They
thought it was a new and devilishly ingenious mode of punishment.
When the horses dropped he left the van where it stood and went home.
There was a frightful row over the affair. Masters was arrested, of
course, but bailed out. He has friends still and some of them are
influential. The trial was postponed a few times and then dropped.
His rows are too numerous to mention. When he was here and sober he
betrayed anger only in his eyes, which looked like steel blades run
through fire, and with the most caustic tongue ever put in a man's
head. But when he's in certain stages of insobriety his fighting
instincts appear to take their own sweet way. At other times, Lacey
writes, he is as interesting as ever and men sit round eagerly and
listen to him talk. At others he simply disappears. Did I tell you he
had come into a little money--just recently?"
"No, you did not. Why doesn't he start a newspaper?"
"He's probably forgotten he ever wanted one--no, I don't fancy he
ever forgets anything. Only death will destroy that brain no matter
how he may obfuscate it. And I guess there are times when he can't,
poor devil. But he couldn't start a newspaper on what he's got. It's
just enough to buy him all he wants without the necessity for work."
"How did he get it?"
"His elder brother--only remaining member of the immediate family--
died and left him the old plantation in Virgina--what there is left
of it; and a small income from two or three old houses in Richmond.
Pages:
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179