The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-22


away at his desk
Il must do IL. you know" he said apol-
o ottI,aly Thank your stars you're not
The next day 1 started briskly at my
studies, determined to master the law.
For weeks Frank and / worked steadily
me, for l felt that 1 was doing my duty
and pleasing Ruth. The little note didn't
daily letters. My present course seemed
It's best answer. After while though, came
Interruptions. Our merry friends of the
nrst evening began TO drop into our rooms
l believed that most of them were not
prudent companions. and told Frank SO.
10y, You're right" he replied, still they're
perhaps, but it's mere froth, and beneath
Is worthy substance. Because we are
We owe a duty to our old comrades. don't
you think?''
did think and with shame. How open
and manly Frank was in every way. So.
gathering in our rooms No one would
be so jolly. so fun of suggestions Of sport
his hair with mock gravity and shout,
NOW clear out you fellows, every one of
you, Ralph can go with you. He takes
70 the law like duck to water. But 1
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 /
was yawning over my books as 1 had
yawned much Of late:
HoWS the epich, Ralph?"
fheres no need of ridiculing It." I re-
well what 1 hope some day to do-'The
Adventures of Alvarado' in heroic verse.
spect its prenatal condition"
My dear boy. 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 achieve success in
leap"
Cor fall In tha dft6I,
"Or wake. some morning like Byron to
find yourself famous"
But the lectures. the examining, the
moot courts What would Ruth think
should 1 neglect these obIigations?''
What would she think should you re-
eeive your due and be hailed as Americas
laureate before you are twenty-five? IT'S
woman truly who clings to the young
knight and entreats him to stay from the
is the first to crown him Besides law is
so natural TO ycu. You know that your
judgment exceeds your industry You
ter in a fortnight But the profession
will never be even an incident to you. be-
lieve me- No man will grub If he can
fly"
Oh, rare and beauteous vision that rose
before me! The little cottage with Ruth
In the quiet university town; the delight
ful toll in the study, with Ruth by my
side as an inspiration the society of the
cultured; the praise of the worthy!
Surprise her" suggested Frank.
my intellect. / tossed Justinian into q
corner behind the lounge, and there ne
lay until the dust was as thick as his age
might warrant. Thereafter ] dreamed and
dreamed-until / was aroused.
How careful Frank was of my moods,
Tor, of course, l became moody. He taught
me that a poet must be a child OF impulse.
not a man of habit; that when the spirit
moved him he must drive his thoughts UNI
cept when that mysterious spell settled, he
must suffer them to recruit in apparent
easily. that poor me + indeed de was as one
set apart and chosen, not answerable to the
calls of duty nor accountable for foibles.
He would instance Horace. and Dryden,
and Byron. Byron especially he considered
my prototypes; and l was dolt enough to
would cry. - take Ralph out of this rush
for hurrah. Pegasuss wings are droop-
i inf And the lively 1 N hear ,is
sincere adulation.
1 did not, work eeverishly, unnaturally
candle at both ends. / became nervous
irritable, overweight, but each manifes-
tation was greeted as proof of the divine
my appearance. My collar was rolled back
my hair disheveled-oh, what an egregious
asst
A for money, 1 disdained it as dross
When 1 had it 1 flung it broadcast. but
the lack of 1t never restrained me- / had
a credit which would have been inexplica-
bic to a rational man, but 1 accepted it as
tribute to my genius. No jackdaw ever
believed in his sorrowed plumage or
before the distorted lens of conceit and
thought its reflection real. In thing
alone 1 was constant. l wrote to Ruth
the same contented, CHEEKY daily letters as
of yore. oh, how hard it was! Sentence by
sentence dragged through a task that
had formerly been such a delight. Yet 1
succeeded-at least 1 thought did.
The spring came After infinite copy
ings and recopyings "Alvarado" was fin
ished.
Don't prune." warned Frank, as 1 hest
tated over passages of my widest mo-
ments. ''Luxuriance is the poets attrib-
ute
And so I bound the mighty pile of man.
uscript together and sent 1T confidently
to leading publisher. Confidently. in
deed, for my assurance had achieved
brief apotheosis. Then followed an intol-
cradle waiting, bringing doubt, dread and
misery. The fever had passed and left my
mind, too weak for any exertion. prey
to worry. My gay companions were gay
no longer. In the face of the approaching
examinations they were throwing up earth
tried to dig also l found L was absolutely
impotent- Where now was my intuitive
ment so accordant with equity? Alas! 1
comprehended that 1 had risked every
thing on a single cast, and dared not
think what this everything might include.
Then it that L noticed singular
change in Frank.
Just look at my duns." said L to him
OllS Nos, 'AAAOoAs, hNAo Wy Va
bills and letters. ut seems impossible that
l could have been so reckless Why, /
must have been crazy"
"You certainly have had an agreeable
faculty of ignoring such little matters"
But what shall / dor
do? You have money, haven't your
Gone, all gone"
"Phew. You must have been going It,
haven't you, in spite of precept and ex-
ample On, we'll, your precious 'Alvarado'
will settle everything, l guess" and Frank
laughed.
II wasn't q pleasant laugh, nor did it
sound like Frank, but / was so troubled
that 1 scarce appreciated it then.
"Do you really think SOP 1 questioned,
eagerly.
Il mean what / say. 1t will settle every
thing-you included. But doubtless Ruth
will pay"
/ leaped 10 my feet in a rage. Frank
confronted me for an instant with cold,
sarcastic eyes; then he shrugged his Shout
ders disdainfully and left the room.
l sank in a chair, trembling and gasp
ing What did il all mean? Was 1 held
by n horrible dream? Such words, such
looks from Frank, my friend, my Pylades,
my Mentor, Could it be that he had
changed that L had changed. that the
future was a void, that the past was a
sham and that nothing real except
the present debt, the approaching exam
nation. the impending disgrace?
/ opened my pocket case. / read the