The Washington herald., 1915-02-04
DAILY SHORT STORY

I HunS rays OF light into his own. and her
hair was heap OF silky gold. Eric hoped
she had not heard his quickly indrawn
breath when her hand had met his own.
Apparently she had not. for she talked
| on as IL an emotion had never rested
| upon the cool beauty of her face.
! Eric fell in love with her He was a
| struggling journalist. with scarcely
enough OF worldly goods to hold him Sc
curely in the world of success. Yet his
precipitate fall into the realm of love
was none the less violent
When he danced a few minutes later
with Elise and felt his hand touch the
| back of the New Dawn gown and real
lied that the girl herself was within It
| Eric vowed that he would write the
| points off his pen in an effort to make
| himself worthy to win Elise Waterman
! for his own.
He went home that night with an in
| spiration such as he had never known
| before. He would write a novel. a play
| something big that would hurl him once
and for all time into the world of success
| and financial strength. After that he
could tell Elise that he loved her. Eric
| breathed a sigh and hoped fame would
| overtake him before many new dawns
| He rejoiced inwardly that the early hours
Of the day had always been his best time
for work. Somehow Elise and her dawn
gown seemed always present when the
| sun peeped at him over the house
| tops.
Fortunately he was a practical and
\ not fsECiful writer What he wrote
he wrote because it was what the
public wanted and not what he HIM
self considered good.
Before the idea for the great play
came TO him. Eric saw as much as
possible of Elise. He tried. without
putting it into words, to convey to
her the knowledge that she was the
mistress of his heart, and that one day
, he would tell her so. 1t seemed difficult
and yet Eric was sending queer little
telegraphic messages OF rather delightful
import into his inner consciousness The
knowledge only inspired him the more,
and his senses reeled in anticipation of
the day upon which his tongue could eX-
press the love he bore her.
When the great idea came to him for
the play that was to make him famous
Eric made the one false step in his ca
reer. He went of into the seclusion of
the country to concentrate and left no
address behind him. Friends, even the
best of them. were bound to destroy his
train OF thought. Seclusion, absolute and
perfect, was his only need. and Eric dis
appeared into that seclusion. Short notes,
formed his friends of his departure and
intended application to work.
When Elise Waterman read the brief
note OF farewell a feeling OF depression
swept over her. She felt suddenly very
lonely, and knew that she would not
really be happy until Eric Leonard re-
turned to her side. She wished that he
had at least trusted her with his address.
But Eric had trusted no one with
knowledge Of his whereabouts, Elise least
OF all, for even the sight of her writing
would drag his thoughts away from
plays and into day dreams of the time
when she should be his.
So the days wore on and Eric
Leonard created the parts of a great
play. He had no word from his
friends in all the five months he
worked in his enforced seclusIon. He
had read no papers.
However, his play was finished.
More than a little dragged and tired
from strenuous tension of nerves and
energy, he made his way back TO
living beings and the city of friends.
He had no premonition, no hint OF
the tragedy that was awaiting him in
town. Elise watterson's father had
been found guilty Of embeszlement,
had been sentenced, but escaped pun
ishment by shot. Elise, feeling the
disgrace keenly, had disappeared from
the face of the earth. At least Eric
Leonard found his search for her In
vain.
Cursing himself for a selfish brute
for not having left his address with
her, and feeling that she would have
communicated with him in her dis
tress. he almost sank beneath the