the lost road-第3节

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Under　the　glaring　lights　of　the　restaurant；　and　surrounded　by
British；　French；　Greek；　and　Serbian　officers；　German；　Austrian；
and　Bulgarian　civilians；　with　a　sprinkling　of　American；　English；
and　Scotch　nurses　and　doctors；　packed　so　solidly　in　the　huge；
high…ceilinged　room　that　the　waiters　could　barely　pick　their　way
among　the　tables；　we　hung　for　hours　over　our　dinners；　and　left
only　when　the　landlord　and　his　Austrian　wife　counted　the　day's
receipts　and　paid　the　waiters　at　the　end　of　the　evening。

One　could　not　imagine　a　more　charming　and　delightful　companion
than　Davis　during　these　days。　　While　he　always　asserted　that　he
could　not　make　a　speech；　and　was　terrified　at　the　thought　of
standing　up　at　a　banquet…table；　yet；　sitting　at　a　dinner…table
with　a　few　friends　who　were　only　too　eager　to　listen　rather　than
to　talk；　his　stories；　covering　personal　experiences　in　all　parts
of　the　world；　were　intensely　vivid；　with　that　remarkable
〃holding〃　quality　of　description　which　characterizes　his
writings。

He　brought　his　own　breada　coarse；　brown　sort；　which　he　preferred
to　the　better　white　breadand　with　it　he　ate　great　quantities　of
butter。　　As　we　sat　down　at　the　table　his　first　demand　was　for
〃Mastika；〃　a　peculiar　Greek　drink　distilled　from　mastic　gum；　and
his　second　demand　invariably　was　〃Du　beurre！〃　with　the　〃r's〃　as
silent　as　the　stars；　and　if　it　failed　to　come　at　once　the　waiter
was　made　to　feel　the　enormity　of　his　tardiness。

The　reminiscences　ranged　from　his　early　newspaper　days　in
Philadelphia；　and　skipping　from　Manchuria　to　Cuba　and　Central
America；　to　his　early　Sun　days　under　Arthur　Brisbane；　they　ranged
through　an　endless　variety　of　personal　experiences　which　very
nearly　covered　the　whole　course　of　American　history　in　the　past
twenty　years。

Perhaps　to　him　it　was　pleasant　to　go　over　his　remarkable　adventures；
but　it　could　not　have　been　half　as　pleasant　as　it　was　to　hear　them；　told
as　they　were　with　a　keenness　of　description　and　brilliancy　of　humorous
comment　that　made　them　gems　of　narrative。

At　times；　in　our　work；　we　all　tried　our　hands　at　describing　the
Salonika　of　those　early　days　of　the　Allied　occupation；　for　it　was
really　what　one　widely　travelled　British　officer　called　it〃the
most　amazingly　interesting　situation　I've　ever　seen〃…but　Davis's
description　was　far　and　away　the　best；　just　as　his　description　of
Vera　Cruz　was　the　best；　and　his　wonderful　story　of　the　entry　of
the　German　army　into　Brussels　was　matchless　as　one　of　the　great
pieces　of　reporting　in　the　present　war。

In　thinking　of　Davis；　I　shall　always　remember　him　for　the
delightful　qualities　which　he　showed　in　Salonika。　　He　was
unfailingly　considerate　and　thoughtful。　　Through　his　narratives
one　could　see　the　pride　which　he　took　in　the　width　and　breadth　of
his　personal　relation　to　the　great　events　of　the　past　twenty
years。　　His　vast　scope　of　experiences　and　equally　wide
acquaintanceship　with　the　big　figures　of　our　time；　were　amazing；
and　it　was　equally　amazing　that　one　of　such　a　rich　and
interesting　history　could　tell　his　stories　in　such　a　simple　way
that　the　personal　element　was　never　obtrusive。

When　he　left　Salonika　he　endeavored　to　obtain　permission　from
the　British　staff　to　visit　Moudros；　but；　failing　in　this；　he　booked
his　passage　on　a　crowded　little　Greek　steamer；　where　the　only
obtainable　accommodation　was　a　lounge　in　the　dining　saloon。
We　gave　him　a　farewell　dinner；　at　which　the　American　consul
and　his　family；　with　all　the　other　Americans　then　in　Salonika；　were
present；　and　after　the　dinner　we　rowed　out　to　his　ship　and　saw
him　very　uncomfortably　installed　for　his　voyage。

He　came　down　the　sea　ladder　and　waved　his　hand　as　we　rowed　away。
That　was　the　last　I　saw　of　Richard　Harding　Davis。

JOHN　T。　MCCUTCHEON。





THE　LOST　ROAD




During　the　war　with　Spain；　Colton　Lee　came　into　the　service　as　a
volunteer。　　For　a　young　man；　he　always　had　taken　life　almost　too
seriously；　and　when；　after　the　campaign　in　Cuba；　he　elected　to
make　soldiering　his　profession；　the　seriousness　with　which　he
attacked　his　new　work　surprised　no　one。　　Finding　they　had　lost　him
forever；　his　former　intimates　were　bored；　but　his　colonel　was
enthusiastic；　and　the　men　of　his　troop　not　only　loved；　but
respected　him。

From　the　start　he　determined　in　his　new　life　women　should　have　no
parta　determination　that　puzzled　no　one　so　much　as　the　women；
for　to　Lee　no　woman；　old　or　young；　had　found　cause　to　be
unfriendly。　　But　he　had　read　that　the　army　is　a　jealous　mistress
who　brooks　no　rival；　that　〃red　lips　tarnish　the　scabbard　steel；〃
that　〃he　travels　the　fastest　who　travels　alone。〃

