Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-12-02

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sob far down in it that the man in him
beat back. He had been fool, then:
An cgotistical dreamer?
Oh. the languor of helplessness, the
haunting pain of overthrow and loss. the
| repugnanCe to the necessary effort of re-
adjusting his conception of himself and
| his life! Those who have known this
| feeling have tasted for one moment the
kernel of despair.
How can l tell Nirgiuia:" was his
weary thought.
CHAPTER II.
\ square room of goodly size. the broad
windows opening ON low balcony and
beyond the shining panes Chelsea square.
| Ii was large enough tu meet the re-
| quirements of dining and sitting room,
the high walls bearing the faded floral
| decoration of an earlier period. The
stained floor from which the polish had
| long departed once knew the swish of
| tlounced petticoats. tea had undoubtedly
been slipped ON the rusty balcony. the I'M
used carriage step NJ the curb had known
the pressure of aristocratic toes.
But this was i'll the long ago, when the
house was private mansion, before the
its suburban retirement, very long be-
fore any one dreamed that the iconoclas-
tic finger of modest rrSrcctahility, first
| cousin to poverty. would one day steal
the luster from its gliding. the color from
| its bricks and convert the strings of am
| pie rooms into floors for separate fami-
lies.
The glare from the west turned the
ho
| copper. Against them a .;ir! leaned. glo-
ritied by the waning spl",dor Herarms
were folded resifully On her breast Her
gaze was fastened on the gray college
| buildings opposite and the green close
which gave such All old world touch to
the street. y deep sparkle rested in her
eyes. She was impati,ui and sometimes
| threw glance down the tree lined pave
mcnt. where the lights in the street
! lamps were beginning to tremble in n
network of leaves.
Two students. arm III arm. fluttered
past i'll their quaint gowns and looked
mp at her window. They We're talking
of Tom She knew it They Were say
ing unllind things of hin. Perhaps they
were snecriuG nj what tLry called his
folly, his aTdacious wurldllueSS.
Virginia threw back her head and
confident smile lifted her cleaning lip.
How they would retract il all some day!
For Tom was not like Them. His was an
untamable spirit, only madienod by rig
orous confines.
He had chosen TO live with them for
the future. How his young face and
light step would brighten up the place!
1t was sometimes so lonely and quiet
with only her father y vision Of win
ter nights around n ruddy fire. of deli
ciouS. slow waning summer evenings on
the balcony, rose before her mind. They
would be happy, she knew.
y few feet from the table set for din
ner a quaint. yellow keyed melodeon
stood, and here Virginia impulsively
seated herself. Her fingers flickered over
the keys. the music filled the room, the
fainting light swan in her raised eyes
and rosied her lifted chin.
There was a subtle fire, n winning soft
ness. in the face. The hazel green eyes
glanced with intense life; u mysterious
smile chung 10 the lips so proudly cut.
Her brown hair, holding the cleaning
russell tone seen in some dying leaves,
was drawn up 10 the crown. where n
fluffy knot gave a chic, stately touch TO
her small head. In charming consonance
with this warm brunette coloring her
skin was pale, transparent olive. She
was tall, her figure youthful. independ-
ent, her personality breathing a magnetic
strength.
And as she played there, translating
tho triumphant beauty of her dreams in
to harmony-dreams that wideued her
narrow life and fed her soul-Tom en-
| tered unheard. Tho sonorous chorus
found no echo in his heart. Pale beyond
words, he stood quite still until Virginia
turned to him.
There was no need for speech. She.
! who knew his every expression, read the
truth in his face. 1t was pinched with
the pathetic revolt of the unsuccessful
| She was beside him in a second.
I've been waiting fer you, Tom"
Oh, to press her cheek in vehement
| carcss against his arm-he looked so
worn, SO desperate! Oh, to whisper that
/ his pain was hers, for she loved him,
! loved him! But instead she could only
stand mutely there, her very heart melt
/ ing within her.
Il have failed" he broke forth in n
passionate, trembling whisper. Il am
mad, Virginia. | could tear myself to
/ pieces"
He walked to the window and for a
moment hid his face on his arm. But
she did not stir save to lean her open
| palms upon the table, as if bracing her
self TO speak to him when the first
strength of his stormy despair had died.
Look" he muttered wildly, tearing
tho soiled manuscript from an inner
pocket, here it is, pressing like stone
against my heart. When went into tho
theater, Virginia, l felt almost rs if 1
had conquered. When l came out, 1
walked the streets blind. l was con-
scious of nothing but an awful ache and
GOODNESS"
\ shade born of intense feeling passed
over Virginia's face. Dare she utter the
truth that burned her? 1t might seem
cruel to him now, but in the end it would
be merciful.
She moved SO that the last bars of day
light fell upon her face. Her eyes met
his.
And do you despair so easily? she
asked clearly. You are holding out
your hands TO fame, and because she
does not push her treasures into your
blind grasp for your first asking You rail
at her GOODNESS. Success is worth more
than that, Tom, or it's worth nothing"
For my first asking" he stammered
hotly. lis this my first play
But in writing the others you only
served an apprenticeship. They were
weak and false-no, don't look angry.
Let me tell you the truth now and help
you if 1 can. Did you write of anything
you knew or felt: Did you look into
your own heart and write? No, Tom,
not even in this one did you do that. 1t
is better than the others, but still only a
-.....-s-.:..l .-A-..l.. ~. lee. Ten.