Smyrna times., 1897-10-06

/
OF the fireplace she went on tenta.
lively: ''Let's talk sober sense for an
hour or two and keep up the illusion. y
Intoxicated nonsense is nicer, isn't
lt?" he answered weakly
Mr.. Halliday, you don't want me
to frown?"
mo, 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 changer" He paused here,
wondering whether single men and
women ever did take each other serious
ly-in this world, at least. In the other
world, where people had to work for a
living, it was different. They had to
be serious or go under. Then he
looked at her for an answer, marvel
ing 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 l turned the light
on? Tell me what you were thinking
about, if I'm not too curious.
A world of invisible poetry had
sprung up between Halliday and Miss
Verrall during the last hour or two.
Each one felt that there was something
indefnable in the other, something
that made them more akin, more trust
full and less afraid-a strange new feel
ing that made them throw off their
stage trappings and now become human
with all the strength and weakness of
ordinary human beings.
Doris was silent now. She was wait
ing 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
feeling unselfsh, self-sacrifcing and
purely wOmanly, that increased with
every word he uttered.
Jack began nervously, gaining force
as he went along. "The music stirred
me up and set me thinking of the moth
ing, the empty nothing, that represents
my pasta thing 1 thought was gone
and done with-quite gone. You've
got some one at home you can talk
sense to. / haven't. l sit alone in my
room, sometimes, and think of another
life than the feeble imitation of the one
l lead-something real, something like
the people who say time is money
lead. We say Time is made to be
killed. I suppose it's because we have
got the money. 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 senti-
ment, but you know that when man
begins that way he is ten times worse
than a woman. It's long time since
l saw anything real-anything lasting.
Perhaps if I had 1 would not have be-
lieved in it, would have pooh-pooohed
it. May 1 be personal? 1 envied your
father, tonight, and I envied you. !
always thought your life as empty and
as hollow as mine, OF else should
never have complained. 1t was all
new to me; it ought not to have been
only one forgets everything in time.
L suppose the real world is full of 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, and even fancied there was love
as well. Her face was that of a woman
"a real woman, tender and sympa-
thetic. He continued his monologue
''Then the twilight and the music
and may I say you, too?-got hold Of
me and set me thinking of my people
that are gone, and the sister miles away,
and thousand other selfish thoughts
of self-pity. But it's not too late to
join the other people, to get out of the
narrow world, the pack-of of-cards thing
I've built-that's now topping over. y
He stopped and locked at her in
quiringly for words. He knew she
would comfort him, could comfort him,
that he could find peace, even happi
ness with her. 1t was all part of the
new sensation that had made him pour
his heart out to her, and look to hel
for help to face his new life.
She spoke to him. 1t was difficult
for her to restrain her voice lest il
should be too tender, but there was al
occasional tear in it in spite of her self
command, and he loved her the better
for it She even thanked him for the
confidence he had shown her, and ther
she spoke to him of his family and him
self and other things they had only
dared to vaguely hint at in the past.
They sat long together, talking as
old friends always do, openly, init
mately, without restraint. There was
a new sense of rest in both their hearts
now; a vague thing that people recog
nize and call happiness when it has be
come memory.
Mr.. Verrall came in later on anC
joined them, until Jack reluctantly
said goodnight.
Doris saw him as far as the hall
They shook hands, he pressing hel
five little fingers to his lips and thank
ing her earnestly, saying he had nevel
spent happier evening, and asking il
he might come again and talk to her.
She said, "Of course.
The door closed ON Halliday, on al
the vain trumpery of the past, and h,
went home planning a new worlt
built on the ruins of the old. Yet the
old was not utterly worthless, for i
had given him Doris Verrall.
''I can't see how any family live
without Chamberlain Collie, Choleri
and Diarrh@a Remedy" says J. r
Adams, a we'll known druggist, of Ge
neva, Ala, in a letter inquiring th,
price of q dozen bottles, that h,
| MIGHT not onlv hava IL for usa in hi