So；　when　white　hands　beckoned　and　pretty　eyes　signalled；　he　did
not　look。　　For　five　years；　until　just　before　he　sailed　for　his
three　years　of　duty　in　the　Philippines；　he　succeeded　not　only　in
not　looking；　but　in　building　up　for　himself　such　a　fine
reputation　as　a　woman…hater　that　all　women　were　crazy　about　him。
Had　he　not　been　ordered　to　Agawamsett　that　fact　would　not　have
affected　him。　　But　at　the　Officers'　School　he　had　indulged　in　hard
study　rather　than　in　hard　riding；　had　overworked；　had　brought
back　his　Cuban　fever；　and　was　in　poor　shape　to　face　the　tropics。
So；　for　two　months　before　the　transport　was　to　sail；　they　ordered
him　to　Cape　Cod　to　fill　his　lungs　with　the　bracing　air　of　a　New
England　autumn。

He　selected　Agawamsett；　because；　when　at　Harvard；　it　was　there　he
had　spent　his　summer　vacations；　and　he　knew　he　would　find
sailboats　and　tennis　and；　through　the　pine　woods　back　of　the
little　whaling　village；　many　miles　of　untravelled　roads。　　He
promised　himself　that　over　these　he　would　gallop　an　imaginary
troop　in　route　marches；　would　manoeuvre　it　against　possible
ambush；　and；　in　combat　patrols；　ground　scouts；　and　cossack
outposts；　charge　with　it　〃as　foragers。〃　　But　he　did　none　of　these
things。　　For　at　Agawamsett　he　met　Frances　Gardner；　and　his
experience　with　her　was　so　disastrous　that；　in　his　determination
to　avoid　all　women；　he　was　convinced　he　was　right。

When　later　he　reached　Manila　he　vowed　no　other　woman　would
ever　again　find　a　place　in　his　thoughts。　　No　other　woman　did。
Not　because　he　had　the　strength　to　keep　his　vow；　but　because　he
so　continually　thought　of　Frances　Gardner　that　no　other　woman
had　a　chance。

Miss　Gardner　was　a　remarkable　girl。　　Her　charm　appealed　to　all
kinds　of　men；　and；　unfortunately　for　Lee；　several　kinds　of　men
appealed　to　her。　　Her　fortune　and　her　relations　were　bound　up　in
the　person　of　a　rich　aunt　with　whom　she　lived；　and　who；　it　was
understood；　some　day　would　leave　her　all　the　money　in　the　world。
But；　in　spite　of　her　charm；　certainly　in　spite　of　the　rich　aunt；
Lee；　true　to　his　determination；　might　not　have　noticed　the　girl
had　not　she　ridden　so　extremely　well。

It　was　to　the　captain　of　cavalry　she　first　appealed。　　But　even　a
cavalry　captain；　whose　duty　in　life　is　to　instruct　sixty　men　in
the　art　of　taking　the　life　of　as　many　other　men　as　possible；　may
turn　his　head　in　the　direction　of　a　good…looking　girl。　　And　when
for　weeks　a　man　rides　at　the　side　of　one　through　pine　forests　as
dim　and　mysterious　as　the　aisles　of　a　great　cathedral；　when　he
guides　her　across　the　wet　marshes　when　the　sun　is　setting　crimson
in　the　pools　and　the　wind　blows　salt　from　the　sea；　when　he　loses
them　both　by　moonlight　in　wood…roads　where　the　hoofs　of　the
horses　sink　silently　into　dusty　pine　needles；　he　thinks　more
frequently　of　the　girl　at　his　side　than　of　the　faithful　troopers
waiting　for　him　in　San　Francisco。　　The　girl　at　his　side　thought
frequently　of　him。

With　the　〃surface　indications〃　of　a　young　man　about　to　ask　her
to　marry　him　she　was　painfully　familiar；　but　this　time　the　possibility
was　the　reverse　of　painful。　　What　she　meant　to　do　about　it　she　did
not　know；　but　she　did　know　that　she　was　strangely　happy。　　Between
living　on　as　the　dependent　of　a　somewhat　exacting　relative　and
becoming　the　full　partner　of　this　young　stranger；　who　with　men
had　proved　himself　so　masterful；　and　who　with　her　was　so　gentle；
there　seemed　but　little　choice。　　But　she　did　not　as　yet　wish　to　make
the　choice。　　She　preferred　to　believe　she　was　not　certain。　　She　assured
him　that　before　his　leave　of　absence　was　over　she　would　tell　him
whether　she　would　remain　on　duty　with　the　querulous　aunt；　who　had
befriended　her；　or　as　his　wife　accompany　him　to　the　Philippines。

It　was　not　the　answer　he　wanted；　but　in　her　happiness；　which　was
evident　to　every　one；　he　could　not　help　but　take　hope。　　And　in　the
questions　she　put　to　him　of　life　in　the　tropics；　of　the　life　of
the　〃officers'　ladies；〃　he　saw　that　what　was　in　her　mind　was　a
possible　life　with　him；　and　he　was　content。

She　became　to　him　a　wonderful；　glorious　person；　and　each　day　she
grew　in　loveliness。　　It　had　been　five　years　of　soldiering　in　Cuba；
China；　and　on　the　Mexican　border　since　he　had　talked　to　a　woman
with　interest；　and　now　in　all　she　said；　in　all　her　thoughts　and
words　and　delights；　he　found　fresher　and　stronger　reasons　for
discarding　his　determination　to　remain　wedded　only　to　the　United
States　Army。　　He　did　not　need　reasons。　　He　was　far　too　much　in　love
to　see　in　any　word　or　act　of　hers　anything　that　was　not　fine　and
beau