The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-07
a PAGE. OF THE. BEST SHORT STORIES
\ Jest Of | ate

I'In Eden sin was yet without name,
! And man, thrice happy, smiled--till
woman came"
w.. ALKNER paraphrased, with his
| best cynical smile. Falkner
was Of that perennial youth
a that ut thirty eventuates in a
piteous seeming OF folly. He
liked to be thought darkly wicked a
ljnisanthrope. and a genius generally
ing that he had let himself fall In
love with Evy Wilton, who was as sun
| ny as n summer day and as wholesome
as bread pudding. Falkner's paraphras-
| ing had not been for her-he never
wasted misanthropy, and 1t glided Off
1.-the mind of his betrothed after the
manner Of water from ducks wing.
Far otherwise with Aileen Clare-she
could both quote and sentimentaltze
by the yard 1t was really a god
send-Falkner's betrothal. Aileen
had known of it from the first, and
the knowledge had put their inter-
course into the category of dangers,
thereby giving it delicious flavor Of
forbidden fruit:
You say that because you are a
bad man-very, very wicked" Aileen
answered, dropping her eyes with &,
little yelled sigh.
Falkner leaned toward her "No
man is really very, very wicked" no
said: that Is, not by nature. Tho
Wickedness comes from circumstances
circumstances which are really and
truly Fate. They play with us--all OF
us are their sport. Then when in our
misery we strike out blindly. unknown
ing, uncaring what we do, the world,
the blnd-bat world, calls US wicked"
How profound! And how intense-
ly Interestingly! ! never saw 1t before"
Aileen murmured, with a liquid side
wise. glance. The glance went to
Falkners head. Leaning still nearer,
he possessed himself Of her hand slim
and white. and ringless, and pressed
his lips to it. saying: You mean-you
had only felt tin me, for me. You
mad not let yourself put it In words;
but you knew-you understood. II
only we had not met too late! I tell
you the myth of Tantalus embodies
all Of human tragedy"
Ailcen gasped and moved as If to
draw away her hand. She knew he
was playing game, and knew that
he knew. Bnt Just now the game Was
worth something-purely as pas
tllne--thls country neighporhood 10
which, for the time, she was banished
was SO deadly dull any diversion was
most welcome. She wanted the game
TO spin along, only now and then
threatening a climax. There must be
no real climax; that would ruin every
thing. She could find 1t in her heart
to be rather sorry for Evy. II Evy
did not SO persistently refuse to De
jealous. No matter how often Falk-
ner rode. or drove, or roWed with
Aileen Evy only smiled approval. and
badc him keep on with the good work.
She's strange here. you know. and
besides not very strong. OF course,
we must&all be nice to her--and |
think all she knows Is to@amuse her.
self with young men," was what she
! had said to Falkner the first week OF
Aileen's visit. In the second week
she had repeated 1t, in the third, the
fourth. Now. in the fifth, she added
q TURNER monltlon' write a song 70
hef' teIi ter snes an inspiration. IN
sure your verses ana music poth are
au.ilui-aha she may sing ~ aitsr
she - pack IN me Guy, ana SO help
YOU 70 pc famous.
Falkner was thinking Of the song.
He had written verses from his cradle
werd-now ambition SCARED far DO
I yond being a poet. a composer, world
famous, his name on all tongues-that
1 was what Snira5 n T. J2an11v a