The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11

tn shadowy room and made hin
silk deeper into the chair and guard
the silence of death lest he should lose
a ngle note of the harmony that spoke
to him out of the dimness, out OF the
ne cy haze tfrat wrapt all things. A
Whole world Of spirits whispered in his
ears they told him Of Jack Halliday
IN ch about Jack Halliday The little
de lis that pop in and out OF every
M s past were murmuring titfully
around him, exercised maybe by the
diA light, maybe by the music and
sh. dowy figure at the piano. maybe by
all three together. II was too dark for
Doris to See his face. so he let his
feelings have fun play Every note
raEed up some long forgotten dust
heap in his heart. recalled thought af-
ter thought of past hopes. ambitions
and love-chiehy love. Shadowy faces
of nameess men and women, faces
long forgotten and all too well remem-
cred, that had left their mark on boy
hood, youth or manhood. rose from out
the gloom. Now the notes wove them
selves into wurds-sOft words that had
made mis- heart beat madly in other
days. or humbled him through their
wealth OF spotless jurity. 1t was quite
dark now, save for the moonlight, but
he sat still in the chair listening to the
voices that surged in his ears He had
shut his eyes and pressed both hands
to them so that he should be still blind
er to the present-blind to all save the
sweet pain OF the hour. the sadness and
longing for better things that filled his
naked soul
Suddenly the music ceased. Doris
closed the piano with a bang and. turn
ing a tap in the wall above her head,
filled the room with great blaze of
light. Halliday sprang hastily from
his chair then. resaining some of his
old composure. BY Jove. you might
give fellow some warming" he said.
She smiled. divining the cause of his
nervous face and the softness in his
eyes with woman's ready intuition.
Then they both rubbed their eyes be-
cause of the sudden glare OF the cleo
trio light, till she laughingly said,
Caught you mapping. Mr.. Halliday, |
really didn't know that you ever took
anything seriously" and a picture Of
the invariably hippant and supercilious
Jack Halliday rose up before her. She
saw half reproachful, half-pained
look in his eyes. so she added. Il
mustn't be personal or you'll hate me-"
then. taking a chair on the other side
OF the fireplace. she went on tentative
ly. 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 seriously for
change He paused here. wonder.
ing whether single men and women
ever did take each other seriously-.l
his world. at least In the other world,
where people had to work for living,
it was different. They had to be sefi-
GUS or go under. Then he looked at
her for an answer, marveling at the
kindness and good viii in her face.
why n0t?' she said slowly. Does
MT the small talk sometimes bore you
more than the big words? Weren't YOU
serious when | turned the light on?
Tell me what you We're thinking about,
If I'm not too curious"
Doris was silent now. She was wait
ing for him TO speak Her heart was
too full for words, filled by that strange
lBw sensation that made her wish to
help him. to comfort him and give
happiness even at the risk of her life,
feeling unsplhsh. self-sacritice. and
purely womanly that increased with
every word that 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 lone wth-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 rooms sometimes and think OF
another life than the feeble imitation
of a one | lead sometimes real. some.
thing like the people who say Time
is money lead. We say, Time is MADE
to be killed | suppose it's because
we've gOf the money. It's not the work
l want. but it's something different 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 even sickly sentiment. but YOU
know that when man begins that Wy
he is ten times worse than a women.
It's long time since | saw anything
real-anything lasting. Perhaps if had
would not have believed in it. would
have pooh-poohed it. May re person.
al? | envied your father to might and
/ enviad 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 every
thing in time. | suppose 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 spoke
disjointedly, with a voice changing
from husky to broken and back again.
rolling out every word painfully. sad
ly. as though he were alone in the room
and speaking to himself. He kept his
eyes away from Doris, save every now
and again when he looked at her wist.
fully, pleadingly. When he caught her
eye he saN pity in it and even fancied
there was love as well. Her face was
that of woman-a real woman, tend
er and sympathetic.
He continued his monologue. Then
the twilight and The music. and may
say YOU too, got hold of me and set
me thinking of my PEOPLE that are gone
and the sister miles away in India. and
a thousand otto" selfsh thoughts of
self-pitv. ~ e. ~"- too late to ioin
the other people to get out of the mar.
row world, the pack-of-cards thing I've