap Of soft coal
below. lie busted himself briskly.
swearing huently in mechanical
tone, as an underpaid actor recites
The gipsy's curse. Gratitude and the
lpst in his throat seemed 10 call for
fluids 10 clear them away. His de
side for liquidation was expressed
80 heartily that j went with him 10
20 cafe down the street where We
had some vile vermOuth and bitters.
Looking across that little table
] had my first clear sight of Francis
kearney. lie was about five feet
seven. but as tough as "a cypress
kznee. His hair was darkest red, his
Mouth such a mere slit that YOU
wondered how tire flood Of his words
came rushing from IT, His eyes
were the brightest and lightest blue
and the hOpefulest that I eyer saw.
He gave the double impression that
ne was at bay and that you had bet
,er not crowd him further.
'JUt IN from a gold-huuting eX-
petition on the coast OF Costa Rica.
ne explained. Second mate OF a
banana steamer told me the natives
were pannins out enough from the
beach sands To- buy all the rum, red
.alico. and parlour melodeons in the
world. The day ] got there a sydi-
-aate named Incorporated Jones
gets government concession TO all
he minerals from a given point.
lTCT a next choice I take coast fever
and count green and blue lizards for
six weeks in a grass hut. L had 10
oc notified when I was well for the
reptiles were actually there Then
Z shipped back as third cook on
Norwegian tramp that blew up her
boiler two miles below Quarantine.
I was due TO bust through that eel
ar door here tOnight. SO 7 hurried
he rest of the way up the river.
roustabouting on a lower coast pac-
ket that made a landing for every
fisherman that wanted "a plug Of to-
1acco. And now I'm here for what
eomes next And itU be along, it'll
De- along said the queer Mr.. keaT-
1ey. it'll be along on the beams OF
my bright but not very particular
star.
From the first the personality
Of Kearny charmed me. j saw in
him the bold heart, the restless ma
ture, and the viliant front against
10 buffets of fate that make his
'eountrymen such valuable comrades
ian risk and adventure And just
hen 7 was wanting such men.
MOOred at "a fruit COmpany's pier [
had a 5OO-ton steamer ready 10 sail
the next day with a cargo of sugar,
lumber and COrruCated iron for
port in-well. let us call the country
Esperaudo-it has not been long
ago, and the name OF PatriCO Ma
lone - still spoken there when its
unsettled politics are discussed. Be
meath the sugar and iron we're pack
"a a thousand Winchester rifles. In
Aguas Frias, the capital, Don Ra-
Gael Valdevia. minister Of war. Es-
0erando's greatest-hearted and most
able patriot. awaited my coming. No
foYsbf Won have heard with "A smile