The spectator., 1921-08-09

oi the North river.
 While he was still in funds he bought himself q woolen khaki over coat with one of those enormous col lars which look like an inverted bucket when they are up and supass in efficiency the traditional black mask so beloved by illustrators of the Week ly press. He also had q speaking slot cut in the glass of the cab window just behind his best ear and suhse- quontly 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 fife: so much so that he was constantly ever whclmed with wonder at his stupidity in not having become a taXi-driNer years before! It should be renem- bered that Mir Randolph was O. New York YorEy; he knew everybody cas- uallY. from Mir Mlyuns and his
 daughter, Eileen. down to the latest addition to the ptful ranks Of the midiuctte More than that. so hroad was his acquaintanceship that as a sporting gent he had once or twice been tipped off as to the where and when 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 cont moner soil of the mainland eoIts;d- erably better than he knew the Talm of his own hand In fact, he could scarcely ever have been conscious that he had a palm. even as a map of per Sonal fortune: for he who k complete ly satisfied with the present never worries about the future and AIr Ran dolph had been born content.
 With such an equipment k t to be wondered at that he found tn. taxi field rich with unexpected and sur prisng blooms? Fair flowers, he had known her, tofore to nod oUIy over len tables and solid silver appearel sud
 denly tranSplanted to his eah and ready to nod on Stalwart shoulder. Strong male tiger-lilieS of the money market, grafted 10 the cusaiai.s oi taxi became coHpiacent pillars upon which some elingins ivy twined.
 In six nights he learned the sound
 that banker makes when slender fingers tickle him under the chin; tiie gasp of a girl fGst-kissed; the cry of young man upon discovering tEe ah. sence of Grandfather'S gold watch, his since graduation day; the cluck of top-hat fairly Sut upon iu the excite tl,. |. | have been tragic, the eXaSpcratiug tap. tap, tap. of a hen-peckiug tongue that explained and condoncG q murder mys- tery in the next mornings papers, and the Seb of ruined youugSter who had played with borrowed money.
 All these incidents took place with people whom Mr. Randolph knew or knew of and just to show what an cx- tremely honest young man he was let it be said that if did not once occur 10 him that he need never be poor while humanity. supposedly in good stand ins. continued to lay itself open 70 hlackmail at the rate of a case a night. At the same time. he was not stupid and occasionally tapped out miSSjve loaded with dynamite on tie garage typewriter when no one was around. Here is q sample.
 MT. Poindexter MacGuler. Sir: AS
 was driving you and Miss F. B. larst night who was fNster=motht i hy an aunt of frcud of frend If mine l hcerd yeu talNn to her and all got to say Is # see you out with her again short of the bands If matrmony I'll get another trend of mine to get Mr Robert Uery Ean- dolph to tell what he kuews about you chcatcn at cards on Dec 22 last"
 Nights that gave birth in the morn ing to such illiterary tit-bits could scarcely he called dull, hut 1t was not long before Mir. Randolph found him. self threatened hy an. unexpected mo- notonous employment. Unfortunately for his entertainment, his rcputatios aS the one par excellence St Bernard lifeSHYer to the inebriatc elite spread rapidly throughout the Force so that the telephone was constantly burdened during the wee hours with the follow ing: Say, is Slim Hervey on the jobf Well, when he comes in tell i'm l got another tailor-model drunk here what has lost his home address from his mind"
 With suspicious suddenncss Mir. Randolph proceeded to forget half his school and clubmates and cold-blooded- ly leave them 10 their fate and night out not without coming to grief on at least one occasion, however. What are you comin over me?" de- manded the irate captain of the Nth precinct. You aint forgot that you was yally to R. II. Randolph for seven years, have va? Has all his frens gone on the wagon?"
 It looked like loop.hole. Sure" said Slim Hervey promptly. His club'S ppor buctad vho, r-;tb ,,.a,or