Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-02-08
g. THE OTHER MAN. ..
70 E stood on the brink of the preci-
j7I pice and looked over. Three hum
~ dred feet below him the sea broke
----:-.

70 E stood on the brink of the preci-
J7I pice and looked over. Three hun
~ dred feet below him the sea broke
on the somber rocks.
The mans muscles tensioned and he
drew deep breath. What an easy
way to end it all! Just one little step
those rocks below were no bung.ers;
they would make no mistake over their
work, and the sea would tell no tales
and then-then he would be away from
it all, and would never have to bear the
agony of hearing that she was married
to Everett.
Married to Eyerett-marr:ed to Ever
EFT! The words changed in his ears.
He groaned aloud and bent hastily
over the edge.
A mist came before his eyes and his
breath rose in a choking heave to his
throat; the ground rocked sickeningly
beneath him, and for one dizzy second
he thought he was falling falling
down that interminable space.
Then the mist passed, the ground
stopped rocking and he gasped with
relief to find himself still standing safe
and sound on firm earth.
He turned away with scornfuI
laugh at his own weakness.
Home again, he flung himself into an
easy-chair and lit his pipe, resolved to
give way no longer to morbid imag-
inings.
He picked up a magazine, but his
thoughts flew off at a tangent to the
dance which was to take place that
very evening, to which he had been
invited.
He had vowed not to see her again
till he could settle once for all the dem
on of unrest within him, and crowded
ballroom was the last place for impas-
stoned avowals.
He thought how cool and beautiful
she would look in her white muslin,
with her fluffy golden hair framing her
sweet little fower-like face. Perhaps
he would go, after all. Then a second
figure rose up to spoil the picture
handsome; happy-go-lucky Everett,
dancing untiring attendance on the fas-
cinating hostess and never leaving her
side for moment
How dared he take possession Of her
In that way! And how could she put
up with it, unless
His plpe-mankind's universal baby
bottle-for once failed utterly In its
mission of soothing. He tossed it an
grily- across the table and buried his
face in his hands, lost in whirl of mis-
cradle conjectures. =.
His thoughts few back to that dance
with hopes and fears that it seemed a
lifetime.
He remembered those two dances,
the music, the scent of flowers in the
conservatory, and, more distinctly than
all, the laughing face of Dolly.
Then those few overheard words
rushed through his brain. He clinched
his fists and his face flushed at the rec
objection. He had drifted from the ball
room to the conservatory. Would she
consent? That was the question that
throbbed in his brain. Should he say
the words that would decide his future
life and hers? He had puffed at ci-
garette, and stared at the thin wisps
of blue smoke. Would his hopes fade
into nothingness as that fragrant
smoke faded and vanished into air?
And then he heard people talking. He
recognized the voice of Everett, and
then Dolly's. They were seated on the
opposite side of the conservatory, and
had not seen him as he sat almost con-
cealed behind a tangle of palm leaves.
Dolly" Everett was saying, you
must say Yes My whole life depends
upon it. We have been chums so long.
Say you will and make me the happiest
man in England not to speak of Scot
land, Ireland and Wales. Say .Yesr |
know what you want to say-that we
ought to be getting back again. And
there are all those loathsome people
who want dances. Confound 'em. You
will? l knew you would"
Fraser had sat there, almost unable
to move. He did not know how long.
The music from the ballroom foated
out into the conservatory, mingling
with the laughter and chatter of the
guests. All hope, all interest in life
was gone-snatched from him by those
few overheard words. People were
asking for him. What did 1t matter:
nothing mattered now. A voice aroused
him. He looked up, and saw Everett
before him-Everett, who was his
friend; who was now his rivaI-his
eenmy!
Halo, Fraser, old man, you seem to
be ten fathoms deep in the blue dumps!
What's the matter now? Come and
have a smoke with me. I've been look
ing for you half the evening""
And that all happened a week ago! A
week-the most miserable in his life.
And now he was trying to forget her.
What fool he was!
II.
The thought Of that steep drop down
to the sea kept recurring to his mind
again and again with a fatal fascina-