Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-07-11
w on will never be a success, my
friend"

Martha Dubreuil said this in tone
aalf railing and half testing.
Pierre raised his head without an
| swering and twitched nervously the
page blackened by ink. 1t was the
J twentieth time at least that his wife
had made such remarks, and what
was worse, he realized sorrowfully
that she spoke the truth.
Once he had written a book of which
he had been proud, a novel launched
mildly by a publisher who made him
pay the cost of publication. That was
an hour Of ambitious dreams, long
since dissipated by the grim reality.
81 viii amount TO something in the
world" he had said resolutely. And
he believed it as did those who adj
mired him-which is to say his mother,
his sister and some of his friends who
read the book. Martha, his wife, was
not one of these admirers. She told
him frankly again and again: "You
will amount to nothing"
He had no answer 10 make to Mar
tha's sneers, and he suffered keenly in
recalling the lucky days when they
walked together as lovers along paths
bordered by flowers and they made
vows to each other and kissed. You
will be a great man, my darling" she
had said then.
Pierre believed that he had been
faithless in not keeping his promise Of
greatness made four years before.
She had brought him her youth and
beauty, and he ought to have given her
In exchange the literary fame she had
expected, and have earned a fortune
for her by his pen. But now she had
abandoned those cherished dreams Of
reflected glory.
The poor fellow recalled the happy
days that had preceded their marriage,
and the delights Of their companion
ship during their honeymoon. And he
answered to her tauut:
SO much the worse, my dear. But
we love each other, and that is enough"
He would not have cared for the plaud-
its Of the crowd IL he had had the love
Of Martha. But she broke into laugh
ter that froze his feeble smile.
"Oh, yes, indeed. That's we'll
enough. One can't live on love. tits all
very well 10 say so in the novels you
write-or count on writing-but in real
life things are different"
When summer came they went TO
the seashore, Pierre securing an APP
pointment as the resort correspondent
Of a newspaper. When he told her that
they were going, she said: "Ah, you
are a nice husband, after all" And she
smiled, but the smile was given as in
aims.
At the seashore she was soon the
belle Of the place, and people forgot
about her husband. the reporter, who
remained in the shade. Some men were
with her much Of the time. and gossip
linked her name with that Of a wealthy
idler. Pierre ventured TO speak OF IT,
What of it?" she asked. The man
amuses me with his compliments. You
know that l am an honest woman,
But I need amusement"
Dubreuil's sufIerings were intense.
The thought Of that imbecile who
was ever at Martha's side bruised his
heart. He wanted TO straugle him in
the crowded ballroom; and longed
for a duel. But the man was irfu-
entail and a litterateur Of renown.
4 duel between them would have
been grotesque and useless,
The count deigned to interest him
self a little in Pierre.
Let us write a ,aec6 INV yepbs
sr!snu," said he. land I will give YOU
recommendations. A man has talent
when he has the sense to win a wife
as pretty as yours
YES, Pierre. wbt haven't YOU some
thing on b8ndo p" -aid his wire.
One eveu5rs when he was in the
little room he seated himself at his
work fstie. while his wife. who had
danced too much, slept peacefully
lie rested his head on his hands and
thought sadly: yes, Martha's love
for me has passed"
White paper was in front Of him.
| 10 was one Of those silent nights that
tempt a writer, a night OF stars ana
! silence.
81 viii Try to work" he unused.
FeverishIy he took mp his pen He
wrote OF things and thoughts such
as DE had in his heart, speaking OF
| the happy past and the chagrin Of the
present, OF charming memories and
f tie painful reality. All night he
worked upon bis work Of life and
/ emotion.
~Jp already, Pierce exclaimed
/ Martha when she opened her pretty
| eyes in the morning, AT what arr
/ you working. my early birds
j sWhat difference does il make .
1 said he. ccld.y You know well thai
/ sm capable u nothing"