The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-01-20

Howard. she sent the others away AM
called me. at queen calls q courtier
and I went"
The paper was growing ragged at th'
looked at it, then clasped his fingers
around it till they were white from tn,
pressure, and went on:
"For weeks 1 saw her every day.
found that / could say brilliant thinys
10 amuse her-I, the recluse. the silent
Other men, wealthier, well-knOwn, so
cially stood of and were amazed. but
! cared nothing for~- chem. Through
all the ages, through all the impossible
ties Of time and space. our two souls
had been coming together. Missing
her. | would have gone on, a solitary
student. 10 my Journeys end. / shud-
dered. sometimes. TO think what my
life would have been If / had not gone
10 the house where I met her first
Missing me, she would have laughed
and jested with the crowd Of suitors.
until she wearied Of them, and they
fell away. one by one. and left her still
heartwhole and alone.
| My life was filled with such dreams
| as these, which seemed so true. 90
natural that felt 1t necessary to speak
| 10 Elinor, for she must see as clearly
IA l."
The food was carrying him on-he
resumed hurriedly with his eyes on
the paper:
"One evening went to her home.
ElinOr was alone. with q shadow on
her face. and something took posses.
sion Of me. and II spoke. see you
are disturbed me. You need not
be troubled it was all over long ago.
/ have lived through it. / can laugh
now, when / think Of tina. ha, ha.
"She laughed, too, at the time. and
said it was the strangest thing that
cir! could never be friends with a man
but that he spoiled it by wanting to
marry her. She leaned back in her
cushioned chair-thcre was something
made Of silk and lace behind her head.
aNd-and she looked 50 fair and dainty
and gentle-buL 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 enabled
her 10 talk about them too. without
being at the trouble OF reading them
herself Then. / was 50 drliCiously
serious and that refreshed he and
above all. she knew she was perfectly
safe with me. for no one would ever
be insane enough to dream of our
marrying.
"Shc laughed great deal. yet she
was vcIed that | had spoken and
spoiled it all. She had broken her
doll, and finding nothing but hearts
blood inside il, she threw it away. But
men were all alike, she said, they all
took themselves SO seriously.
And then I laughed also ana went
out into the night. A little while after
she left London and went abroad:
and II sat here at my desk and
lived.
Eyes. am quite rccoyered-fortuD-
ately. With some men it might have
been very serious thing. There are
men, you know, who put so much of
life into a thing that what is left be-
hind isn't worth considering. It would
be so with yOu. Howard have
thought of you many times. for | knew
what might come-and | wanted to
warn you. When You are pouring out
your soul they are tolerHting You be-
you are tall. IT would
ruin your life, my boy Don't let them
do it,"
Wait a moment said the pale
faced younger man. with his hand OF
the others arm. Never mind--I would
not have needed it-no man would
but your warning comes too late.
was married last week | am on my
wedding tour. | thought you knew"
The elder paused, with the paper
held ont in both motionlcss hands. and
stared at him vaCantly.
Married." he whispered And to
-whom?'
"To Miss Elinor Vancour"
The paper dropped To the floor with
n crash, and in the pause that fol-
lowed Howard heard his watch tick.
Then the man who had outlived the
tragedy Of his life arose and heard
himself saying. formally, a long way
or:
ALLOW mo to congratulate you
q