The San Francisco call., 1908-09-06
The San Francisco Sunday Call

cannot be the same friends. and Hu-
dolph. l am going to be married
knew It'll felt my mind had known
it all along. but somehow my heart
hadn't My heart was now very cool
and still. as a middle aged heart
should be.
"Its Bob Sterling. OF course"
Yes"
She took my hand this time.
You're too young" I said. but
and then / fiatter myself l made hera
very pretty little speech: and Mary
seemed to be predicting wonderful
things for me, and congrarulating me
on my triumph.
MY triumph" I said absently.
'Yes. my triumph'-and calling Os-
wald took my hat
1 did not even know until we got to
the sidewalk to what she referred. last
nights victory had slipped COM
pletely from my mind. 1t looked a
small thing to me now, paLtry and
poor and cheap.
Oswald" I sSid. they tell me am a
great man. Il is sad to be a great
man. triumph is bitter thing. Last
night was Orpheus. Today 1 am only
blind man, who shuffies-give me
your shoulder"
He left me at my own door. and
once inside and alone L sank wearily
into a chair at my table. The world
had become in a moment an empty,
cold, black thing that I hated-old and
dead it stretched before me. I had
genius-since others believed. I now.
too, believed it-but in that weary,
stale. fat and Improbable" thing I
knew 1t could accomplish nothing I
understood at last what had happened
to me. and in the bitter sting Of that
revelation stretched my arms across
the table and bowed my head under the
heavy load of my grief. Darkness
pressed in upon me.
Suddenly I raised my grief stained
face at sound in the room-that foot
step had never sounded on my thresh-
old before. Did some one note the
eyes that wept. but could not sees
"Oh, Rudolph Rudolph cried Mary.
finging herself beside me. IT love you.-
1 thought it might be some phantasy
of the brain, until my arms encircied
her.
Il believe you do love me a lit4le
after ALL" she gasped: and then the
fioodgates opened and I poured out my
heart.
But what OF sterling?" asked sud
denly
Il never dreamed of marrying him.
Can you forgive me for lying to you,
Rudolph? I am ashamed to tell why
said that-don't you know-dont you
known
BILE that in that moment I could know
anything but that I held her in my
arms. think 1 guessed her reason.
''Oh. stupid manr' I cried, ito cause
his little girl to tell a lie. Oh, stupid,
stupid man"-and then my words were
lost in kisses.
Our marriage took place a twelve
month ago.
Oswald My wife is just a little ieal-
Gus, or pretends to be. to fiatter me. for
she insists l am far too humble for a
great man. Immediately then I com
posed La Lumiere"-the Lfght-that is
Mary. But 1 am not satisfied: / want
to do something really fine for her.
Perhaps 1 shall accomplish it in my
present work. The Answer to Wa
rum" 1t has a happier melody in il
than the other. for it expresses the
happiness of my life. 1t will be far
superior to the masterpiece of nv
youth, I know. The wings fly better
for bearing two.
Many times day when she is near
and she is never far-I whisper MARY.
Mary. and reach out my hand. She
never fails to see and answer with her
own. II is wonderful little hand. so
firm and yet so delicate
Oh, Mary may I never reach for il
in vain until that hour when shall
turn and face the Light Perhaps then
heaven may in mercy grant that
shall not lose it's tender pressure. but
that it lend itself to mine even In eter-
nity-to guide me in the new. bright
ways-I who have grown so accus-
toned to the dark
q.