Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-06-22

sisted, and, as the move would weak
en- their hold upon the party and so
improve my own chances, / was not
deeply aggrieved that my advice had
been rejected Toward the end Of
my speech, aroused by applause from
the visitors gallery. forgot myself
and began to look up there as / talk.
ed. instead OF addressing myself 10
my fellow senator's The eyes or a
speaker always wander over his au-
dience in search of eyes that respond.
My glance wandered, unconsciously
until IL found an answering glance
that fixed 1t.
This answering glance was not re-
sponsive, nor even approving 1t was
the reverse-and, In spite of me, 1t
held me. At first It was just pair
Of eyes, in the shadow of the brim
Of a woman's hat, the rest Of the face.
the rest of the woman, hid by those
in front and on either side There
was a movement among them. and the
whole face appeared-and / stopped
short In my speech | saw only the
face, really only the mouth and the
eyes-the lips and the eyes Of Eliza
beth Crosby--an expression Of pain
and Of pity
| drank from the glass of water on
my desk. and went on When | ven
tured to look up there again, the face
was gone. Had | seen or imagined?
Was 1t she or was it only memory
suddenly awakening and sihouetting
her upon that background Of massed
humanity? | tried to convince myself
that | had only imagined but | knew
that had seen.
Within me-and, I suppose, within
every one else--there is dual per
Is so often shallowly said. but one
that does. and another that watches
The doer seems to me TO be myself,
the watcher, he who stands, like an
idler at the rail of a bridge, careless
ly, even indifferently, observing the
tide of my thought and action that
flows beneath-who is he? I do not
know. But | do know that | have no
control over him--over his cynical
smile. or his lip curling in good-na-
tured contempt Of me. of his shrug at
self-excuse, or his moods when he
stares down at the fretting stream
with a look of WEAKNESS so profound
that it is tragic. 1t was he who
was more interested in the thoughts
the passion, the protest, the def
ance. and the dread-which the sight
of that face set to boiling within me.
Sometimes he smiled cynically at the
turmoil, and at other times he watch
ed 1t with what seemed to me bit
ter disgust and disappointment and
regret
While this tempest was struggling
to boil over into action, Carlotta APP
peared. She had never stayed long
at Washington after the first winter;
she preferred, for the children and
perhaps for herself. the quiet and the
greater simplicity of Fredonia. But
Il got to thinking about it," said she,
land it seemed to me a bad idea for
man to be separated so long from
his wife and children-and home in
tuences"
That last phrase was accompanied
by one OF her queer shrewd looks.
Your idea is not without merit"
replied | judicially
What are you smiling at?" she de-
manded sharply.
IF it was smile" said |, 1T was
at myself"
mo, you were laughing at me. You
think | am jealous"
"Of what? OF whom
She looked fixedly at me and finally
said: Il want to tell you two things
about myself and you. The first is
that | am afraid OF you"
Why" said l.
Il don't know" she answered.
And the second confession?"
That | never trust you"
Why"
81 don't know"
Yet you are always telling me |
am cold"
She laughed shortly. $50 is a stick
of dynamite" said she.
She stayed on at Washington.