The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-24


the broad surges. OF all our happy days,
those when Frank had been with US were
| the happlest. How versatile, how bril-
liant. how charming, he had been. For
once he had tried all his gifts to their ut
most, nut of LOYALTY to me. his FREUD
And yet Ruth had written This note OF
warning. Could she be jealous? | laughed
at the thought. Ruth was Ruth. Besides,
II such an impossible emotion had entered
her dear little heart, perfect love would
have cast IL forth immeG lately. No, there
was no explanation. 1t was simply a mis-
apprehension. mistake. | kissed the
little note aud LAID it away in my pocket
case. resolved never TO think of it again.
Should | doubt friendship might not my
falth he so shattered that | would ever
come to doubt love also?
/ reached the city station at eventide,
and there was Frank awaiting me. quiet,
self-conteined as ever, but oh, so glad 10
see me-
My dear boyi What happiness to have
you with me again !" he exclaimed. "And
how brave and bonny we've grown, TO be
sure. Right foot forward, and On To sue
cess. hey? Well, Welt Oh, fortunate
y0uthw And tears shnne in Franks eyes.
l, too, was moved. Who wouldn't be,
indeed, by such manifest affection?
Some of The fellows are around at
Bangs" said Frank. "a nice, quiet
place, most respecta bic. We might join
them for while and renew old times"
Agreed. We went and spent such a
jolly evening OF song and "Reminiscences
and good cheer. But the next morning
when | awoke with such q dizZY head
there was Frank, cool ana alert. Degging
away at his desk.
Il must 90 it, Won know" he said
apoIogeucaly. Thank your stars ynu're
not tortoise, and take another d0Ze."
The next day i started briskly at my
studies. determined to master the law.
For weeks Frank ana / worked steadily
side by side, weeks OF cUnIenlment tOrme,
for | felt that ! was doing my duty ara
pleasing Ruth. The little note didn't dis
turb me. | never referred to it in my
daily letters. My present course seemed
its best answer. After while, though,
came interruptions. Our merry friends of
the first evening began to drop into our
rooms. | believed that most OF them were
not prudent companions and l told Frank
so.
You're right" he replied. "StilI, they
are such dear, good fellows. a little reek-
less perhaps but It's mere frutb, and be-
meath is worthy substance. Because we
are fixed we mustn't he Pharisaical. Ralph
We owe duty TO our ola comrades, don't
you Think"
did think. and with shame. How open
and manly Frank was in every way. So.
evenings. there was apt to be a jovial
gathering in our rooms. No one would he
so jolly, so iull of suggestions Of sport as
Frank, until suddenly he would clutch his
hair with mock gravity and shout: Now,
clear out, yOu fellows, every one of you.
Ralph can 90 with you. He takes 10 the
law like duck 10 water. But | am the
plowman who must plod his weary way"
And off we'd go, at heart quite sorry for
Frank.
One day he said to me, noticing that l
was yawning over my books us L had
yawned much OF late:
''How's the epic, Ralph?'
There's no need of ridculing it, re-
piled rather sharply. You know very
well what l hope some cav 10 do-'Tbe
Adven lures of AlvaradO' in heroic verse.
Doubtless it will never sea light but
sp-ct its prenatal condition"
my dear hoy, don't be so touchy. You
wrong me. You know what faith | have
in your genius. | want you to take up
this subject in all seriousness. Let me do
the bOning; you can. chieve success In
leap"
''Or fall in the ditch"
"Or wake some morning, like Byron, to
find yourself famous"
But the lectures, the examining. the
moot courts. WHAT would Ruth think
should neglect these obigations?"
''What would she think should you re-
ceive your due and be hailed as Americas
laureate before you are %? IT'S woman
entreatS him 10 stay from the wars;
but when he returns glorious. she is the
first 10 crown him. Besides, law is so
natural to you. You know that vnur judg-
ment exceeds your industry. You can
readily make up the work Of a quarter In a
fortnight. But the profession Will never be
even an incident to you, believe NE. No
man will grub if he can fly.'
On, rare and DeauteouS vision that rose
before mel The little cottage with Ruth in
the quiet university town; the delightful
toll IN the study. with Ruth by my side as
an ms piratiOn; the society of the cultured;
the praise Of the world,
Surprise her," suggested Frank
Aye, L would. l would refine the gold Of
my intellect. | tossed Justinian into a cor
ner behind the lounge, and there he lay un-
TIL the dust was as thick as his age might
Warrant. Thereafter | dreamed ana
dreamed-untii | was aroused.
How careful Frank was of nv moods.
for. OF course. | became moody. He taught
me that poet must be child of impulse.
not d man of habit; that when the spirit
moved him he must drive his thoughts
until they tottered from WEAKNESS; but,
except when that mysterious spell settled.
he must suffer them 10 recruit 10 apparent
idleness. He led me to believe, oh. so
easily, that |. poor |. indeed was as one
set apart and chosen, not answerable to
rhe calls of DUTY nor accountable for
fDbles. He would instance Horace, and
Dryden, and Chatterton, and Savage. and
Shelley. aud Byron. Byron especially he
considered my prototype; and | was dolt
enough 20 think so too. Here, you fell
lowsw he would cry, take Ralph out of
this rush for a hurrab. Pegasus wings
are Dropping" And the lively. generous
hearted lads would oil tie downward grade
with sincere adulation.
did work. feverlshly, unnaturally. turn
ing night into day and burning the candle
at both ends. | became nervous, irritable.
overweight, but each manifestation was
greeted as a proof of the divine afflaius
which filled me. grew careless of my ap-
pearance. My collar was rolled back. nv
hair dsheveled-oh. what an egregiuus
ass,
AS for money, / disdained it as dross.
When l had it l flung it broadcast, but the
lack of il never restrained me. | had
credit which would have been inexplicable
to a rational man, but / accepted il AS
tribute to my genius. No iackdaw ever be-
iieved in his borrowed plumage or strutted
as arrOgantly as did l. posed before the
distorted lens of COnceit and thought its
reflection real In one thing alone | was
constant. | wrote to Ruth tile same con-
tented, CHEEKY daily letters as of yore. On,
how hard it was! Sentence by sentence /
dragged through task that had formerly