Philip Curtiss

“ In what is called the New England conscience there is a curious jumble of stern Mosaic morality, of petty commercial ethics, and of extreme personal fastidiousness. And probably the greatest of these is fastidiousness. Thus, like the Puritan of Puritans that he was, Arnold Bellsmith in no way connected his sense of guilt—perhaps contamination would be a better word—with Miss Marshall, with Tommy Knight, with the midnight punch, or even with his own violation of the Eighteenth Amendment. ”

“ The very suggestion of the word "leaving" in connection with one of his servants had been sufficient to make him virtually ill. To his servants' whims he had yielded inch by inch as he had to his own, until their duties, like his, had been narrowed down to the lowest point of mere routine, to say nothing of efficiency. ”

“ Of course, in reality, the worldly young men at "The Courier" office had never for an instant taken Bellsmith's remarks seriously. That is to say—well! From their point of view, that was, in fact, the very "juice" of the "story." Bellsmith would never have gone to bed at all if he had known that, when a laughing reporter had outlined the telephone conversation, the night city editor had commanded: "Go to it! Eat it! ”

“ Due to a rumor that the Equity building was on fire a large crowd speedily gathered, and The Courier office was kept answering inquiries until the last edition went to press at 4:30 a.m.
Conservative estimate places the value of the Bellsmith residence, including the land, at $750,000. This represents only a small portion of the Bellsmith holdings in Leicester. Mr. Bellsmith, it is understood, takes no part in his own business affairs, being entirely a man of pleasure. ”