The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1914-08-07
CHAPTER l.
At the stage door.

COartiandt sat perfectly straight:
Afs ample shoulders did not touch the
Amck OF his chair: and his arms were
&aaded tightly across his chest. The
,9h&rartesistic OF his attitude was
0xaFsDeBs The nosttls were we'll de-
Mnad. as In enc who sets tho upper
1mw hard upon the neither, His brown
syes--their gaze directed toward the
stage whence came tho voice OF the
wrtna dcnna~-epitomLz the tension.
Saxprsased the whole as in word.
gsst now the voice Was pathetically
@sAbdned. yet reached every part OF the
assditoium. kindling the ear with It's
atngulariy msllowing sweetness. To
Csoartiandt IL reaembied, as no other
eoun6. the note Of mudled burmese
gong. struck In the dim incensed cav
sxu OF a temple A burmese gong
briefly and magically the stage, the
dsence. the amazing CLEAN aud scins
Aiatton OF the Opera, faded. lie
AsATd only the voice and saw only
ene purple shadows In the temple at
@AHaOou. the oriental sunset splash
Tag the golden dome. the wayering
tiahts Of the dripping candles. the dead
tsowefa, the knceling devotece, the
gullo~ robed priests the tatters Of
soad -Ieaf. fresh and old upon the rows
nj placid grinning Huddhaa. The
gssh hn m n
mashsd. The curtain sank slowly.
TIC audience rustled, stood up, sought
Hs wraps. and passed toward the ex-
hs and the grand staircase, IL was
saa over.
CSnrtiendt took his leave IN leisure.
HsTo and there he saw familiar faces,
Cut these, after tho finding glance, he
Strsdiously avoided. lie wanted TO be
msonsL Outside he lighted cigar. not
noeanae at that moment he possessed
q craving for nicotine. but because like
oh snvcterate smokers he believed that
nabacco couducod to clarity OF thought.
And mayhap Il did AZ least. there
asessntiy followed a mental calm that
~rD~lIed all this confusion The goal
waved and waned az he gazed down
trio grcat avenue with Its precise rows
al lamps Var away he could discern
th@ outline OF the brooding Louvre.
TheEe was not the least hope in the
world for him TO proceed toward his
Hoai this night. lie realized this clear
~. now that ho was face 70 face with
ectaalities. A Wild desire seized him
yp make night OF it-~Maxim's, the
saharets: riot and wine. Who cared
Bat the desire burnt itself out between
two puffs or his cigar. Ten years
ago. perhaps, this brand OF amuse-
nant might have urged him success
ss2tiy. Hut not now; he was done with
eameooi nights. Indeed. his diss!pa-
esoaa had been whimsical rather than
2svtsi. and retrospection never
aEoaaed furtive sense OF shame,
lie was young. but not 80 young al
nm lido glance might conjecture In
passing To such casual reckoning
M appeared to DO In the early twep
c&ss: but scrutiny. more or less .asai.
Hhte. uoting line here or an angle
sAera, was disposed to add ten years
Can the score. There was In the nose
and chin a certain decisivenees which
tsa trvs youth Ia rarely developed. This
characteristic arrives only with man.
Aood. manhood that has been tried
and perhaps bureted and perchance
- htsic tisillusioned
What Ma one to do who had both
naoaey and leisure linked 10 an IRE
sssihlo desire to leave behind one
p&sro or thing In pursuit OF another
A.aStsruainn,ely 'rhe inherent ambi
cksa was to make money; but recog
naxtnx The absurdity OF adding to bis
fascnsEe, which even In his extrava
@s@cs ha could not spend, he gave
hkmsch over into tho hands OF grasp
s,a railroad and steamship companies
aw their agencies. and became for 4
eans the slave OF guide and dragomar
ord carrier. And them the warderlust
1sescnded to him from the blood oil
~ ruvlng Dutch ancestors. which hst
as1A dormant In the several genera
an.3m following. sprans into active III,
asAAn- He became known In ever,
oswS of call. He became known alsf
u the wildernesscs,
whatever had for the moment ap
0sAled to his fancy. that he had done
- waa alone. absolute master OF hsl
as1lftona, Mammas with marriagcahl,
snxShtery declared that he was impcs
s5oar; the manageable daughter
m&ser had a chance 10 decide one xa,
G the ether. and men called him |
fssus He had promoted elephant nyht
wAixh hsa stirred the Indian primes
@~k al their melancholy indifference
cd tiger hunts, which had. by thet
sfsratspa and magntrccnee. threatene'
q dlsrurt the efficiency Of the British
zssxftaTy service excuses
nst vaas .sAeAsAlv ey h's intimate &c