Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-12-03

MIR. Verral, with many apologies,
settled in big armchair for his usual
after-dinner nap. II was nearly dusk,
and Jack asked her to play to him in
the twilight, so they went up stairs to
the drawing room. Doris seated her.
self at piano, while he went over to
the fireplace and sank deep into big
chair piled with cushions. Doris PLAYED
divinely, and the music went deep into
his soul. II wove subtle spells as it
filtered through the shadowy room,
and made him sink deeper into the
chair and guard the silence of death
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. 1t was too dark for
Doris to see his face, SO he let his feel
ings have full play. Every note raked
up some long-forgotten dustheap in
his heart, recalled thought after
thought of past hopes, ambitions and
love-chiefy love.
Suddenly the music ceased. Doris
closed the piano with bang, and
turning tap in the wall above her
head, filled the room with great blaze
of light. Halliday sprang hastily
from his chair; then, regaining some
of his old composure, "By jove, you
might give fellow some warning!"
he said. She smiled, divining the cause
OF his nervous face and the softnessin
his eyes with woman's ready intui-
ton. 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. Ireally didn't know that you
ever took anything seriously" and a
picture of the invariably fippant and
supercilious Jack Halliday rose up
before her. She saw half-reproach-
full, half-pained look in his eyes, so
she added, 81 mustn't be personal or
you'll hate me-" then taking chair
on the other side of the fireplace she
went on tentatively, Lets talk sober
sense for an hour or two, and keep up
the Illusion"
Intoxicated nonsense is nicer, isn't
itP" he answered weakly.
"Mr. Halliday, do you want me 10
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 riskingP Are you in earnestp
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, it was different. They
had to be serious or 60 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 yop 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 up 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, filed 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
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
my pasta thing l 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. l haven't. sit alone
IN my room sometimes and think of
another life than the feeble imitation
IF one 1 lead-something real, some.
hing like the people who say Time is !
lead. We say, Time is made !
20 be killed. suppose it's because
we've got the money. It's not the !
work want, but it's something differ 1
mt to the aimless vanity of our life" 4
She looked at him-kindly, it seemed {
% him. He thanked her with his
yes and continued: "This may be @
sentiment, even sickly sentiment, but s
'ou know that when a man begins
hat WAY he ia ten times WORSE thnn q | |