Man in the Iron Mask one ever saw his face because it was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth, the true identity of the prisoner remains a mystery; it has been extensively debated by historians, and various theories have been expounded in numerous books and films. Among the leading theories are those proposed by writer and philosopher Voltaire: he claimed in the second edition of his "Questions sur l'Encyclopédie" (1771) that the prisoner wore a mask made of iron rather than of cloth, and that he was the older, illegitimate brother of Louis XIV. What little is known about the historical Man in
A Death in the Desert Cather's reading of Robert Browning. Allusions to Alexandre Dumas, fils' "La dame aux camelias" and Lucretius's "De rerum natura" have also been found. A Death in the Desert "A Death in the Desert" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in "The Scribner's" in January 1903. Everett is on a train from Holdrege, Nebraska to Cheyenne, Wyoming. He is a man that looks like his older prodigy brother Adriance--this similarity haunts him throughout the entire novel and robs him of his own personality. He will always be Adriance's brother. Moreover, Gussie Davis's song "In The Baggage