The Washington herald., 1921-03-13
XepodMas Grant
Weird Mteruiew
Audience Is Unique, for
Yepod Exists in
Fancy Alone

place in the towering office building where
this noted Eurasian Mogul and Connois-
seur has his magnificent living quarters.
1t IS here that he refuses to transact all
business, reserving that for his establish
ment in a famous suburb which is divided
into executive suites full of hurrying clerks,
alert stenographers and expert bureau chiefs
all night long. Yepod Mas never sleeps in
his spacious bed chambers in the financial
section, but only in his offices in the ultra
smart residence quarter.
Why slumber in my beautiful sales a
dormir, he shot at me Immediately entered,
"and miss their artistic glories? Why re-
main awake in my offices when my business
conducts itself? What is your business
you ask? That is my business"
+ =
Precisely" | murmured feeling the spell
Of this great mans impressive insanity and
perfect boorishness gripping me. Already
the interview was going smoothly forward
and l had not put question.
Yepod Mas was dressed in flowing
silken robe of exotic texture and London
boots, the result of his mixed Asian and
European extraction. He also wore bot
tle-green slouch hat with bow in rear
in Difference to American custom.
How hot it grows!" he suddenly exclaim-
ed. and moving to easement window, he
threw wide the wings. Immediately
blast of icy air whrled through the apart
ment. "Ah." said Yepod Mas, 81 mistake,
it IS still winter My secretary should SO
have informed me. But no matter!" And
he wrapped himself in priceless skins OF
the Snow Leopard, motioning me to make
myself comfortable in my tweed suit
A desk thermometer fell rapidly to zero
and worse. l reflected that the cultured
bloods of Tartary and Scythia, merged in
this individual, certainly made for an unri-
,,01AI L. = l. Al III L
guest. 1t was charmingly like him TO
wind all the iurs about himself.
And to pursue the same subject" Yepod
Mas ntoned in his clear basso, while he
wiped his brow and turned on an electric
fan. Prohibition is absurd. In my native
country, if had one. it would never be tol-
Grated for a day. True democracy would
instantly overturn amid riot and bloodshed
any duly-elected majority that passed legis-
lation so beneficial and depressing. | never
drink myself. but do you happen to have
little something?"
mo, sorry" l made the conventionally
polite rejoiner
"M-m-m. Prohibition and pheasants
Yepod Mas discoursed further. 81 love
hunting game-birds. But whenever l wrig
i gle close enough to a covey of quail to
shoot several as they feed on the ground,
| weep that I have taken life. Should
grow callous to the slaughter, should cease
the sport. 1t is a splendid exercise in emo
tons One is overjoyed to shoot and
wretched at killing. The emotional musca
lature must not grow flabby. Now it is too
cold to shoot, so 81 must exercise. indoors" '"
Striding to divan upon which reposed a
fat and fluffy Persian cat, he dealt it several
heavy blows with Yataghan, some such
| household implement sobbing convulsively
as .it limped off with broken leg. This
| was a man OF many spiritual facets un-
trammeled free and brave-especially to-
| ward small domestic animals.
| +
You inquire" q had not) engagingly
| quered Yepod Mas, why l touch on such
variety of apparently disconnected sub
| jects. Let me assure you, they not only are
] apparently but actually and fundamentally
| disconnected They are disconnected in
theme, paragraph, clause, phrase and word.
| The integral parts are all incoherent. | my
| self am a triumph in incohercncy. | leave
ratiocination to the vulgar intelectuals. Let
them produce their stodgy works of genius
while I continue exploding like mental
Catherine-wheel, full of pyrotechnic para
| noia"
l reflected, however. that the great Eura-
| sian might find his triumph equaled in most
collections of current vers libre and that in
| madhouse alone would his supremacy go
unchallenged
BY this time the evening shadows were
creeping up the sides OF the office block,
gradually enfolding the fine objects dart in
the great reception room and leaving lumi-
nous only the slightly strabismic eyes of
my host. He rose and closed the windows,
| pressed button governing a thcrmostat,
and soon the apartment was flooded with
| August warmth. | knew it was time to
depart.
"And now cordially declared Yepod
Mas, 81 have tried to answer all your que
ries. Be careful how you quote me on cur
rent questions; your long and involved in
terrogations may have tricked me into in
telligent replies. l must go to my office
and sleep; you forth once more into the
wintry world" The wintry world had been
all about me closer than bathing suit dur
ing my interview, but | maintained the ST.
lence which he had fastened on me like a
habit
i Yepod Mas consulted his watch, on the
dial of which the digits increased from righ,
to left though the hands turned from left
to right.
Thus J Am never late" he smilingy ex
planned. "for it grows earlier EACH hour"
My card" he announced, depositing Z
pasteboard in my hand. please get my ini
falls right And then the great mans
playful spirit asserted itself. He pushed me
rapidly through the front door, hurled m,
cane skidding down the corridor and rolled
out my derby hat on its brin.. l turned fol
my overcoat, but he only grinned and slam
med the oaken door.