Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-24

The Daily Story
Comrade Love

with a smile and a nod of welcome ovei
her shoulder. isn't 1t a dream OF day
You are about 55a minutes too late. Mai
Just went for a park tramp with hel
pockets full OF cake for the squirrels, and
her heart full Of love for all the world
especially the sprngy world. Goodby"
"Rut Tn not going, thank you" he
answered, laughing down at her II,
drew up his favorite chair deliberately,
the deep lounging one, and seated him
self beside her desk The window was
open, and little Lockwood jar in soft
greens and bronze browns stood upon
the sill, holding n cluster of daTodils.
There was mass of scattered manu-
script spread over the desk and her eyes
looked tired with forced thought The
breeze from the window had blown her
hair into fluffy, careless state, unlike its
usual buslness-like primness, and there
were ink blots on her second finger.
I'm going to stay here awhile" he
said. And | don't give n rap for your
ladyship's permission. have come to
! have n talk with you"
She looked at him amusodly. He had
picked UP her blue pencil, and was mark
ing stars on the back of the manuscript
/ with IT,
80 serious? Let's see" She laid down
her pen resigncdly "TruaN doesn't like
! the last effort of the mighty mind. Not
up to the Burton standard. It's not wise
to play ping pong with your public, Dick,
If they like your cream puffs and choco-
late cclaires never try to give them the
doughnuts and brown bread of realism.
Is that it? or were the last royalties be-
low par? or has Nab been teasing you,
or what2'
He was not smiling now. There was
new earnestness in his eyes as he bent
suddenly toward her.
"Comrade," he said, 'am l good enough
to ask the woman | love to marry mc?"
1t was very quiet in the large, restful
studio apartment The tap of horses
hoofS on the pavement far below nontCd
up to them family, and there was n
rustic as the wind stirred the leaves of
paper on the desk. She was still smiling,
but her head was turned to the window.
and the yellow daffodis and blue sky
beyond She was glad she was strong.
and had known all along that this must
surely come, 1t was right too. She was
glad for Nab, Nab in her glorious youth.
who had swept into her life with the
JOY and promise of the springtimc, and
had put new Hest and hope in her by
the very force of her ambition and con-
tidcnce in all things.
And it was good that these two should
marry, and the man who had been her
friend and comrade so long-so long
There were the first days of her strug-
Glos when she had met him haphazard
He was already one known and sought
after even then, and he had smiled down
at her, the frank. bright smile she had
grown to look for. and told her to make
n good fight and win out. She was sure
to in the end. Only the weak ones fell
on the line of march
Then when success began to come slow
ly, and she felt the foothold of surety
beneath her feet, his had been the first
voice of ConEratulation to reach her, and
still urge her higher. It was IA matter
of years. She was 80 now. He must be
nearly forty. She thought of Nab at is
and wondered if she could ever know
and appreciate the value of the man who
loved her, who was willing to lay the
strength and honQr of his lifes success
al her feet.
She knew him so well, and had come
to understand that she was necessary
to him in his work, that her voice was
the first he sought in commentator.
Each of his later plays he had read
aloud to her, seated as now, in the deep
armchair beside her desk. They had dis
cussed them together, and planned, and
corrected, and hoped and been true COM
rades Now it was all at an end
Something blurred the daffOdills and
blue sky from her sight, and he frowned.
Don't" he said.
"Oh, l know, | understand" her voice
was low and uncertain, but she smiled
back at him with the old courage. II
have understood all along, before YOU did
yourself I believe. But don't you see
how hard it is for me?"
"Hard?"
"She has been so much to me. EXCEPT
for you, all my way has been lonely.
Even the success could not better that.
When l found her, just as | was at first,
young, and alone, and poor. and brimful
of hope, with all the struggle ahead, and |
the heartaChes, ii seemed so good to |
sweep her up out of it all, to this, and |
give her a fair chance. And she's so |
sweet, and bright and true, | can't |
make you understand how dear she Is to |
me- or how lonesome it will be here with
out her"
She rose and went TO the window, her
face raised to meet the wind and sun
shine,
How selfish We are as we grow older
aren't We, Dick? 1t seems as il want it
to be always spring now. When | was
49, like Nab, l didn't care. 1t was only
matter of violet time, and showers, and
a little quicker beating of the pulses Now
it comes and goes so soon, and only seems
the symbol of something lost"
She turned back to the desk, and put
the glass stopper on the bottle mechan-
ically.
NAB is coming across the park" she
said II am going to be good to you
both, and leave YOU to your wooing with
my blessing. And l am glad, so glad,
Dick for you. Only was 1t quite fair to
steal my sprlngtlme girl away and leave
me all alone, honest, was IT,, comrade?"
She stretched out her hand to him lie
held II in a close grip, and leaned across
the desk toward her
"Winifred, Winifred," he said. "And
you have been the woman who under
stood me of all the world. Couldn't YOU
see l was waiting for il all to come TO
you the success the little petty laurel
crowns that are turned out by the hun
dreds nowadays / wanted you to gain
il all, and still lind something lacking, SO
that some day / might come TO YOU, as
do now, and say, aren't you tired of IL
ALL dear? Can't you come TO me now.
and rest, and live in the springtime
over?" "
She shook her head at him, her Inns
closed, her eyes full of tears.
Il never knew" she said "And il was
so long and lonesome, the fight you
know, and l am so tired of il all, Dick,
an tired