The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-19
TO BALDWIN that night the moon
that shone upon New York was


ants of this earth what an end await
ed them and their planet. 1t was the
white skull of world. He walked
beneath ii on the side streets in an '!n
happy mood that had come upon him
with a sudden conception of the SMALL
ness of his individual ife the folly Of
human ambition. the Oblivion which
would swallow up the last traces of
him and his activities after his in
evitable end. His thought was hope
lessly measuring the eternity of wears
yet to be added to the life of the earth.
He pictured The toy world spinning
with all futility in the round to which
the powers had apparently condemned
it evcrlastingly. He saw himself as an
infinitely small life among the myrads
that swarm ON the round sides of the
globe, and that globe AZ Il flying speclt
of stardust in million of such notes
He was miserable, consequently, and
resented.
He approached the corner. of Fifth
avenue with his head down and at.
tempted a short cut across the asphalt.
He heard feeble shrek behind him:
something struck him stinly in the
side; an arm clutched about his neck;
and before he could put out his hand
the pavement reached up and struck
him "A sedge-hammer blow on the fore-
head. There was an explosion in his
brain like the sudden flame of a FASH
tight. Then all the instinct of the ami
nal reused him to self preservation.
Drawing his legs up under him he
arched his back. slipped the enemy's
hold over his head and crooked his
arm up to ward off Il possible blow.
The foe lay limp on the roadway be-
side him. He had been run down by Il
young lady on Il bicycle.
Oh he said recovering himself at
once, II beg your pardon He had
sprung to his feet--"Are you hurt -
and was trying to disentangle her
from her machine
She drew her feet UP helplessly into
her skirts. He was pluckng those.
with hurried clumsiness, from the teeth
of the gearing. II didn't see you conf
ing he apologized, as he raised her.
81 hope you're not hurt"
She pressed her hand painting.
against her side. Moo" she gasped,
"only frightened"
But when he released her she tottered
us If to fail, and he was compelled to
retain his hold upon her arm, embar-
rassed and spcechless.
1T was so stupid of me-" she fater-
ed, limping to the curbstone. "T
thought l could get by you, Mr.. Bald
VIM"
He peered down at her in the half
light.
Why" he said, Il didn't know you"
Miss Yates laughed somewhat hys-
tercally. II saw you coming through
the light | thought | could get past"
She was choking for breath. I'm
afraid I hurt my-my foot"
She freed herself from his arm. He
returned to midroad for her bicycle an1
his hat. When he came back to her he
found her sitting on the curb
You are hurt" he said. anXieusly.
"My ankle" she replied. I've
,prained ii, | think
He hesitated a moment. We're only
few streets from the boarding
house, he said. Take my arm and
try if you can walk
by leaning heavily on him she sue
ceeded in limping along quite satsfac-
torily. He wheeled the bicycle With his
disengaGed hand, still a bit cmbar-
raised. She laughed and chuttcd. 1t
had been SO stupid of her. What had
he thought it was that struck him"
He confessed that he had not had
time to think, but the arm about his
neck had come as if some one had
leaped upon his back. I'm afraid" he
said Il mistook you for IA thug, Miss
Yates"
The remembrance of ii stirred her tn
a nervous merriment. Her laugh was
not unpleasant She choked prettily at
his description of his preparations for
defense against his unseen assailant,
and that description became so convul-
sively amusing, for moment. that
they stood together on a corner shak-
ing and suffering with laughter They
went moro soberly when the fit had
passed, but the barriers were down be-
tween them and conversation was AZ
easy for them as for old friends.
1T was funny | didn't recognize
YOU" he said.
WHY" she coquetted. I'm sure
you didn't look at me once all through
dinner after you We're introduced"
"I was blue" he apoogizcd.
80 was l." she confessed. II was
blue and disappointed. | suppose I was
too ambitious" She remembered> the
almost hopeless mood of loneliness and
defeat in which she had ridden about
on the asphalt pavements; and she
found herself glad to have his arm to
lean on. Il didn't know ! was such a
child" she said. "I felt as if every
body We're against me--and they were
all so cruel
I'm awfully sorry" he said. u must
have seemed a perfect beast"
She pressed his arm against her side
in her impulsive haste to stop him. 1T
wasn't that-oh, l didn't mean that"
she said. Il meant the opera people
We're cruel. You know | expected 10
get with the chorus of grand opera In
English, | was 'tried-out this morn
ing. | don't know what happened. I
didn't know my own voice when |
heard 1t, | was frightfully nervous
and 1t was all so depressing--an emniy
house, you know, with long curtains OF
white cotton hung over the boxes, ana
just one little light by the piano on the
stage--on that enormous stage" She
affected to shudder, Ugh" she said.
LET the poets talk about being as
'noiseless as fear i'm "A wide Wilderness
My voice Went pale as soon as | opened
my lips--and it saw the place"
He looked down at her with pro-
tectins smile that had something al
most tender I'm it--she was so feminine
and delicate in body; it was such u
little hand that clung to his arm; the
movement with which she had checked
his apology seemed so intimate ana
friendly.
"And why We're YOU so blue?" she