The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-14

in scene Of Caesar and Cleopatra
played by Forbes Robertson, | re-
ceivcd a similar impression.
Vance was slightly under six feet
graceful, and giving the impression
DURANGO. He was an expert fencer
and had been the captain of the uni
vcrsity's fencing team. He was mild
~ fond of outdoor sports, and had /,
knack of doing things well without
any extensive practice. His golf
handicap was only three; and one
season he had played on our cham
pionship polo team against England.
Nevthclcss. he had positive antip-
athy to walking, and would not GO
a hundred yards on foot If there was
any possible means Of riding.
In his dress he was always fashion
able-scrupulously correct to tho
smallest detail yet unobtrusive. He
spent considerable time at his clubs
his favorite was the Stuyvesant, be-
cause, rs he explained to me, is mem
bership was drawn largely from the
political and commercial ranks, and
he was never drawn into 4 discussion
which required any mental effort
He went occasionally to the more
modern operas. and was Il regular
subscriber to the symphony concerts
and chambcr-muSic rccitals.
Incidentally, he was one of the
most unerring poker players l have
ever seen. ! mention this. fact not
merely because it was unusual and
significant that a man Of Vance $
type should have preferred so demo
cratic a game to bridge or chess, for
INSTANCE, but because his knowledge
Of the science of human psychology
involved in poker had an intimate
bearing on the chronicles | am about
to set down.
Vance's knowledge Of psychology
was indeed uncanny. He was gifted
!, with an instinctivcly accurate judg-
ment Of people, and his study and
reading had coordinated and ration
allied this gift to an amazing extent
He was we'll grounded in the academ-
ic principles of psychology, and all
his courses at college had either CEN
tered about this subject or been sub
ordinated to it.
Vance's mind was basically phil
osophical - that is, philosophical in
the more general sense. Being sing
ularly free from tn conventional sem
timentalitics and current supcrsti-
tions, he could look beneath the SUR
face of human acts into actuating i'm
pulses and motives. Moreover, he
was resolutc both in his avoidance
of any attitude that savorcd of cred
ulousncss, and in his adherence to
cold, logical exactness in his mental
processes.
"Until we can approach all human
problems" he once remarked, with
the clinical aloofncss and cynical con-
tempt of doctor examining a
guinca-pig strapped to board, we
have little chance Of gettinr at the
truth,
Vance led an active, but by no
means animated, social life--a con-
cession to various family ties. But
he was not social animal, and when
he went forth into the social world
it was generally under compulsion.
In fact, one Of his duty" affairs had
occupied him on the night before that
memorable juno breakfast; other
wise, we would have consulted about
the Cezannes the evening before; and
Vance grouscd Il good deal about it
while Currie was serving our straw
berries and eggs Bencdictinc. Later
on was to give profound thanks to
the God Of Coincidence that the
blocks had been arrangd in jus. that
ing peacefully at 8 o'clock when the
district attorney called, wou!l prob
ably have missed four of he most in
teresting and exciting years OF my
life; and many Of New York's shrewd-