The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-11-10

lest he should lose single note of the
harmony that spoke to him out of the
dimness, out of the feecy haze that
wrapt all things. A whole world of
spirits whispered in his ears; they told
him of Jack Halliday much about
Jack Halliday. II was too dark for
Doris to see his face, so he let his feel
ings have full play. Every note roked
up some long-forgotten dustheap in
his heart, recalled thought after
thought of past hopes, ambitions and
love-chiehy love.
Suddenly the music ceased. Doris
closed the piano with bang, and
turning tap in the wall above her
head, filed the room with great blaze
of light Halliday sprang hastily
from his chair; then, regaining some
of his old composure, ''By iove, You
might give fellow some warningl"
he said. She smiled, divining the cause
of his nervous face and the softness in
his eyes with woman's ready intui-
tion. Then they both rubbed their
eyes because of the sudden glare of
the electric light till she laughingly
said, Caught you mapping, Mr.. Hal
liday. really didn't know that you
ever took anything seriously" and
picture of the invariably hippant and
superciious Jack Halliday rose up
before her. She saw half-reproach-
full, half-pained look in his eyes, so
she added, 81 mustn't he personal or
you'll hate me;" then taking n chair
on the other side of the fireplace she
went on tentatively, 'Let's talk sober
sense for an hour or two, and keep up
the illusion"
Intoxicated nonsense is nicer, isn't
it?" he answered weakly.
"Mr. Halliday, do you want me to
frown?"
"No, but" the smile that was on
his lips died away as the pain in his
eyes deepened. ''Do you know what
you are risking? Are you in earnest?
Shall we really take each other seri-
ously for change? He paused here.
wondering whether single men and
women ever did take each other seri-
ously-in his world, at least. In the
other world, where people had to work
for living, II was different. They
had to be serious or go under. Then
he looked at her for an answer,
marveling at the kindness and good
will in her face.
"Why not?" she said slowly,
doesn't the small talk sometimes
bore you more than the big words?
Weren't you serious when / turned
the light on? Tell me what you were
thinking about, if I'm not too curl
ous"
A world of invisible poetry had
sprung mp between Halliday and Miss
Verrall during the last hour or two
Each one felt that there was something
indefinable in the other, something
that made them more akin, more
trustful and less afraid--a strange new
feeling that made them throw off their
stage trappings now and become
human, with all the strength and
weakness of ordinary human beings.
Doris was silent now. She was
waiting for him to speak. Her heart
was too full for words, filled by that
strange, new sensation that made her
wish to help him, to comfort him and
give him happiness, even at the risk
of her life-a feeling unselfish, self
sacrificing and purely womanly that
increased with every word he uttered.
Jack began nervously, gaining force
as he went along. "The music rather
stirred me up and set me thinking of
the nothing, the empty nothing that
represents my pasta thing thought
was gone and done with-quite gone.
It's different with you" he went on.
''You've got some one at home you can
talk sense to. / haven't. / sit alone
in my room sometimes and think of
another life than the feeble imitation
of one lead--something real, some
thing like the people who say time is
money lead. We say, Time is made
to be killed. 1 suppose it's because
we've got the money. It's not the
work / want, but it's something differ
ent to the aimless vanity of our life" "
She looked at him-kindly, it seemed
to him. He thanked her with his
eyes and continued: "This may be
sentiment, even sickly sentiment, but
You know that when man begins
that way he is ten times worse than a
woman. It's long time since / saw
anything real-anything lasting. Per-
haps if 1 had would not have be-
lieved in it, would have pooh-poohed
it. May be personal? 1 envied your
father tonight and L envied you.
always thought your life as empty and
as hollow as mine. or else / should
never have complained. 1t was all
new to me; it ought not to have been
only one forgets everything in time.
Isuppose the real world is full of men
and women who live for men and
women, but I've been playing my part
alone all these years without help and
without helping" He kept his eyes
away from Doris, save every now and
again when he looked at her wistfully,
pleadingly. When he caught her eye,
he saw pity in it, aud even fancied
e.