Mexico Missouri message., 1911-03-23

was unQuali6edly sincere:
HE.
"You are not happyr'
II am honest"
II should be patient Clara. ~ the stu.
alton brought contentment TO any one.
have been away year"
SHE.
1T should have been forever"
Cant you see. Clara. that stronger
hand than ours directs t3''
SHE.
TO what end. TO what good4"
HE
.Iet us obey and see. II is fatsr'
The old man had been watching
them gr,mly as he smoked bis ciga-
re;te When their backs were turned
to him he arose and quietly left the
room.
II know you love me and have given
me faith again and ambition and Ideas
and endurance"
Holcomb turned and looked and saw
vayln moving into the other room.
"Dora," he whispered earnestly.
don't let us make a great mistake.
Don't think that It is the failure Of this
play that has made me Respondent"
THAT wasn't In Ludlow's lines" the
girl answered.
"No, they are mine, and they are
more than real" he replied. ats up to
you, and II you don't lose faith in me
| will write something some day that
you will be proud Of Do say that you
love me-" be pleaded as he drew her
toward him closer.
81 have been 80 sorry, Willard, for
you. The way the papers treated you
was simply awful"
"They can do that again and again"
he replied. "if it VIII only make you
vavin's step was heard returning.
"Say that you love me. It's in the
part, you know, Dora"
81 do" answered the girl.
"a little louder, mes enfants," said
vavin as he entered the room. You
are playing the scene too soto voce.'
You must excuse me-" he said, when
they both laughed guiltily. Il was
called to the other room by the tele.
phone. But you see, don't you. that
the moonlight IL betterr'
"Oh, It Is wonderfully So" said Dora.
"Now, all these changes" said Vavin
as he turned up the lights in the room
"can be made In one day. You will
let me help you. will you notr turning
to Holcomb.
"You have helped me now, sir, more
than l can tell you"
Perhaps" replied the old man. ut Il
not necessary. my friend Tomorrow
we will call a rehearsal for the after
noon. One more favor i would like t.
ask of you, Mr.. Holcomb. l had In
tended to 20 home with mademoisell,
as her escort. find, however. thai
there Ii gentleman waiting down
stairs for me on financial business
May imposeT'
Eoicomb shook him warmly By ;h;
hand, and as he helped Dora on will
her coat she whispered to her bene
factor:
you like him. don't your isn't b,
simply wonderfulr
HE is a very wonderful man with
out doubt" was the dry response, ant
as he closed the door after them b'
shook his head and repeated iropically
"he Is indeed very wonderful man"
II was u happy moment for Jules
vavin. With all bis intellect and hi
irony he was still sentimentalist
There was still much In MIN Of til,
poet lad who had come up to Pari,
years before with his bundle of verses
under his arm.
But there was more than sentimen
in the little copedy that he had enact
ed tonight. There was climax. a.
he thought. to a life tragedy-a trag
edy that even his intimates knew lit
tie about, for after his first CRANE
passion Jules Vavin had become /;
man extremely taciturp about his owl
personal affairs. He had been read!
tonight to do more than play will
these two lovers, and Dora Fullerton
happiness necessitated vigorous action
But happily neither had really sus
pected the depth of the old mans sym
pathy and had lent themselves to hi
cunning In a way that made him mos
happy.
, "A wonderful man indeedr' he re
peated as he stood I'm the moonlIgh
and contemplated the glass of wine /!
his hand.
The servant, who had been witt
him for twenty years. discreetly move'
about the room putting out the lights
"She is very like her mother. Henri
said the old man.
Every like her mother. monsieur.
was the faithful servitor's reply.
, The dramatist was silent for mC
ment; then. raising his gldss as on
who drank to the heavens:
at is droll God. Hernia droll Goo
with his vintage and autumn. his chi
dren and his harvest moon"
"A droil God. inlnsieur." And Hem
closed the door softly, leaving his ma
ter alone with his thoughts and b.
, memorles-and his droll God.