News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-02-09
PART II.
Flesh, Spirit and the Yelled God.

Flesh, Spirit and the Yelled God:
Mr. Randolph spent the day getting
acquainted and proved himself a good
mixer. BY telling few stories that
had not yet sifted down from Club
aard and by standing few drinks he
ssoon found himself made free of all
the technical information he needed
and some more that was so ultra-tech-
meal that it could beat the brains that
invented the delicate mechanism of
the taXimeter. He also established
part ownership in comfortable room
in house very much on the wrong or
west side of Broadway, in fact within
smelling and almost splitting distance
of the North river.
While he was still in funds he
bought himself wooden khaki over
coat with one of those enormous col
lars which look like an inverted
bucket when they are up and surpass
in efficiency the traditional black mask
SO beloved by illustrators of the week
ly press. He also had a speaking slot
cut in the glass of the cab window
just behind his best ear and subse-
quently removed and lost the slide
that had been fitted over it with con
siderable skill and trouble.
During the next few nights he pro-
Ceeded to have the time of his life; so
much so that he was constantly over
WheImcd with wonder at his stupidity
in not having become a taXi-driver
years before! 1t should be remem-
bered that Mr.. Randolph was of New
York IOrky he knew everybody cas-
ually, from Mr.. Milyuns and his
daughter, Eileen, down to the latest
addition to the pitiful ranks of the
midinette. More than that, so broad
was his acquaintanceship that as
sporting gent he had once or twice
been tipped off as to the where and
@hen of q proposed gun-play.
In addition to being by right of birth
an integral part of all the social strata
of Manhattan he knew the surface of
the island and of the adjacent com
mOner soil of the mainland consid
erabIy better than he knew the palm
of his own hand. In fact, he could
scarcely ever have been conscious that
he had palm, even as map of per-
sonal fortune; for he who is complete
iy satisfied with the present never
worries about the future and Mr.. Ran
doiph had been born content.
With such an equipment, is it to be
wondered at that he found the taxi
heid rich with unexpected and sur
prising blooms? Fair flowers, he had
known heretofore to nod only over tea
tables and solid silver appeared sud- |
denly transplanted to his cab and |
ready to nod on a stalwart shoulder. |
Strong male tiger-lilies of the money |
market, grated TO the cushions of a |
taxi, became complacent pillars upon |
which some clinging ivy twined.
In six nights he learned the sound |
THAT a banker makes when slender |
fingers tickle him under the chin: the /
gasp of girl, first-kissed; the cry of |
N young man upon discovering the alb. |
'seH@2 # grandfather's gold watch, his
s.: graduation day; the cluck OF a
'f'"-iat fairly sat upon in the excite
ave been tragic, the exasperating tap,
~. tap. of hen-pecking tongue that
xT,.ined and condoned murder mys-
terry in the next mornings papers. and
the sob of ruined youngster who had
played with borrowed money.
All these incidents took place with
pcoFlerwfOm Mr.. Randolph knew or
knew Of and just to show what an ex-
tremeIv honest young man he was, let
It be said that it did not once occur to
him that he need never be poor while
humanity, supposedly in good stand
ing, continued to lay itself open to
hlackmai at the rate of a case a night.
At the same time he was not stupid
and occasionally tapped out a missive
loaded with dynamite on the garage