Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-06-30
IT WHISPERED
FOR YEARS

tou ~ ndh- uabSs duN Nc NrCu 1A
hour getting her to sleep. Hurry and
set the table"
The professor grunted scornfully
"E'm. Yelling. Is it7 The voice of an
angel, Music; 1 escape 1t not even
here. III wait and listen"
The world was two months older. |
Into the best parlcr stone the after |
noon sunshine, playing Sieefully on 1
walls TINT seemed TO shrink fron the I
unaccustomed glare. In one Of the |
priIn straight backed chairs. az the [,
front windows. sat Professor Helfen. |
while opposite at the other window sat I
weary, sad faced woman. tearing idly |
at the red WOODEN curtain .assel that
had never before been treated SO
roughly.
"sIy good woman. think She has o
fortune in her voice. She has n voice
in thcusand--s gem. But it Is in the
rough. 1t needs polishing. years of it.
snd II must be polished gently. Then
Il will shine-ob, dOchr"
Over in the corner a slim. dark eyed
girl hung on these words. oh, to see
this world, to have the dreams she had
dreamed come true, She found herself
listening again.
''Yes, yes, she can go. but bring her
back, bring her back. I've seven. but
l can't spare her forever" Then some
how Beth found herself in her moth
er's arms, who for once in her life Of
habltual self control had given way.
And so the ultimatum went forth. Beth
was to go.
Out In the garden twilight was fall
ing. The beautiful tender sky colors
were slowly fading into the dusk of
night. The very air. full of the scent
of the hay, was caress- The very
peace Of 1t seemed mockery to Paul
as he stood before her. How could ev-
erythlng be so serenely beautiful while
he was tasting the bitterness of life?
He could not put 1t into any fine
phrases. this desoiateness of his. He
felt only that il this love should be
taken out of bis life the whole worth of
his life was gone.
You say you'll remember. Beth. but
you won't--you won't l know 1t as IL
years had already passed"
Only q boy in years, yet a mans
pain had aged the stern young face.
The pain in his voice touched the girl
looking up at him.
I'm work hard. Beth. BY fall I'm
going TO the city with Lawyer Boote.
l heard the professor tell you you
couldn't love; art had no room for
love. Beth. don't let him teach you TO
forget me. When he gives you such
lessons as that. let what l say now so
ill your mind that there will be room
for nothing else. love you. Beth.
and some day you will be my wife.
Perhaps II You hadn't been going
away 1 should never have had the
courage 10 tell you. at least for years.
But I'm glad you know"
Listen. Paul. l shall never forget.
You know my nature too well to be-
lieve your own words. Forget you.
with whom l have grown up. who
have been the best part OF my lifel
All, Paul, you know better. This is
| the hardest part Of ii Paul-to leave
you. II seems but dream yet that
I am really going-going to see the
world that has seemed to exist only in
books. But the years will soon pass.
Paul. We are both young. aud no les
son he may try to teach me can blot
out tine teaching of Is years of life
and with sucn & teacher. You believe
me. Paula"
And Paul, looking in the soft depth
| OF her souls eyes. was content.
The two weeks OF the opera had be.
sun. A long line OF carriages was
drawn Up before c. hail. waiting to
deposit their burGens-s:ately b-ough-
ans smaeSing of solid Sespectse eility.
smcrt landaus with gayiy caparisoned
horses, while a,o1s the streets leading
to the hsil groups os fortunes less ia
vored subjects moved quickly, meeting
at last In froat OF the hall, where they
joined the large. we'll sroCmed crowd
pushing slowly up the steps TO sit in
Judgment and perhaps ultimately to
pay tribute TO the new pr:nsa donna.
Mile. Armstrong. n daughter OF their
own land.
In the dressing room before a mirror
stood girl. still in the tirsh OF youth.
looking with unseeirs eyes at the pale.
! proud face framed in masses OF heavy
black hair, In which diamonds cleaned
like tears of tire.
Il suppose they'll all be there In the
very front a row OF awes Sruck faces"
She smiled as she thought of the six
staring faces mat hat gazed strangely
at her on her return aome. Would l
have been like them, wonder. with no
taste OF the glorious dishes with which
the world tickles ones palatep Would
l, too. have been content with their
and my lot? Perhaps. Poor mother,
She hardly dared touch me till I took
her bodily In my arms How horrihei
she was when I told her l had been
on the stage! How she stammered
when she asled u.e "a wOre Iua, ~.
of tight trousers that looked as il they
groyed on."
she laughed heartily a second.
sand then l went 10 the old orchard.
Paul II was just such night as that
one-the night YOU told me not TO for
get. I'm afraid the fOrgetfulness Is
, yours, after all. Paul Foolish, un,
worthy of answering though they may
have been, those letters came right
| ft,am INV haorf pShaMl That laurh-