Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-02
HYGEIA at theSOLITO
By O. HENRY S SEE II 4: WIZ! Gi S;5 Ss::
Confined From Page one.)

M rage OnoD
looking about.
Bell for what7"
BELL to ring for things. I can't
see here" no exploded in a sudden, weak
fury, II never asked you to bring me
here. I never held you up for a cent.
never gave you a hard-luck story till
from a bellboy or cocktail. I'm sick
| can't hustle Gee But I'm up against
1t Mcclure fell upon the cot and
| sobbed shiverirgly.
Raider went to the door and called
slender, bright-complexioned Mexican
youth about 20 came quickly. Raider
| spoke to him in Spanish
1lario, 1t is In my mind that / prom
| ised you the position Of vaquero on the
san Carlos range at the fall rodea,"
Isl, senior, such was your GOODNESS"
Listen: This senorito is my friend. He
! Is very sick. Place yourself at his side
attend to his wants at all times. Have
InHch patience and care with him. And
well instead of vaquero | will make Won
mayordomo of the Rancho de las Pie
dras. Esta bueno2"
81, si-mil gracias, senior" YIario
tried to kneel upon the floor In his grail
tude, but the eattleman kicked at him
benevolently, growing, None of your
opery- house antics, now"
Zen minutes later Ylario came from
McGu lre's room and stood before Raider
The little senor," he announced, pre-
SCENTS MS compliments" (Raidler credited
hlaflo with the preliminary land de-
sires some pounded ice, one hot bath, one
gin feez-z, that the windows be all closed
toast, one shave. one Newyorkherali eli
garettes, and to send one telegram
Raider took quart bottle Of whisky
from MS medicine cabinet Here. take
him this" he said
Thus was instituted the reign of
terror at the Solito Ranch. For a few
weeks Mcclure clustered and boasted
and staggered before TIE cow-punchers
VINO rode In for miles around TO see this
latest importation of Raiders. He was
an absolutely new experience to them
He explained to them all the intricate
points OF sparring and the tricks of
training and defense. He opened to their
minds view all the indecor0us life of
tagger after professional sports. His
1argon OF slang was a continuous Joy
ana surprise to them His gestures, his
strange poses, his frank ribaldry OF
| tongue and principle fascinated them, He
was ike being from a new world.
Strange to say, this new world he had
| entered did not exist to him. He was
an utter egoist Of bricks and mortar He
had dropped out, he felt, into open space
for time and all Ii contained was an
audience for his "reminiscences. Neither
the limitless freedom of the prairie days
nor the grand hush Of the close drawn,
spangled nights touched him. All the
hues Of Aurora could not win him from
Get something for nothing" was his
mission in life; Thirty Seventh" street
was his goal.
Nearly two months after his arrival he
/ began to complain that he felt worse. 1t
was then that be became the ranch's in
cubus, its harpy, its Old Man OF the Sea
He shut himself in his room like some
venDmous kobOld or fibbertigibbet.
whining, complaining, cursing. accusing.
The keynote Of his plant was that he
had been inveigled into a gehenna
against his swill; that he was dying OF
neglect and lack Of comforts. With all
his dire protestations OF increasing Ill
ness to the eye of others he remained
unchanged. His currant-like eyes were
as bright and diabolIc as ever; his voice
was as rasping; his csllous face, with
the skin drawn tense as a drum head.
had no flesh to lose flush on his
prominent cheek bones each afternoon
limited that q clinical Thermometer might
have revealed a symptom. and percus-
sion might have established the fact
that MCGUIRE was breathing with only
one lung, but his appearance remained
the same.
In constant attendance upon him was
Ylarto, whom the coming reward OF the
mayordomoship must have greatly slim
ulated for Mcclure chained him to a
bitter existence. The air-the mans only
chance for lfe-he commanded to be kept
ont by closed windows and drawn cur
tains. The room was always blue and
foul with cigarette smoke; whatsoever
entered must sit, guffocatlpg, and listen
to the imp's interminable gasconade con
corning his scandalous career.
The oldest thing of all was the rela-
ton existing between Mcclure and his
benefactor. The attitude Of the invalid
toward the cattleman was something
like that of a peevish, perverse child to-
ward an iudulgent parent. When Raid
Ter would leave the ranch Mcclure would
fall into a At OF malevolent, silent sui
lenness. When he returned he would be
met by a string Of violent and sting
ing reproaches. Raiders attitude toward
his charge was quite inexplicable in its
way. The cattleman seemed actually to
assume and feel the character assigned to
him by McGuire's Incorporate accuse