The Washington herald., 1922-09-17
The Beautiful
And Damned
Continued from Yesterday.
By r. Scott Fitxgerald.


compliment to his God on his thin
lips. He, who had been fiattered
so much, faded out fiattering the
omnipotent Abstraction which he
fancied he might have angered in
the more lascivious moments of his
youth. 1t was announced that he
had arranged some sort of an
armistice with the Deity, the terms
Of which were not made public.
though they were thought to have
included a large cash payment. All
the newspapers printed his BIZ
ography, and two Of them ran short
editorials on his sterling worth
and his part in the drama of in
dustriallsm. with which he had
grown up. They referred guarded
ly to the reforms he had sponsored
and financed. The memories Of
Comstock and Cato the Censor
were resuscitated and paraded like
gaunt ghosts through the coIumps.
Every newspaper remarked that
he was survived by a single grand
son, Anthony Comstock Patch, of
New York.
The burial took place in tho
family plot at Tarrytown. An1
thony and Gloria rode in the first
carriage, too worried to feel
grotesque, both trying desperately
to CLEAN presage of fortune from
the faces of retainers who had been
with him at the end.
They waited a frantic week for
decency. and then, having received
no notification of any kind. An
thony called up his grandfather 3
lawyer. Mr.. Brett was not in-he
was expected back in an hour.
A nthony left his telephone number.
1t was the last day Of November.
cool and cracking outside. with a
lusterless sun peering bleakly in
at the windows. While they waited
for the call. ostensibly engaged IN
reading, the atmosphere. within
and without, seemed pervaded with
a deliberate rendition of the pa
thetic fallacy. After an intermin-
able while the bell jingled and
Anthony. starting violently. took
up the receiver.
strained and hollow. "Yes-I did
leave word. who is this. please?..
Yes. why, It was about the
estate. Naturally I'm interested,
and I've received no word about
the reading of the will thought
you might not have my address. 80.
WHAT. Yes....'
Gloria fell on Eer knees. The
intervals between Anthony's
speeches were like tourniquets
winding on her heart. She found
herself helpIessly twisting the large
buttons from a velvet cushion
Then:
"That's-that's very. very odd
that's very odd-that's very odd.
Not even any-ah-mention or any
-ah-reason-?"
His voice sounded faint and far
away. She uttered a little sound.
half gasp. half cry.
"Yes. I'll see. Her eyes
thanks. thanks"
The phone clicked. Her eyes
looking along the floor saw his
feet cut the pattern of a patch of
sunlight on the carpet. She arose
and faced him with a gray. level
glance just as his arms folded
about her.
My dearest" he whispered
nuskliE- nc uiu IT, HOu Naiii
him.
who are the heirs?" asked Mr..
Haight. You see when you can
tell me so little about it"
Mr.. Haight was tall and bent and
bettle-browed. He had been recon-
mended to Anthony as an astuts
and tenacious lawyer.
Il only know vaguely answered
Anthony. "A man named Shuttle
worth. who was a sort Of pet of his,
has the whole thing in charge as
administrator or trustee or some
thing-all except the direct be-
quests to charity and the pro
visions for servants and for those
two cousins in Idaho
How distant are the cousins?"
"Oh, third or fourth. anyway.
never even heard of them"
Mr.. Haight nodded comprehen-
sively.
And you want to contest a pro-
vision of the will"
I guess So" admitted Anthony
helplessIy. ! want to do what
sounds most hopeful-that's what ]
Ndul YOU 10 ten llt
You want them To refuse
probate to the wilI?'
Anthony shook his head
you've got me. haven't any
idea what probate is. l want a
share of the estate"
suppose you tell me some more
details. For instance. do you know
why the testator disinherited you?''
"Why-yes," began Anthony.
You see he was always a sucker
for moral reform. and all that
Il know" intcrjected Mr. HaiSht
humorlcssly.
and don't suppose he ever
thought ] was much good. I didn't
go into business. you see. But l
feel certain that up to last summer
/ was one of the benehciaries. We
had a house out in Marietta. and
one night gi andfather got the no
tion he'd come over and see US.
1t just happened that there was
a rather gay party going on and
he arrived without any warning.
Well. he took one look. he and this
fellow Shuttleworth. and then
turned around and tore right back
to Tarrytown. After that he never
answered my letters or even let
me see him"
He was a prohibitionist. wasn't
he?"
He was everything-regula
religious maniac"
How long before his death was
the will made that disinherited
you?"
"Recently-I mean since Au-
gust"
And you think that the direct
reason for his not leaving you the
majority of the estate was mis- dis