Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-08
72ND YEAR.
CHAPTER !.
The atiOSv.

The winters twilight, as thick AZ
blown smoke. was drifting through
tho Capitol Square. Already the
snow covered walks and tn. frozen
fountains were in shadow. but beyond
the irregular black houghs Of tn.
treen the SKY was still sunu.ed with
the burning l!gnt of III. sunset over
tn. head Of the great bronze Wash
inEton singl. last CLEAN Of sunshine
shot suddenly before II vanished ami
the spires and rhinneys Of the city.
which looked as visionary aud insub-
s,ant,al ms the glowing horizon
stopping midway OF tho road. ste.
phrn Cuiprrer glanced hack over tn.
vague streets and the clearer dis.
tancc. "h"r" IN" approaching dusk
spun rauvc and silver cnb"cbs a
air. From that city. /, seemed TO
him. new and inscrutable force the
force q. an idsa mad risen within tho
last f"w months to euHuif IN. square
and ali that the square had ever
meant In MI. NE Though he was
only twentv-sir he felt that H.. had
watched the decay and dissolution ~
q hundred years Nothing ~ the pas,
remained untouched. 80, the old
buildings. not the old ,-.es no; oven
the nd memories. Clustering tradt-
lions had hrd In tho whit" hlnzo NJ
electricity. the quaint brick walks
with their rich color in IN" sunlight
were beginning 80 disappear bcn-a;h
the rhpr"Ssionl-ss mask al concrete
!, was all changed since his fathers
s7r his Eranhfathers DAY; I, "a. all
"hvious and cheap. he thought. II WAS
all ugly and naked and undis'inguIsh-
ed yet The tide Of the ncn Ideas was
| sun rising Democrats. relentless,
ditorderlN. and str"~u with tho
wr"ckag. ~ hner things. mad over
whclm"d the world OF established
customs I'm which he lived.
A. ne lifted nj, fnce TO IN. s.y. hi.
gray" young features revealed a .ub-
~" hinship TO the statues beneath
tho mounted Warrington IN IN. drIv.
o. " both He>h and hron1. had been
moulded rs me dominant splri, ~
race Like the heroes -! th- Reyn-
.luttor. n" appeared stranger in an
az" which had degraded manners and
enthrpn.d commerce.. md TX. them
also ne seemed To survey the preseu,
from som. Inaccessible. heiyh; %, rho
n past DIGNITY he had in abundance.
HRnd certain mellow. old fashioned
quality. yet. IN spite OF his we'll
favored youth. n. was singulariv
lacking In sympathetic appeal Al
ready people we're beginning TO say
that they ahmir.r culp~per. hut he
nj 70.
get really In touch with him His
.ui,ud" of mind. which was passive
hut critical. had Developed N. fac
"lti"s OF observation rather than the
u habits ~ action IS member Of the
community h- was Indifferent Sud
| Rmiahl., gay and ir"nic only TN.
few who had seen his reserve breah ,
down before the rush Of an uncnn.
trolla BILE impulse suspected tha, there
were rich veins Of feeling buried he.
meath mis- conventional surface. aud
that he cherished an iuarticulo,c
longing FOR heroic and splendid d"-ds
The war had ler, him with a nervnus
| naiady which ne had neN"r entirety
overcome. and this Increased both mis-
romantic dissatisfaction With mis- NE
and mis- inability :" make sustaine. /!
chort 10 change IL.
The sky had faded swiftly To pale
orange; the distant buildings appear.
cd To swim toward him In In. silver
air and the naked trees barred the
4 whit. slopes with violet shadows In
IN" t"Im"st branches 81 an old syca =
. NOR" IN" ihinn-st fragment Of "a nov
! noon hung trembling. Xix. iumi-
4 nous thread. Tn. twilight was in
irnsely sim. and the noises of IN.
q city fell with metallic sound on h: (
/ ears. as II a multitude Of bells were
I ringing about him. Will. n. walked
on past the bald outline Of m. r..
stored and enlarged CapitoI This
Imaginary concert grew gradually
/ fainter. until ne heard above il nr.s
! emily the sudden closing Of window
I In the Governors mansion-as the Old
d gray house was called.
Pausing abruptly. the Young ma,
frowned as his eyes fen on the
charming Georgian front. which pre-
q sided like serene and spa cious mem
Org over the modern mtilitarian pur-
pose that was devasting the SQUARE
Alone in It's separate plot, broad. low
i and hospitahle tho house stood there
| 'Nlue1 ana Wl'nuf3Wn from the l.
less progress and the ag" Of concrete
"A modest reminder OF the centuries
j when men had built we'll because they
| had time. before they built, to stor
I and think and remember. The ar
/ rested dignity of the past seemed Ia
| tho young man tn hover above the
| old mansion within it's setting Of box
i hedges and leaflcss lilac shrubs ami
i snow laden magnolia trees He saw
| the house rontrastpd against ihs
crude surroundings Of the improved
and dtsfgured square. and agains,
the house, attended by all It's stated,
traditions he saw the threatening nc-
4 IRE Of Gideon Netch. $50 IL has come
to this" me thought rescntfuIIy. witt
I his gaze on the doorway where round
yellow globe was shining Ragged
| frost-coatcd branches framed m,
sloping roof, and the white column
OF the square side porchcs emerged
from the black crags Of magnolia
trees. In the center Of the cIrcular
drive. invaded ny concrete, a whit,
! heron poured stream OF melting Ice
AtetA ri