The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-29
THE TIME SHALL COME.
BY c.. II. STEVENS.

THAT he refuses 10 nave SOD-ln-laW VINO
has 10 get his own living" Jack Chiffon
said bitterly, He wants you to marry
man born to idleness and who will tire Of
Won In month But, Alma l am not here
10 reproach your father. He does not take
into consideration that my family, though 1t
has fallen into misfortune is as good rs his
Own. He turns from me because l have
chosen the profession Of an actor. II had
gene in for a horse-har wig, stufy gowns,
and pounded away in hot courts, with the
shallow chance OF winning name at the DdT
he might have given me hope"
''My father" Alma said, has great
horror Of the stage. And oh, Jack! the
temptations are so great.
Jack interrupted her with laugh.
Why, child lie said, 'tell me any place
In the rs Grid that IS exempt from temptation
The life Of man or woman is O0e long StTug-
gle to resist t. and the victor often emeTges
from the fray almost vanQulSned. An ac-
tors life is an honorable and gentlemanly
calling If hE' likes to make 10 so. The stage
is not what il used TO be. Men Of sense ana
education, and public opinion, have purified
t. and perhaps the day Is not far dIstant
when tie church and stage will meet on the
same platform for the veal Of mankind in
general"
This was q clandestDe meeting. Alma
NAY had stolen into the woods 10 say q sad
farewell 90 Jack Chiffon.
Aima's father was an autOcTat in his way
He had been born 20 name and wealth, aud
deemed 1t no business # his If other people
Of lower degree came Into the world.
They we're welcome 10 60 thelr way and
he went his Owl.
with money invested IN q dozen places
the owner of rich copper mines, and the
senior partner in a furnishing bank, Sir
Joshua May could not understand people
FILLING into misfortune, for the simple
reason that he had never known the mean
ing of the word beyond the mere spelling
of IT,
''The Cujltons vera all very well in their
vav" ne ar-upd. They had once owned
estates, but the and had fallen away from
tEeW-Whv he did not care 20 entertain"
Thus when Jack Chiffon, who had been
tolerated at his h0u-e for the sake OF his
entertaining nature, mentioned tie subject
Of matTimunv. SIT Joshua fixed his gold
trimmed sUeet4ClPs firmly on the bridge Of
his nose, and sared for some moments at
the young man in blank aStOnjshment
"ML Chiffon he said a. length, Il had
not tie slightest idea that you were auv-
thing more than friend TO my daughter
Alma"
I'VE love each other" Jack Chiffon re-
piled; Il have wan her heart"
Sir Joshua Nav waved MS hand with q
gesture bordering upon contempt
Il Do not wish 20 huTJ your feelings" he
said, "bnt / must ask You 20 give NJ all
especially since I hear that you have joined
q dramatic company"
II have some money Of my own" Jack
urged, and viii study hard, and strive TO
Win name
"Win a name" Sir Joshua rereated.
"aud among whom To my mind, actors
and actresses are nothing more nor less than
set of see y, unpruciDle1 men and sham 6
less women
Jack Chiffon flushed to the roots Of his
hair
lyon have no right to Judge them in
such a way without good reason" he said,
notify. You speak without knowledge or
the slightest experience, VI hat would yOl
say II, because enc banker has been proved
10 be dishonest, that all " ere said to be the
same ?'
Sir Joshua half closed his eyes and smiled
OmpiaceuLlv.
Il should say" heVreplied. that any
man who talked in such a strain was a born
fool Nj Chiffon, we viii not prol0ng this
interview: it is al an end, and l have the
honor Of wishing you a very good morning.
l viii speak 10 ALMA, and, as q matter Of
course, inform her that your visits must be
discontinued"
" You will break her heart, Sir Joshua"
Pooh, don't believe N broken hearts.
on Will forget my daughter IN less than
SIX months, and she-well this news comes
as such a surprise 70 NE, that 1 shall have
20 think carefully how % address her, and
70 think over her folly"
There was a stormy meeting between
Alma and her father, butNbe Baronefs iron
will UTedominated.
"If you marry this man." he said. you
shall go to him without a single penny, and
IN only the dress you stand in. Mark that,
Alma, and reflect before you take an ire
Vocabe step. You know that l never de-
part from my word"
Alma did what thousands Of young ladies
have done before, She went to her room,
cried her eyes out, and then sat down to
write to her lover declaring that all was
over, and that the world would be without
sunlight 10 her until death closed her eyes
hut-there is always but in such cases
she would meet him just once more 10 say
last farewell
The missve was entrusted to a friendly
gardener and Jack Chiffon received il just
as he was wondering how he could con-
trive 10 get letter 70 Alma
Thus lt was that they met aud strolled
sadly to and fro ia the light of the moon.
Courage, my darlIngw Jack said, en-
circlug his arm around her waist aud kiss
ing her fondly. Be Of good heart The
time OF our happiness will and shall come
Promise me that even if you do not hear Of
or from me for three years you viii be true
to ne"
g will be true to you all my life" Alma
replied l will marry no other man than
yourself; Jack. Iswear it in the sight Of
heaven"
"HushP he said, tenderly. "Do not
make any rash vows which you might have
reason to break. ! only ask for three years
grace, aud Il 1 do not return with an IN
stained name, and in such a manner that I
can claim you before the whole world, you
may consider yourself free. 1t is time that
you re urnPd, my darling Good byl No, |
VIII not say gOOd-bv, tor should God grant
me life / will return"
she cIung to him as I she could never let
p ktHrF
from his neck. imprinted a lingering Kiss on
her lips and turned hastily away,
A year had passed, but no news came Of
Jack Chiffon.
Alma knew no more than that he
had joined WatherOn's comedy company on
tour, which she saw in tile papers was adj
veTtlsed to 60 to America, but Jacks name
dId not even appear as performer.
What had become Of bim2 Had he failed
ANONYMOUSLY and hidden himself from the
world? Perhaps failure had killed him, AS
u bad killed MANY a man, and he lay at rest
IN some distant churchyaTd
These we're the questions Alma asked
herself with a sinking heart, She was
however, too brave a girl to permit her
grlef 70 be written upon her face. She
went into society as usual, attended garden
parties. balls and lat homes" but she was
uuch changed. and her old friends shook
their heads as they looked at her
" She is pining for her old lover and viii
perish like a lily before blast OF wintry
air." they whispered.
One morning, when Alma came down to
breakfast, Sir Joshua sat with an open let
ter IN his hand.
captain Warning is coming down for
few days shooting" he said.
" Indeed" Alma replied, calmly; 81 hope
he will enjoy the sport"
" Warning is capital fellow" Sir Joshua
continued, 'and has had the luck TO inherit
a splendid fortune from his uncle"
- trust that he will employ it in a more
sensible manner than he did the allowance
made 10 him by the same relative" Alma
TejOined.
Sir Joshua looked nettled and shufled
foot unnagilV