Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-04-27
The Rescue of Roy.
By H. S. Garfield.


Seven men from all the world, back to
port again,
Rolling down the Ratclff road, drunk
and raising Cain!
Give the girls another drink fore we
#sign away,
We that took the BOLIVAR out acrost Il
1t was a musical, if slightly mudded, II
voice that carolled up the stairs lead
ing to Miss BascOm's studio. AS sh. |
heard it the girl pale from combining II
work, flushed heavily and then grew
" hite again. Her dark hair was drawn
severely back from a prominent fore
head, under which were deep and dus<y
eyes that contained a world of pity as
we'll as world of resolve. Her lips
set together and her right hand cenchad
involuntarly upon the brush with which
she was painting until the slender
handle snapped. She was not more than
% years old, but her face said that she
had made her way in the world and was |
making it. Three years before her girl |
friends had called her 'kathie' and
chung about her because of her sweet |
nature. but no one called her "kath;e" |
now. She was Miss Rascom to every |
one. except the owner of the voice She |
had not seen him for more than a half |
year. had driven him from her. in fact !
but he had held once the right to name |
her by even dearer title.
Give the girls another drink fore we
sign away,
We that took the "Bolivar''- |
The door swung open and the singer
stood in the portal. His yellow hair |
uncombed, feel nearly to his broWs, his |
oval face was pale, in his long blue eyes !
I'LL 1s<c1,A :~,A~
Six feet high he stood, planted firmly !
though with evident effort. and his great |
shoulders blocked the narraw way. He |
seemed a drunken young god with thu
light through the glass above beating |
on him. He looked about him search I
ingly until his glance fixed itself upon
the figure of the girl, then he smiled and |
came toward her slowly. His clothing |
Of good cut and texture. was crumpled, |
hut not soiled. He had the air of a man
who had not slept for three nights, Or
had slept standing. With it all there
vas nameless sort of elegance about |
him, the sort of elegance one might ex-
pect from a be-clayed statue. 1t was |
easy to know that under ordinary con-
dltions his was an extremely attractive !
personality. 1t was easy to see, too, |
that he was a man capable of great
rected. Every one who knew him said
that he was good fellow" by which
they meant that he was liberal and kind
hearted. All who understood him said
that he was of undeniable. though |
wasted genius. Among brother artists |
Royal Vavasour was named KALI |
krates,' after the Greek-lke hero of
EIaggard's "She," and the name was
not given in mockery.
He stood by Miss Bascom and held
out one slender nervous hand. She did
rot take it, but she did not shrink. She
only glanced up at him and said:
You have come back I see''
EYES," he replied doggedly and thick
va: II have come back
I'm spite of it,
You call yourself brave man. Mr.
Vavasour?"
II call myself man wno loves Won
at alltimes and at all places Wherever
L may be and whatever may be, how
ever low 1 may sink or rise, whether or
not L waste my life, whether or not you !
cast me from you utterly, I love YOU, |
No question of bravery of cowardice
enters into my being here. 1 came be-
cause l must come and not even your
command has been strong enough to
keep me away"
oucn loVe, she said, lying down
palette and brush and rising to face
him squarely; "such love as you proffer
is an insult to any honorable woman.
You love me-you? There is not sober
trucgman on New Yorks streets whose
affection is not better worth having.
am your idol set high upon a pedestal.
you have declared? In swinish degra-
dation you wallow at it's base 1 am
your dream and star? Your dreams are
madmens dreams and your drink
dulied eyes look downward, not upwad
10 where the stars shine You offer me
the husk of your manhood it's kernel
goes to harlots and winesellers. Married
to you life would be a hell, alternated.
l am frank to say, with flashes of
heaven. 1t is the curse of us that we
give ourselves wholly. Once wour wife
l would become even as you are I love
you, yes; but not even for the sake of
that love can I gain my consent so TO
debase myself. can stand unhappiness.
but l shudder at the thought of being
unclean."
He had listened to her in silence and
gradually he seemed to shrink into him
self and grow old. His face took on a
grayish pallor and his shoulders
dropped. He was horribly hurt, because
every word of hers was truth. He
sank upon lounge near by and rested
his head on his hands, his eyes closed.
as If In darkness he could shut out the
echoes of her accusing voice.
AS ne sat so her gaze fell on him and
her eyes changed to an utter softness. |
Once she had put out her hand to touch !
the clustering golden hair that ap-
pealed to her as though it had been in
the dust. She drew it back and put it
behind her, to repel temptation. A min
ute passed. When she had regained con-
troll of herself she touched him on the
shoulder and said:
"Ah, we'll! We are both painters of
different schools. You incline to the ma
rine and give to the public tossing ships