The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-18

makiig mucn OF him. And all the time
ne nad an uneasy consciousness that his
success was entirely owing to Gibson's pa
tronage, a thought which sadly embittered
his enjoyment, although his egotism had
led him to exaggerate the Importance of
his friends action. For the great editor
was an unconscious tool in the hands of
fate when. in an evil moment he intro
qu1ed Brownrigg TO Miss Leonora Camp
Often, too often. Brownrigg tried to recall
the sensations OF that hour; they lent
themselves to no language and were not
70 De graSped by thought. He knew now
that hitherto he had but seen sitting before
the curtain, waiting for the play to begin;
~ ne haa heard whispers from the stage; he
nAd seen a shadow move across the cur
tam, the shadow of jamie, obtruding her
insignificant little person between him and
never MIND! The curtain had risen at
last, life had begun suddenly with a great
ngnt ana music. and he found himself no
superb play called "Leonora."
she herself. what was she? He did not
Raow; he had begun by trying to fathom
her and houndered helplessly from deep TO
deep. Then he found out that she was
divine intelligence clothed in mortal form;
through life trading on peoples sympathy
ana, whereas other women gave him sym
patny In abundance, this woman did more
she actually understood him.
When a man meets his incarnate ideal.
b %hdt Is ne to 90? Brownrigg did nothing;
collapsed under the hand of Fate.
Of n tbe wa" aeef supr eF happy. drinking deep
oIVlne deIrium, unshackled by ordinary
conditlons of space and time. 1t seemed
20 MIN ages. since the days when to go
Tor a walk with jamie was a new joy. when
20 Pa AVN tennis with her was a wild
elm eiasn an" "h resd TO- sit together under the
was a transcendent intellectual rapture
bne rolling nights and days seized him and
he was everywhere where Miss Campbel
b Mdsmln the theater, the concert hall. the
persistency and doing all sorts IF mean
r - IN order to get introductions to peo-
pr ~ Mh4m she knew. He succeeded in most
uses, Tor by this time his eccentricjtv had
become so marked that for one season ba
tm aa5e az FL the fashion. People acquired a
ao[edgn thing. He might have founded
q aiv new school of poetry if they had only
even MN time, for under this new slim,
uius his lyric nature had reasserteG ;tfsaIf.
das works became the property of a select
| and esoterio ne enjoyed a certain mystic
msaitWhlle, his ideal went on her wav
was hajy unconscious of the drama that
thai HE he ACTED In Brownrigg's soul. Not
mind. bnnaae any secret of his state of
NM tne artists impulse towards SELF
All b,s was too strong in him for that.
new, lmperious passion. and what on aartb
10 me use of having fine feelings if Won are
lack Of Ih,SHpnlaoy them? With his peculiar
horace Gibson that he turned at this orio
ike ~ ans nds fate. In spite of his growing dis
grudgingly respected and bIinSiv ne sun
I'LL. II was the homage which tho aSnf1
ness. and lively pays to all assured great
vas the audience for whom Brownrigg re-
'e NIidn ms ms most effective parts.
over, is he m m the days platitudes are
az mlunlght Brownrigg sought ont his hen
extre ord ~ ms rooms, and poured forth his
49, i1indry condolences in an eddvinc
1000. Gibson lay back in his armcbair . ~
51yI1S a cigarette. while he gazed quietly
of paoWhrlgg through the curing wreatbs
OIL smoke. The boy interested him an5
~nen ne ceased to be interesting he was
his ~ alnuslng. Some pity mingled with
in ,utense amusement now, as Brownrigg
IN evening. dress, ramped about tho roono
hhn afu his feverish fingers through his
az (whlch had grown from faxen stuh.
PIE to a long hay-colored AFTERMATH w 1pp
ms uravat slowly worked it's way round
~BroWnrigg, had told his tale before no
1TT bes that some explanation was due
fore M ne brought himself up suddenly be-
Iole the fireplace, and assumed as calm an
expression as his disheveled appearance al
It's not he declared solemnlv ..he-
like a tuberose-' 'opieAioh
Good" murmured Gibson. in a paren-
any other sort of rose" thdn
II don't even know whether her hairs
req or brown, or golden
Her beauty has nothing whatever TO do
Ml.n ~. We seen beautiful women before
a. uoes the fact that she plays and sings
dlvinely weigh with me for an instantN"?
20 my boy; you never had any ear for
c.Ai lis yOuI w voice. |
And it's not because she's good and gem
tie; Lots of women can be that, too
lame, for instance"
Lon I, Gibson; you'll drive me- mad
lanes a sweet little thing, but you can't
idealze her; you can't fall down and wor-
She wouldn't like it much if you did.
nne couldn't sit still on a pedestal for five
a ahi bad iit t1ge 1 t All the same; she's not
write to her now?"
ct holia1ya T,-o
L don't know. Anyhow. it doesn't matter
more than anything else matters" He sat
down and stared gloomily at the carpet:
again, All. Gibson. you can imagine the
pam. put you can't conceive the ecstacy,
At this point Gibson so far forgot him
sell as to throw away his cigarette. and
put his hand up to his forehead. Brown
rlgg, don't haunt me in this way: there's
q good fellow; for it's my firm belief you're
dead and gone to paradise-a fools para
- fools inferno. you mean. I dreamed
'2st night I'd lost her-I made a sonnet on
Gibson sat silent for a moment. studying
the curious specimen before him. Then he
rose to his feet laughing; and patted
strikes me we're both rather out of it. and
that at present you're enjoying a most
hand-out. but I don't mind putting S up a a
for your poor soul whenever I've a
minute to spare"
oO oty IISs HS doWn DiS SLuuy lamp
and Brownrigg went away under
cover of the darkness.
III.
Gibson had washed his hands of the mat
ter. but only for the moment. Weeks
passed by and Brownrigg grew paler and
Congratulated and wilder-eyed than
ever; he developed a passion for strange
forms of dress and neglected his sub-editor-
duties, while his jaded brain went to
sleep every night on the wrecks of three
sonnets and an ode. Then Gibson con-
sidered it was about time to interfere. He
was sorry for Brownrigg; he was very
sorry for jamie; and he was sorry most
of all for Miss Campbell. Clearly Brown
rigg was not in a state to listen to reason;
so he resolved to go to Miss Campbell and
open her eyes. It would be a very delicate
and he doubted whether he had
the necessary skill; it would also be slight
ly impertinent and she might very properly
resent it; and if she did SO, he would
more or less of a fool; besides, he had
there three times in the last fort
Much to his own amusement, the
nan of prompt and decisive action found
himself shaken by a thousand doubts and
So he made up his mind not to
go. and went.
Miss Campbell was at home and alone.
found her seated by the window. read
UA~ H. InEt rra1n nf Tho lDinnndi1Ixr D. 3