Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-05-21
/ THE LIGHT
: THAT FAILED
By Rudyard KipL'n6
~What's the matter2,,
By RudYard Kipl:ng

q -
whats the matter?'
| Dick clutched at his shoulder. "Mat.
| ter! I've been lying here for hours in
the dark, and you never heard me
Torp, old man, don't go away. I'm ali
In the dark. In the dark, tell you"
Torpenhow held the candle within 9
foot of Dicks eyes, but there was nc
light in those eyes. He lighted the gas
and Dick heard the flame catch. The
grip of his fingers on Torpenhow's
shoulder made Torpenhow vince
Don't leave me. You wouldn't leave
me alone now, would you? l can't see.
D'you understand? It's black-quite
black, and | feel as if I was falling
through it all"
Steady does it." Torpenhow put his
arm round Dick and instinctively be-
gan to rock him gently to and fro.
''Thats good. Now don't talk. If l
keep very quiet for awhile this dark
ness will lift. 1t seems just on the
point of breaking. H'shr' Dick knit
his brows and stared desperately in
front of him. The night air was chill
ing Torpenhow's toes.
Can you stay like that a minute?'
he said. '.Tll get my dressing gown and
some slippers"
Dick clutched the bedhead with both
hands and waited for the darkness to
clear away. "What a time you've
been!' he cried when Torpenhow re-
turned. 'It's as black as ever. And
what are you banging about in the
doorway"
"Long chair-horse blanket-pillow.
Going to sleep by you. Lie down now,
you'll be better in the morning."
81 shan't!" The voice rose to a wall
"My God, I'm Blind I'm blind, and
the darkness will never go away" He
made as if to leap from the bed, but
Torpenhow's arms were around him,
and Torpenhow's chin was on his
shoulder, and his breath was squeezed
out of him. He could only gasp,
"Blindr' and wriggle feebly.
STEADY, Dickie, steadyr said the
deep voice in his ear, and the grip
tightened. Bite on the bullet, old
man, and don't let them think you're
afraid" The grip could draw no closer.
Both men were breathing heavily. Dick
threw his head from side to side and
groaned.
'Let me gov' he painted. You're
cracking my ribs. We've mustn't let
them think we're afraid, must we-all
the powers of darkness and that lot?"
''Lie down. It's all over now.''
YES" said Dick ohedientIy. but
would you mind letting me hold your
hand? l feel as if wanted something
to hold on to. One drops through the
dark So"
Torpenhow thrust out a large and
hairy paw from the long chair. Dick
clutched it tightly and in half an hour
had fallen asleep. Torpenhow withdrew
his hand and, STOPPING over Dick,
kissed him lightly on the forehead, as
men do sometimes kiss a wounded
comrade in the hour of death, to ease
his departure.
In the gray dawn Torpenhow heard
Dick talking to himself He was adrift
on the shoreless tides of delirium,
speaking very quietly:
Its pity-a great pity. But it's
helped, and it must be eaten, Master
George. Sufficient unto the day is the
blindness thereof, and, further, putting
aside all Melancolias and false hu-
Ylaopc If ic of ahv;o,,e ,o+o,;r+,, e.,,.l,
as mine was-that the queen can do no
wrong. Torp doesn't know that. Ill
tell him when we're little further into
the desert. What a bungle those boat
men are making Of the steamer ropes!
They'll have that four inch hawser
chafed through in a minute. told you
SO! There she goes! White foam on
green water, and the steamer Slowing
round. How good that looksI I'll
sketch it. No, | can't. I'm afflicted
with Ophthalmia. That was one of the
ten plaques of Egypt, and it extends
up the Nile in the shape of cataract.
Ha! That's joke, Torp. Laugh, you
craven image, and stand clear of the
hawser. It'll knock you into
the water and make your dress all
dirty, Maisie, DEAR
"Ohr said Torpenhow. .sThis hap
pened before. That night on the river"
She'll be sure to say it's my fault If
you get muddy, and you're quite near
enough to the breakwater. Maisie.
that's not fair. All, 1 knew you'd miss!
Low and to the left, dear. But you've
no conviction. Everything in the world
except conviction. Don't be angry, dar-
ling. I'd cut my hand of Ia it would
give you anything more than obstinacy.
My right hand, if it would serve.''
.'Now, we mustn't listen. Here's an
island shouting across seas of misun-
derstanding with a vengeance. But it's
shouting truth, fancy said Torpen-
how.
The babble continued. 1t all bore up
on Maisie Sometimes Dick lectured at
length on his craft, then he cursed him.
self for his folly in being enslaved. He
pleaded to Maisie for a kiss-only one
kiss-before she went away. He called
to her to come back from yitry- sur
NIarne, if she would, but through all his