Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-10-19

|
across Madison square "I'm going to
have you meet some other fellows,
friends of mine. lor you
| to know them Z
And he ran over d list of names, all
familiar to Tom and young, like himself
artists, writers, painters and wealthy
dilettanti. His heart grew large with
pride. He etingled with anticipation, and
tremors of ecstacy passed over him as if
he had drunk the distilled witchcraft of
the moonlight The artistic world was
his to enter, and Delatole, leader, was
holding the door open for him. Like
companion picture in shadow rose the
memory of the night when he walked
alone in the rain in the sore travail of
spirit out OF which this first success was
born. Was he that man? Was the illu-
minated blue above him the same sky
he had looked at then? all N sGa
.sIt's SO awfully good Of you to give Inc
this opportunity, he said, and Delatole
understood all that the joyous infection
in his voice expressed.
There was not much about the ingen-
/ uous young fellow beside him that Della
] tole did not shrewdly understand. 1t was
his custom to study he people he met
and adapt them if possible to his require
ments of the moment. He used his
friends. When they tired of serving him,
he turned his secret enmity to account
whenever opportunity offered by max
ing them the subjects Of scintillating,
scathing attacks in the press that added
to his fame, How Murray could serve
him he had not yet determined, but his
gratitude was what he wanted. Such
fresh and promising material. which
would easily receive whatever impress he
4 might place upon it. was not met with
every day.
'sOh, you needn't thank me, Murray"
he said, with his acid smile and shivering
even in the depths Of his cumbersome coat
as an icy wind swept across the square:
"I'm a little bit proud of this chance to
\ take you up. You mustn't be too mod
est. You are a success. You've written
q play that's caught the town-a play
that will live. How you did it is mys-
terry to me. You haven't lived long
4
you've said. Once or twice there was
pain in the place where my heart used
| to be. Read what I've said Of you in
The Challenge tomorrow. went out
during the act and dashed off a criticism
1 in beer saloon. In a few days I'll 20
into the subject at some length, and
well. you'll seel But tell me now how
| V1,,3~, ..x.,~,s, y
thing of problem to me. 4l0
II haven't known much life,n said
Tom, land suppose I'm unsophisticated
and credulous. But somehow | under
stand this game in which as yet I've
scarcely taken hand. Somehow j seem
| to know how would suffer uader the
stress of the temptation | described.
Some of the words burned me as | wrote
them lived in the scene Within my
own consciousness loved, struggled. fell
and repented with my hero" l
"Goon. like to hear you. You sound
| ed the depths of your emotional posi-
! bilities before the water was troubled |
understand. The plummet went to a
dark depth to have given you even a
shadowy insight into such intensely hn-
man mistakes and pain Think of it, by
| Jove! You who've hardly known d sor-
row made the women weep! And that
small, pale ray of promise at the end was
masterly.'
Tom felt u nearness to this stranger,
almost an affection, as he listened By
| degrees his uneventful history was won
from him. He felt little abashed at its
nothingness, the narrative of days flow
| ing quietly in an Questionable neigh
borhood and his almost friendless condi-
ton.
"Of course there are Mr.. Kent and
Virginia, he said more brightly, but
know few people in New York. | didn't
care for the fellows in college. Ny fa-
ther died four months ago. That was
my first grief, as don't remember my
mother ut all. | would often have felt
desperately lonely if it had not been for
Virginia" I"
'sThc girl | met tonight Ali, yes.
Pretty eyes. Rather dangerous sort Of
friend, should think. for a follow like,
| you" ai
"You don't know what she's been to
me-" said Tom And then, morbidly
fearful Of appearing sentimental. he re-
lapsed into silence.
Delatolo asked no question. There was
no need Of one. zni iiW "a
l'Isnt it strange" said Tom after a
pause filled only with the crunch of their
footsteps on the frost hardened snow, Il
used to think myself awfully wretched
and forsaken sometimes? | had an ar
rogant idea that was the most abused
fellow in New York. But after | had
grouped my characters and grew to
know their imagined faces, after | had
knotted the tragic thread that held them,
then knew the difference Poverty
and the small perplexities of my life lost
their sting when faced the pictureo of a
STRICKEN soul of my own creating No,
i can never be bitter or diseontcnted
again | have learned new and sweet
philosophy to accept the littlenesses of
life gladly, if only peace 90 with them.
/ Delatolels eyes were fixed upon him
now. The burning end of the cigar be-
tween Toms lips threw red CLEAN upon
his darkly handsome face at every respi-
ration The dreaminess softening it, the
lingering tenderness With which be spoke
the last slow words, told his companion
that what he had half OWNED before was
true-if Murray had not lived. at least
love had not passed him by
A species Of envy mixed with Delatole's
alert attention. He thought of his ex-
hausted sensibilities and of the jaded
commonplace which even the best and
brightest in life had become to him.
What would he not give to have back
the youth Of heart be saw in Toms eyes?
"rresn for rne reasr Win spurs vai-
iantly won III the fray and under the
domination of romantic passion--per-
.haps the first And he is 50 untried he
doesn't know he has cause to cry aloud
and beat has hands for joy. 1t wont
last. It never does By and by. when
life has left a bitter taste in his mouth.
hewill remember with wonder and long
ing that he once thought one particular
woman worth this impulsive worship.
He's quite capable Of making a fool Of
himself. | know the tone. | know the
i look. So her names Virginia, and she's
been much to hipl2 But net llaug gll.
Was not just such dcliriously happy
idiot onccsr & fs. nsss VII,
rr<~