The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-03-19

thronedl In FIVE minutes" he added
slowly, solemnly, fixing his eyes on
the clock on the mantel, "then to die,
to sleep, to dream, who knows?"
There was a rustic beyond the near
drapery, but Darius Marsh was so abb
sorbed In his meditations that he did
not note the fact. He watched the
hand of the clock, slowly, surely mark
off the passing minutes. The fifth,
which he had set for his doom, was
nearing its end. He removed the cork
from the phial. He raised the tiny
bottle to his lips. Then he swung
aside, abashed and dazed. Fleet as
a shadow, form had sprung from be-
hind the draperies. A hand shot out.
The fatal phial was torn from his
grasp. Its new possessor gave it
fling into the CRATE, where it crashed
into a thousand pieces.
Darius Marsh sprang to his feet to
confront the intruder who had baffied
his deadly purpose. Flaming wrath
was in his eyes. He quivered from
ANuO W AOOl as IC AukSCu DOlll uTIuS 10
direct them full force against the per-
son who had Invaded the privacy Of
his own apartments, who had dared
to Illustrate his designs. Then those
hands fell motionless. The strong
classic face died down In its express
sion of unrestrained fury to helpless
subjugation, to an influence or emo
ton potent to change the lion into the
lamb.
"You-Harold Wynne i"-the would
be suicide said weakly, and sank back
into the chair he had just vacated, and
dropping his bloodless face into his
hands he bent forward, convulsing with
the sentient emotions consuming his
strong but now drifting, soul.
The Intruder whom Darius Marsh
had designated as Harold Wynne
stood directly in front of him with a
plying face. For some moments there
was q dead silence. Then the hand
of Wynne reached out with a touch
tender as that of plying angel. 1t
rested on the bowed head Of the other.
Il feared when learned of the blow
to your pride, to your fond dreams of
ambition" spoke the young man, shat
you would never face 1t as would
those of common clay. hurried here,
for knew that here you would finally
come My friend, my patron. my more
than father, oh crush down the i'm
pulse that would make of you q re-
proach to yourself. You, whose might
will and genius should lift you high
above the heads of the common herd"
''You do not know" began the other,
and his tones were sentient with the
humiliation Of proud spirit crushed
down into the mire.
II know ALL" interrupted the other,
"and l realize the deep wound that
popular caprice had dealt your noble
nature. / have FASTENED to you, who
have made me all that l am. / have
abandoned all my own puny affairs
and have come to remain by your side.
your champion, your protector, until
back into the teeth of the snarling
your envious rivals. you have flung the
haunting reproach with which they
dared to assail you. What! Lie
down to be crushed by that groveling
hordel Oh, never neverl You shall
rise to your glory and grandeur. Aye,
higher and more brilliant, more stead
fast. | know It'll l swear 1t i l have
| come to help you accomplish it, with
faith in your rare dramatic power.
know that the world needs you, wants
| you"
Darius Marsh lifted his bloodless
face, faint token of hope apparent
amid its WEAKNESS.
IF there were nothing but the tide
of gratitude and devotion that binds
me to you," began Wynne, "and re.
gard for the noble woman whose love
is an inestimable treasure"
DO not name her.. forbid you +
cried Marsh, springing to his feet and
pacing the floor in poignant, uncon
trolable emotion. "That Is dream
gone by. Think you l would link hel
glorious fame to the failure, the
humiliation, the poverty that is now m!
lot? She, the matchless, whose spell
of melody has held two continents II
thrall. Neverl / had hoped to sustain
the Incompatible reputation l ha'
seemingly won. / saw not only fame
but wealth ahead. And now, crunblet
to dust, see the false fabric Of m.
vision in ruins"
This had happened: Darius Marsl
for a year had held the popular stag
as the most finished tragedian of
quarter of a century. He had prat
tically adopted Harold Wynne, the so