The herald., 1919-08-28
DAWN
BY JACK LAYTON


disappointed man. Still young, and
having won the golden key to favor. he
drew back YEARLY before those doors
it might open.
During his years of struggle and
need none of these friends. whr now
so eagerly strove TO share his triumph
had made an effort to stretch forth a
helping hand. Even the girl whom he
had so deeply loved and who had pro-
feSSed to return his love had grown
weary waiting and had heartlessly
Tilted him for an acknowledged man
Of the business world.
Now that the dream of Jerome Bar
ris was realized he smiled cynically at
this same woman'S prOffered notes Of
recOnCiliatiOn-biS former love had be-
come widow, but her charm for him
had vanished before her insincerity,
and all this superficial adulation now
wearied him. He longed to get away
from ii, TO get back to a certain spot
which had often been his refuge.
To Barris this small place, with the
sea stretching out before. was home.
his one sure haven.
1t was here that his great picture
was born-the picture which had won
for him fame and fortune. Years ago,
when his heart was sore with its dis
appointment, he had gone after read
Ing the announcement of the one girls
marriage, TO the SecluSiOn of this little
house there to shut out from curious
eyes his deep hurt. And when at sun
down he sat upon the tiny porch a boat
had come drifting down a golden beam
toward him. And in the boat sat n very
young girl. Unbound. her golden hair
rippled over her shoulders. and her I'D
raised face was glorified in the light.
Barris called his great picture
"MaidenhOOd."
lnIpulsively he had called her as she
drltted by, and had run down to draw
her boat in to the shore. The girl. who
was perhaps fourteen or fifteen years
of age, acceded readily to his request
that she pose thus again for a picture
I'll make the arrangement with
your people" Barris suggested.
Il have no people" the girl told him,
and as she went on with the strange
story of her own life he knew what
mad brought the shadow to her young
eyes. She had been washed to the
shore in boat tossing upon a stormy
sea before she was old enough to re-
member anything about 1t. A man and
woman found drowned later were
thought to have been her parents, but
she had never known. A fisherman find
Ing the child carried her to his wife
who had befriended her, until as the
girl grew and the wife became an in.
valid the charge was transferred.
They called her Dawn" the girl
told him blushingly, because it had
been at dawn that the fisherman found
her.
And as days passed and Dawn came
to pose for the artist ne learned more
and more OF the hard incongruity Of q
young life which longed for great
things and must be satisfied with COM
mon duties. Dawn's heart was full
f music and her mind yearned for
When upon his return later from the |
lily Barris learned from his old house |
keeper that Dawn's invalid charge had |
lied he sent at once for the girl and |
)ade her make her home in his house |
IN the shore, arranging passage for
Ter to and from a school in the adjoin-
ng village and finding her a music
eacher there. Then in the absorbing
of his city studio the artist
orgot about the little girl, who never
leased to think Of him with reverent
ldoration.
Barris, long absent from the house
y the sea, sought 1t out again after
me of his trips abroad and learned
rom the old housekeeper that his
'rotege had secured a position as
eacher in a nearby village and left
vord that he would hear from her later.
The artist smiled and frowned. "She
hould have allowed me to complete
er education" he said. Then his
LEASED eyes fell upon the inviting fur
fishing of his beloved old room.
you keep the place up WELL" he
his housekeeper.
That's Dawn" the woman replied:
she comes out here and sees that
Kings is all new an convenient. We
lust keep 1t home-for him. she
avs"
After that came to the artist regu-
irly small checks In the name Of the
illage bank, with notes in a girlish
and.
"Of course / can never repay what
on have done for me-" wrote Dawn,
this is just to- assure myself that I
Ould If could"
And at length, wearied by labor and
with flattering attentions,
lme to Barris longing wish for the
estful house by the shore And when
e reached 1t at shutdown, sailing again
cross the golden water toward him,
lme the girl who had made his great
cture. Standing on the sands at her
de he told her so.
"You speak Of repaying your debt
me-" said Barris. "My dear girl
, you realize that 1t is l who am in
ebted to you?-for my success, for