The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-06-16

~ \\I
"No," He Said, In, Answer to Her Look,
HE Won't Rouse Again."
left her, shutting the door with care
full softness
But the slight figure with its silver
hair, sitting there, was not alone.
Ghosts were walking up and down. |
Not the misty wraiths John Valiant
had at times imagined went fitting
along the empty corridors, but faces
very clear in the sunlight, that came
and went with the memories SO long
woven over by the shuttle of time
evoked now by the touch of key that
her hand still clenched tightly in its
palm.
There welled over her in a tide those
days of puzzle, the weeks Of waiting
silence, the slow memorable months OF
heartache, the long years that had
! deepened the mystery of Beauty Vail
ants exile. In the first shock of the
news that Sassoon had fallen by his
hand, she had thought she could not
| forgive him that broken faith. She
and his promise to her had not weighed
in the balance against the idea Of
had at length slipped away. HE will
write," she had told herself, "and ex-
plain" But no word had come. Whis-
pers had fitted to her-the tale Of
Sassoon's oxication-stinging barbs
that chung to Beauty Valiants name.
That these should rest unanswered
had filed her with resentment and
anger. Slowly, but with deadly surety,
had grown the belief that he no longer
cared. In the end there had been left
her only pride-the pride that covers
it's wound and smiles. And she had
hidden her wound with flowers. But
in the deepest well of her heart her
love for him had rested unchanged,
clear and defined as a moss in amber,
wrapped In that mystery of silence.
In the little haircloth trunk back in
her room lay an old scrap-book. 1t
held few leaves torn from letters and
many newspaper clippings. From
these she had known Of his work, his
marriage, the great commercial sue
cess for which his name had stood
the name that from the day of his go
ing, she had so seldom taken upon her
lips Some of them had dealt with
his habits and idiosyncrasies, hints Of
an altered personality, and aloofness
or loneliness that had set him apart
and made him, In way, a stranger to
those who should have known him
best. Thus her mind had come to
hold a double image: The grave man
these Swallowed forth, and the man
she had loved, whose youthful face was
in the locket she wore always on her
breast. It was this face that was
printed on her heart, and when John
Valiant had stood before her on the
porch at Rosewood, it had seemed to
have risen, instinct, from that old
grave
He had not kept silencei He had
written! 1t pealed through Her brain
like a muff1ed bell. But Beauty Vail
ant was gone with her youth; In the
room near by lay that old companion
who would never speak to her again,
the lifelong friend-who had really
, failed her thirty years ago! .
and in q tin box a mile away lay a let
, ter.
"He won't rouse again." the doctor
, had said, but little later, as he and
! Valiant sat beside the couch, the major
, opened his eyes suddenly.
! Shirley" he whispered. Where's
, Shirleyf"
She was sitting on the porch just
outside the open window, and wher
she entered, tears were on her face
The doctor drew back silently; but
when Valiant would have done so, the
major called him nearer.
mo-" he painted; 81 like to see 20,
. two together" His voice was yer!
! weak and tired.
: AS she leaned and touched his hand
he smiled whimsically. tits might!
: curious" he said. "but can't get i
! out of my head that its Beauty Vail
! ant and Judith that I'm really talkin,
: to. Foolish-isn't it?" But the ide;
seemed to master him, and PRESENT.!
he began to call Shirley by her moth
!, er's name. An odd youthfulness crep
: into his eyes; subtle paradoxica
boyishness His cheek tinged witt
= color. The deep lines about his moutl
q smoothed miraculously out.
Judith" he whispered, you
: sure you told ma the truth while ago
!, when you said--you said"
eyes, yes," Shirley answered, put
ting her young arm under him, think
y ing only to soothe the anxiety tina
! seemed vaguely to thread some vague
! hallucination.
|, He emiled again. 'It makes /
! easier" he said. He looked at Valiant
his mind seeming to slip farther ant
: farther away Beauty" he gasped
= '4you didn't go away after all, did you
q dreamed it, reckon. It'll be-al
> right with you both"
: He sighed peacefully, and his eye
turned to Shirley's and closed. I'm
so glad" he muttGred, $50 glad +
= didn't really do it, Judith. It would
= have-been the-only- low-down thinl
lever did"
~--<eAA2