Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-10-03
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
A FRAGMENT OF WOOD

.IeSn NlSOT again. let tne idSt osiohO
If IL had died away, and he looked |
worn and heavy.
He thought of his wife as he sank
back in his chair and stretched out his
feet to the blaze-thought with calm
how exactly she suited
him.
She was out this evening-Shining
in their brilliant circle with
some of the reflected radiance of his
fame, and a good deal of her own pc
culiar light.
She had been wealthy widow when
he married her, and famous beauty
into the bargain, and that Of itself is
sufficient alluring candle for the aver
age society moth.
AS for love-well, there had never
been any pretense of that between
them; they had both been a little too
old when they met for anything 500
hysterical.
lie was quite aware that she'd simply
chosen him because a celebrity Is q
good investment when pride is the cap.
ital; but, after all, this only made the
bargain more equal.
Her beauty pleased his aesthetic
taste: her social triumphs were fuel to
the fire of his ambition; her discre.
ton was beyond challenge, and what
more did he want?
What more?" he repeated the words
aloud, and then rose abruptly and.
walking across to his escritoire, he un.
locked a drawer and took something
from its place and reseated himself,
holding 1t in his hand.
1t was just a small, thin piece Of
polished wood.
To the uninitiated II might have
looked prosaic enough; but II had .
voice of its own for the musicians ears.
and on this of all nights he intended
to allow 1t to speak.
you weren't always famous you
know it seemed to say. do you re.
member when you lived at the top Of
four flights of rickety stairs and were
often obliged to stay in II the weather
was cold, because monsieur at the Mont
de Piete over the way could seldom
spare your garments?
81 was your one valuable possession
then-when | was complete-a legacy
left to you, the quiet, dreamy boy, by
an eccentric uncle, because he believed
you would know how to value me-and
you did. How you Rugged me on the
evening of my arrival!
80 heavens! Stradivarius!' you
cried, clasping your hands. This shall
make me famous. | will climb to the
summit now-I will, ! Will
How you practiced, too! The dodgers
on the third floor didn't call you the
god of the golden bow In those daysl
They swore sometimes, and said you
kept the children awake; but you only
smiled and went on. Then there was
Marie-dear, pretty little Marie, the
blanchisseuse, who lived with her
feeble old mother In the attic facing
yours, and worked her fingers to the
bone to keep them both respectable.
iou me'e ii''ie "oiiieu aoou'
Ai"'ie az mrs" ohe Seeiheu W ehahse
W YOU III MANNER rom Tue inoineh, VI
my au'eh'' one saiu l hau oe"i'eheu
'"at ai.e' .aihe YOU never eareu
" si' win 'heni III inc ions e'ehihss'
or to invent amusements for the half.
blind old woman.
anu wols. vi AL YOU u'oppeu the
ue'lsn'iu' SATURDAY ai.erhoon raliipies,
" winch marie herse'i iooheu iorWaru
al .he wen
nu' Marie gre" " ha'e me ihore
anu iio'e nate me win al 'ne
suehs''' VI ner passioha'e' uh'ra'heo
soui
one peiie'eu that ! haa come pe'
tween you anu "eaneu away YOU, 'o'e.
iou grew COZ, anu preoeeup'eu' anu
never 'aiheu VI anything pu' your am
oitioh, anu Tue great name 'hat awai'eu
you "neh once you couid make start
Az iast .he chahce come 10
you re,a'' 'nat ai'erhooh' twenty years
aso 'ou"y' wheh you oouhaeu upstairs
lo"' ~ '''he anu purs' INTO marie