Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-10-19
THE RECONCILIATION.


never remembered Muriel as Mrs.
Borthewickc and l smiled as | walked
down the passage. | went into the draw
ing room and then | started. 1t was
certainly very awkward, for | had quar-
relied with Eva.
How d'you dog" | said, conyentionai-
! ly, and put out my hand.
how. d'you do?' Eva responded, ig-
noring it.
/ suppose / flushed, but anyhow she
smiled. | walked over the mantel piece
feeling annoyed. Il wonder how long
| Muriel will be-" / speeulated. leaning
| back. Eva moved ostentatiously; | sup
pose | did act as a fairly effectual fire.
screen.
I'm so sorry" / apologized easily.
/ But | was young enough and foolish
/ enough to feel spitefully glad; at least /
| would touch her somewhere. Eva picked
| up a volume of verses and opened it at
random. At last | couldn't stand it any
| longer, so l went to her and closed the
| little book. Eva" | said, ''can you tell
me one line of all those you've read or
| what any one poem was about?"
| She leant back. "What an extraor-
binary man you are, Mr.. Taylor she
| observed.
Can you?' | persisted.
Il could, she began.
But"
uOu lHtih NDu u understand.
Browning requires special education
"No-only broken heart" said, Sc
| riously.
ITS the first signs!' she CALCULATED,
| laughing.
oh what?o inquired, feeling
The first sign of poesy I've ever seen.
in you
are anthems and some
| go on" she said.
''Some are dirges," / concluded.
and yours = she asked, her eyes on
my 9. I face si,,o ;,
Why write it, then2' she queried.
why not start again.
II wish / could l said, but it's not
| who am writing it. It's being written
for me-"
1T sounds very incapable"
ITO be . victim Of circumstances r.
mo. TO ALLOW WOMAN
Allow | echoed, love always all.
lows. That's the worst of it. If /
didn't love so much, | believe / could
finish the story myself,
Il should insist / would storm,
would bother, poster, plague her till
she gave in. / would be rough, tyran-
nical-brutal. even, but ia never let
| her escape me.
I'VE shouldn't recognize you like
that. Mr.. Taylor" exclaimed Eva, with
smile.
There was little pause. IF / could
| finish the story" | began, Il would go
| TO my author and say, the man you've
chosen for your hero is a weak man,
! he'll never be heroic in grief-and that's
the part you've cast him for-he'll only
be a little-comical The story--the
poem will be failure, it will be bathos,
and the covers will come together Mt the
end with knocking laughter, and the lit
| tie book viii never be opened again.
LIZ you've any pity give him an easier
part to play, make him subsidiary
you've got a heroine-make him the me
dunn through whom the beauty of her
soul may shine Make her the poem
and let her take this man back, how
ever often he offends or hurts her. 1t
will be a grander poem,' | would tell
my author, and a grander end, and the
book would be closed with a sigh-of
envy That's what | should say, Miss
Joplin"
Eva looked up from the fire. "We'd
all like to write our poems like that,
she said, "but perhaps the author would
not let your hero be so selfish
"He isn't the hero" | cried, there
isn't one. There's only heroine-a god
/ dess."
And she is sent to save him?' quer-
led Eva.
s.No. he is sent to show the sweetness
of her nature"
"He is. in fact a--trialY'
! ''Yes. and one who must be borne"
| / stared at Eva and suddenly she
| laughed. ''What nonsense we're talk
| ing!" she said. IF ever | start to write
my-poem, as you call it, it shall be a
very happy one.
You have started"
ooh nor'
YES. 1t did start happily, but some
thing went wrong, and you aren't writ
ing it happily now"
tim quite happy" she declared def
antly.
'You can't say story's happy be-
cause the heroine may he--,Sll the other
characters count for something, and
there's one in your poem who is-very
miserable
"One must have some relief, she said
cruelty.
/ "Rememher, Eva, that everything you
| stand forever--never to be erased-nev-
err TO be forgotten, and one bad line may
mar your poem, Eva, and two lives"
II wish Mrs. Bothewieke would come
In" she said. opening the Browning
again.
"Does she know?'' | asked.
Know whaty" inquired Eva, with ex-
aggerated establishment.
THAT we've quarreled."
II shouldn't think So, she answered,
why should she? 1t wouldn't interest
her"
"Muriel happens to be rather fond of
both Of us
And So"
''Would like to see us happy
Il expect she will," she went on light
ly. "at least | shall be I'm going away
tomorrow and I'm sure to have good
time"
You know l didn't mean that-you
know / love you. Eva, and you know l
would never willingly annoy you in
thought or deed"
Il never thought you weuld-willins-
"" she answered.
''You mean I'm so tactless?" I said
bitterly.
You are rather"
=. -.