Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-07-22
Through the Portal
of Dreams"
Continued from AnothertPage

hours on their launches while l
coaxed from the violin airs from op-
era or music hail.
On the point above us blazed one Of
our signal fires, and between the red
dened crevices of rock it's flare struck
down and lighted our gathering. Tho
portrait would catch the reflection and
leap from it's shadow. Over us were
the stars. In circle of silent delight
sat dark, immovable figures, with high
lights cleaning here and there on the
mahogany of cheek bone or forehead.
Some fantastic painter might por-
tray these gatherings on canvas. He
would need bold brush. I find no
words for its description, but fantas-
tic it was and strange.
Under the fetish of the starlight
would find myself drifting away into
realms of storied romance with the
woman / loved and had not seen.
Then my bow would all unconsciously
drift into love songs.
would find myself singing-"Ever
the wide world over, lass"-and Of
tentimes when my voice rose to the
strain / could fancy that she joined me
in its singing. Hor voice sang in my
brain definitely and with the sweet
ness Of the beloved and familiar. i
lad, Of course. never heard a syllable
from her lips, and yet was sure that,
could hear her voice in life, should
instantly have recognized it, though
blind folded. / thought of it as rich
ly sweet contralto. 1t never for mo-
ment occurred to me to fancy it might
be anything else.
Once, for week, the sky ceased
to smile and grew black. The jungle
was lashed and stripped with hurri-
canes, and on several occasions the
earth trembled. The sea pounded our
porous coast and boiled into tremen-
dous tide. knew that if the cyclonic
scope was general, ships were having
trouble, but in that thought lurked
vague hope. If any power were to
drive vessel to my rescue it would
be power which carried sailors out
of their ordered courses.
the wreck of the Wastrel, when the
skies were serene again, found my
self more than ordinarily adrift on the
tide of imagination. The march of the
stars showed that midnight had
passed, and yet the natives sat unhur-
ried, and 1, as unhurried as they was
still absorbed with the violin.
My eyes travelled out to see, absent
ly and without reason. Suddenly the
bow stopped halfway across the
strings With a discordant rasp. The
instrument fell from my hands and |
sat rigid and staring hxe man sud
denly stricken. The other eyes fol-
lowed mine and also remained riveted.
Leagues away, over the phosphores-
cent waste of water, but clean and n
blinking, glowed the green spot on a
ships starbcard light. tried to speak,
but for the moment my grasp on their
dilect slipped from me and left me
dumb. / was trembling with heart
bursting excitement, and at sight of
my emotion they began to stir uneas-
lily with threat of panic.
AS suddenly as it had left me, my
self possession returned. With 4
sweeping gesture pointed to the my
riad stars that gemmed the heavens
and told them that one of these had
come down to the sea, bringing other
demigods like myself.
l adjured them to build up the flres
Of welcome until the island might
seen a mountain of fame. Their
strongest men must feed the Ares, as
never fires had before been fed, and
all others must go to their huts and
await the morrow.
Alone on my plateau saw the first
leap up line of beacons that dyed
the night vermilion. The tiny point
of seaward green was crawling snail,
like on the sea, and at last my gaze
was rewarded by slender Towering
spray of rocket-fire followed by anoth,
err. Then the point of light ceased
crawling and stood still.
let my head fall forward in ny
palms and my breath came in spas
modic gasps.
But as I raised my eyes they fell
on the smiling lips of the portrait.
It seemed to me that her lips and
eyes, still gracious, even congratula
tory, held touch Of wistful sadness
which had not been there before
They seemed such lips and eyes as
say Bon voyage-and farewell"
The glow of winelike exultation died
in my arteries and a chill settled or
my heart. There, in the world of tan
gible things and unrelenting facts
what room would there be for such
companionship? Was this strongest
love of my life to melt into nothing