The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-21
Stories of an Inland State,

1
The door opened and Clara Drew stood
| before him, silent. II in that moment tn.
| man saw her he gave no token of it. Their
| he sprang backward as one who steps upor
a snake, the steely CLEAN of terror flashed
from his eyes and the pallor of his cheeks
turned to the death white of chalk
The woman raised her hands to him and
cried gently:
"Algernon."
His teeth were set and showing as a
madman's. The deep burrows of extreme
old age ploughed through his cheeks and
the beetling brow of anger overhung his
flashing eyes. The chalky skin was drawn
tightly upon his chin, his cheek-bones grew
suddenly and terribly prominent. He rails
ed his hand and swept it before him in the
manner of testy king ordering all away.
He stepped forward and smiled, a horri-
bic skulI-like grimace, at the woman and
said holloway:
Clara
The woman hesitated, and stood trembi-
ing from the shock Of her tumultous emo
ton.
A wave of perfume struck the nostrils
Of the musician. He threw his open palms
violently against his face and gasped.
The perfume was musk.
Somewhere the bells were ringing, some
where in the upper air, booming and clang-
ing angriy ana carrying him away. The
earth was a tiny speck. He might crush
1t into nothing between his fingers. Did
he with all this power still owe responsible
lily? Could he not with impunity forswear
every oath; repeal every resolve, dissolve
every vow? Could the world hold him ac-
countable for anything? See, he could
crumble it SO between his fingers. The
world Vas his slave, he its master. All,
he was far too great to admit responsible
lily to it.
But upon the tiny speck of a world there
were men, microscopical, who warred and
loved and propogated. Should he reckon
with them? No more than the moon or the
sun reckons with them. No more than the
plough-share and the hand which guides
it reckons with the tiny people Of the ant
hill.
Should he reckon with one of the many?
All how great an individuality grows
when singled out! There was Clara, not
the Clara of his dreams but Clara a soul.
Could he crush it? Was he SO powerful
then that he could pinch the earth into
less that he could not wound minute
speck upon it? Yes.
She had been faithful She had been
true. He had come to her. To her he owed
all, to the dream of her, ah, to the dream
image of her.
Conscience stood at his side and babe
him go on. The carpet was gliding under
his feet and he went to her and took her
IN his arms where she lay sobbing. He
touched her hair as one might touch
that would burn.
You were gone so long, she chided in
$50 long," he repeated. so long"
She was so heavy in his arms. The elbow
joint was parting. He would have cried
out in pain, but his conscience forbade
him.
He kissed her when he would have
struck, kissed her as the Aztec kissed the
sacrifice stone before they placed him upon
It and tore out his heart.
Il have come for you,'' he said in words
measured with the ferocity of a challenge
II have come for you. And tomorrow
She was breaking his arm. And the
bells above him began ringing and BOOM
ng again and crying: mo not tomorrow
Not tomorrow. Not tomorrow"
Eyes, tomorrow" he answered f1ercely
Tomorrow. Though 1 lose all-tomor-
row."
He led her across the room and placed
her upon sofa and sat beside her.
Tomorrow he continued, holding her
hand. I'VE shall be married And we
shall go away, where there is summer the
whole year round
The woman had been listening to him as
n trance. She had asked but word of
from him. She had won her
leart's idol himself. Now she looked up |
earthly.
Il am afraid"
He started. He wished she would not |
peak. That voice!
You fear what?"
you are so great. I am a poor girl. I |
Gould"
He held his hand out and stopped her |
You shall not see the public he said |
With a strange tone of pleasure in his |
DICE. And they shall not see you. The |
ublic is beow-us. All it is below us We |
ball bar them out. Yes, we shall bar them
ut"
They sat silently together, the woman
lissfully silent, Burr stubbornly repres-
i've of his real emotions.
There was a fiuttering of the curtains /
nd Mrs. Drew came in attired resplend-
ntly.
Burr gave a quick glance from mother
o daughter and sighed beneath his breath:
Like her.
Behind her came Mr. Drew his hair wet
\ lieu of combing.
Burr glanced again and said: Like him.
Several small Drews followed there af-
er and stood awkwardly about.
Clara blushed at their coming and would |
ave withdrawn the hand Burr held. Burr
alt no embarrassment and prevented her.
lie arose.
Mrs. Drew greeted him effusively Mr.
rev took his hand indiferently: the young
'rews filed past and took his hand fear
ully.
They were pink and white, these young
'rews, and Burr, noticing it, reflected:
But they will grow up coarse. as their
ather and their mother and their-and his
yes his
He looked at the woman beside him.
His wife. Should it be that? His head
as in a whirl again and he collapsed upon
re sofa and gasped for water.
They brought him a goblet and he drank
-om il lingeringly as though TO take MS
ps from the cool water was 10 return 10
he dreadful reality ABOUT him.
He did not ask permission 10 smoke, but
rev a cigarette out from case and
ande6 Clara a match and asked her 70
rike it
The light from the little blaze fell upon
lie flesh OF her hands. Had they ever
cen outstretched 10 him; those hands
pom the meadow? A thousand times, no.