The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-01-12

lou. LUG poem Is addressed by me to
her. Won't she be surprised when
she gets it? She thinks I'm a COM
monplace sort of fellow. I'll make
her think there's more to mo than APP.
pears on the surface. Good night,
Mr.. Poet; ii you do your work well
I'll give You steady employment.
He bowed himself out, leaving ten
franc piece on the table, and Claude
heard him stumbling downstairs with
many an imprecation concerning the
darkness and steepness of tho stairway.
| Claude called the landlady's daughter
and soon there was set before him an
appetizing meal, such as he had not
tasted for months. Ho also INDUCED
in tue extravaganza OF another candle.
He felt lich, indeed. Ten francs q
day? Enough to keep the wolf away.
Enough TO keep body and soul to
gether. Enough so that he would eat
three times n day instead of once in
three days. His spirits arose as the
nourishing dishes disappeared. He
lighted cigar.
Julie, he repeated softly. Glow
her face comes back The'littl coun-
tess Happy daysP Yes; it is to her,
my love, my lost love. ] will speak.
Oh, Time, what n revengeful old fel.
low thou art. Who could have i'm
n8ined bankruptcy would have ruined
n noble house End that 1 who had
plenty IN the heyday of life, am now
but scurvy scribbler in an attic
chamber, addressing madrigals to an
others charmer Mt so many sous
per rhyme Yes, between the past
and the present is vhwning chusm,
but |, standing on the brink, may look
across and see my old love who has
forgotten, who remembers no more
the happy days of childhood.
"Now, away with such fanciea Let
the poet assert himself; not the lover
Yet TO this ideal l must ever appeal. ;"
His pen sputtered and the words
ran trippinglY across the paper lie
gaZed thong htfully Mt the wall where
the plastering had fallen and again the
pen tripped across the paper, back
again and then across once more. He
eyed the broken window pane with
towel picturesquely thrust into the
aperture and the pen fairly flew mer-
rlly to and fro. He glanced at the
place In the ceiling where the rain had
dr:pped through and then he gaily
punctuated the verses. He read them
over and something like n tear ap.
peared in his eye. He passed his
hand across his brow. This is melan-
chol y work playing with the shadows
OF the past, he said, os he blew out
MS candle and went to bed.
The next morning his visitor reap
peared and Claude handed him the
poem. He read it carefully.
Very good, he said; cit must be
good; L don't understand 1t. That
last turn is especially fine. To-day
will be day of surprises for her. /
will send it with flowers by my SER
want. Good. day. Remember, to-
morrow morning at ten o'clock I will
call for the goods-I mean the poem,
and expect TO find it ready"
For several days the poet pursued
this occupation. One morning his
patron called, in high glec, waving
letter
".5eo what diplomacy may accom-.
plish, Mr.. Poet" he said. Gust read
that. Am l going to win her? Well,
L think | am. I'll double your salary,
that's what I'll do. There's nothing
small about me, and on the wedding
day I'll write you out q check. Bat
look at this" And he pointed to n
| passage in letter. "Your words have
! touched me very much. never gave
! YOU credit for such depth of feeling.
How We are apt to misjudge! Your
words touch Il secret chord in my ma
I fri 81, u
When l see you, alas, it is different
Have little patience with me-"
There, what do you think of that? 2"
shouted the lover. 'Tsn't she already
won? Keep right on. These roman.
tic girls can't fool me. Grind out the
poetry. I'll provide the wherewithal. 8"
But as Claude worked his heart be.
came dark and clouded. 1t oppressed
him constantly to be bringing up an
image from the past. He struggled
manfully but determined to break his
contract with the lover as soon as
possible. He had the JOY OF learning
that his romantic play would soon be
produced and he trusted II might be
successful so that he could devote
himself solely to his dramatic work.
lie had been so filed with old mem
cries that he incorporated them in
the poems, disguised il is true. He
resorted to such fantastic devices as
concealing his name and that Of Julie.
his old love- in these illusions. Sub.
rosa there were many tender messages
to his ideal which his patron
could not observe. He brought up
many childhood incident in which
the Countess Juhe and he figured.
Once when lis patron expressed some
doubt regarding one Of these vagaries,
| Claude silonccd him imporiously with
something about poetic license. The
poems were perfect cryptogram,
telling in oypher the story, or other.
wise, by iutimation or hint, the love
OF his life, his boyish alteration for
tho young Countess, the downfall
OF bis fathers fortunes and the ruin of
tho family name, his struggles in
Paris, his aspirations for fame aud ro-
nown. Tho sad consciousness that he
had lost the young girl brenthod
through the lines and resignation of
n noble soul 60 tho inevitable, made
tho pntho3 moro apparent. But one
thing that puzzled tho poops patron
was that while his beloved became
colder I'M her manner toward him che