Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-06-11
THE LIGHT
: THAT FAILED
By Rudyard Kipling
By RudYard Kipling

eyes?" Dick caught the click of hair
pins, aud Maisie's long locks fell about
his face. "You couldn't see now if you
tried ever SO. Let's pretend it's only my
wig in your eyes for just little longer
for fifty or sixty years. Fifty's five
times less important than ten. Can't
you see that, darling?' She shook her
head to increase both the darkness and
the understanding.
81 see," said Dick very contentedly.
"Oh, it's good to have you back again,
Maisiev'
Its gooder to be back, bad boy"
And they argued that point gravelY
with Interruptions, and they discussed
ways and means also with Interrupt
tions, and they took no count of time
till Maisie said, 81 haven't any clothes.
/ haven't eaten anything for years. I
haven't anywhere to live except in the
little house, and the caretaker there
will be out, and l must go and be a
party
'What's that, dear?
''There was a man once" said Mai
sic, hairpin between her teeth, "who
was always trying to drag me to a
registrars Office to be married. He
told me that one or other of the par
ties must always give notice to the
registrar. | shall buy a thick veil and
be that party. Isn't it nice to know
we've only ourselves to think Off"
81 remember that man." said Dick.
II feel that ought to be that party"
"Never mind Afterward you shall
beat me. / think it would do me good
1 wants to be beated. Oh, Dick, I've
been such a bad, double bad villain.
A villain with Melancolia."
"By Jove! That reminds me of some
thing I'd completely forgotten. did
a Melaneolia before WENT
'fAh, no; not that wordr'
"Began to see, then. She's up in a
corner somewhere, and I thought a
good deal of her at one time. What
do you think?"
The voice was the voice of the man
who had told her the tale of his doings
in the park, what time he looked to
kick the world before him.
SIS it the yelled canvas on the easel?p
asked Maisie.
eyes. Well"-
She was looking at a formfess,
Scared blur of paint Somebody had
used the palette knife with deadly
skill. It was a cruel, wicked wrong,
and she could not understand it. But
for Dicks sake she must make no sign.
Her eyes were very dim, and her voice
cheked with the hard held tears as she
made answer, still gazing on the
wreck:
'sOh, Dick, it is goods'
Dick heard the sob and took 1t for
tribute. 81 thought you'd like it,'' he
said, smiling at her across the room
And she would have given the tworld
to cry, but she came back to his AL.Sms
instead to bid him goodby for a little
while.
"Dick," she said when the long fare
we'll was ended, "do you imagine when
a woman loves a man that she cares
for his work? She loves him for him
self-self Now | must fly, and
please may | sing on the staircase
going down?"
There was very little thought of song
in Maisie's heart when she went out
unless it were the old rhyme, Lord
ha' mercy on me, this is none of Ir'
She wanted to sit down and be quiet
very quiet-in her half dismantled
house. Torpenhow did not appear and
the staircases were empty of life.
"Thats nice Of him." said Maisie, and
fed i'll cab to astonish the caretaker
across the park.
"Halloo!" said Torpenhow, entering
the studio after Dick had enjoyed two
blissful hours of thought. I'm back.
Are you feeling any better?'
'Torp, / don't know what to say.
Come here" Dick coughed huskily.
whats the need for saying any
thing? Get up and tramp"
They walked up and down as of Gus
tom, Torpenhow's hand on Dicks
shoulder
"How in the world did you find it all
out?" said Dick, beaming.
"You shouldn't go off your head if
you want to keep secrets, Dickie. 1t
was absolutely impertinent on my part
but if you'd seen me rocketing about
Oh a half trained French troop horse
under a blazing sun you'd have
laughed. There's going to be a chari-
vari in my rooms tonight. Seven other
devils
81 know = the row in the southern
Sudan. | surprised their councils the
other day, and it made me unhappy.
Have you fixed your flint to go? Who
do you work fory'
Haven't signed any contracts yet. I
wanted to see how your business would
turn OUT
Would you have stayed with me
then fittings had gone wrong?"
"Dont ask me too much. I'm only
man."