Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-03-27

what l. lnslde-and though your
heart beats afterward. the quickness
Is gone from your spirit and the fire
from your brain. That is, it would be
from yours. You can see for yourself
that | have entirely recovered--en-
tirely."
He waited until he had unrolled
the paper and looked at it on all sides,
and swiftly rolled it again, before he
went on.
at was three years sgo-just after
you left the city-that | first met
her. ! will not tell you her name
you would not know her-but she was
young was young then, too-and
she was so beautiful that all men were
attracted TO her. Do YOU smile TO
think that was attracted, tooy True
i had not lived the life most men
live. was a student, and had lived
among books and dreams. She was
the embodiment of all that was pure
and lovely in literature and fancy.
/ had worshiped her afar off until she
called me to her. Howard, she sent
the others away, and called me, as a
queen calls a courtier, and i went"
The paper was growing ragged at
the edges. He held it up a moment
and looked at it, then clssped his fin
gers around it till they were white
from the pressure and went on:
For weeks | saw her every day. j
found that | could say brilliant things
TO amuse her-I, the recluse, the 81
lent. Other men, wealthier, well
known, socially, stood off and were
amazed, but | cared nothing for them
Through all the ages, through all the
impossibihties Of time and space. our
two souls had been coming together
Missing her. | would have gone on,
asolitary student, to my journeys end.
| shuddered, sometimes, to think
what my life would have been if / had
not gone to the house where | met her
first. Missing me, she would have
laughed and TESTED with the crowd Of
suitOrs until she wearied Of them,
and they fell away, one by one, and
left her still heart-whOle and alone.
Ny life was filled with such dreams as
these, which seemed so true, so I'M
natural that | felt it necessary to
speak to Elinor, for she must see as
clearly as l."
The food was carrying him on
he resumed hurriedly, with his eyes on
the paper:
Zone evening i went to the Van
cour home. Elinor was alone. with
shadow on her face, and something
took possession Of me, and IL spoke.
| see YOU are disturbed-for me. You
need not be troubled-it Is all over,
long ago. / have lived through it. |
can laugh when | think OF it-ha, ha,
ha! Shelaughed, too, at the time, and
said it was the strsngest thing that
girl could never be friends with a
man but that he spoilt it by wanting
to marry her. She leaned back in her
cushioned chair-there was some
thing made Of silk and lace behind
her head, and-and she looked so fair
and dainty and gentle-but she was
laughing; and she told me that she
liked to have me near her for several
reasons. In the first place. | was tall,
and she liked tall men. Then, could
talk to her about books, and that en-
abled her to talk about them. too.
without being at the trouble Of read
ing them herself. Then, i was 50 de-
liciously serious, and that refreshed
her-and above all, she knew she was
perfectly safe with me, for no one
would ever be insane enough to dream
Of our marrying She laughed great
deal, YET she was yexed that | had
spoken and spoiled it all She had
broken her doll, and finding nothing
but hearts blood inside it. she threw il
away. But men we're all alike, she
said; they all took themselves so Sc
riously. And then laughed also,
and went out into the night. A little
while after she left the city and went
west; and II sat here at my desk,
and lived.
eyes, am quite recovered-fortu-
nstely. With some men it might
have been very serious thing. There
are men, you know, who put so much
of life into a thing like that what is
left behind isn't worth considering
1t would be so with YOU, Howard.
1 1 /. r