The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-05-04
LITERARY MAG AZINE

why jim! What has you: OF course
you may come in
And when she saw his face in the light white,
SET bitter face, far different from that eager, hope
full one the man at the club had seen Life had
been pretty hard with Doulin, some of which he had
masked behind cheerfulness and wstful smiles; but
this night she caught the real reflection OF it,
What is it, JIM" she half whispered
She could remember night long when her
mother had gone to Mike Wells, and had
asked the fearing question, in the same pitiful
tone as he entered with such set, bitter face-the
night when it was thought he had killed George
Kennedy election count. And just as that
other had caught at Mikes coat. the words
faltering her dry lips, so did this one her daugh
ter, trained in the same bitter school
Doun looked down into her eyes.
oh nothing! l thought you knew. l ought not
come here any more-Mike said it; but that fellow
Gipson, here just l saw him. What did
he l told Mike l wouldn't come, but-but,
when saw Gipson, couldn't stand it, kitty His
voice quavered and it seemed that he would turn
from rage to tears There deal of sentiment
and the soft Irish tone that is womanly in Dublin,
and perhaps, though he would not have cared to
have been called womanly, it had been his saving all
along.
She pulled him closer, her hand upon his collar
in half caress. the fragment of tenderness in him
appealing to all of tenderness in her, and she said
softly
"While I'm here, JIM you may always come-no
matter what is said"
But GIBSON" he exclaimed angrly, the mascu-
line breaking to the surface, what was he doing
here?"
1ellOW-leS
answered. smiling. You must cut out that crowd
jim. You'll never do anything for yourself and me
until you do. Unless man is a brute, he can't win
at that game, and you're not their kind
eff should stick to it, though Kitty-what then?
Mikes only kick against me is that am a sparring
partner s'pose was the champion Wouldn't we
get together, en- Kitty?
She smiled again at his earnestness and the view
point of it,
but it would only be brute success, jim"
But it would give fellow start-toward those
other things you're always pointing out, wouldn't it?
YES" she admitted, cit would-f had am
bition enough to quit afterward'
For moment Doun's timid nature famed bold
1.-The starts the thing he said. You wouldn't
think less of me- would you, Kitty"
NO no-the more because of trying
He caught her and kissed her. vague wander
ing thought in his mind that somehow, assured Of
her belief and interest he would succeed.
Good bye, little woman he whispered. I'm not
coming back until"
But you must Jim. you must" she cried iercely.
Don't mind what is said-don't mind Mike. he's
afraid of me anyway.
..Tll not come back till I've made the start. You'll
wait little, just lttle?-'
"Yes," she promised.
TT was very different Doulin that went down the
street. a cruelty determined man. The matter OF
accomplishment was simply one of opportunity to be
accepted in this spirit of hard determination. He
in fighting mood
ceived Mike Wells admoniton to keep clear of Kit
ty and the home; he had seen Gipson welcomed
there and once again he had listened to kitty's ap
peal to his somewhat deadened nature. While these
things had dashed him into fury of determination
yet to pass the long hours of inaction. The
few days brought him no startling triumph. He
would have seized opportunity gladly enough and
the time should be when his blood was hot.
at must come soon," he said to himself, "else I'll
go STALE"
Then little thing testing remark from one
uninterested, gave the final stab of the spur.
The Corinthian club scheduled the Gipson-Connors
bout Douln had worked with Gipson faithfully, AMI
A chatting
smoking, filled the club, thronging it's social halls
RONDEAU OF THE ROD
By Stokely S. Fisher