The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-08-28

The Cactus

The Cactus
CepyrSSkf. 1880. bv Dosbicdav. Page
4 Co: pshitshsd ~ special ar
rcsc~mcrf srish the wheeler Svs-
dicafc. fHc-
The most notable thing about
Tune Is that II is 20 purely relative.
4 large amount of reminiscenco u.
~ common consent. conceded 10 the
druwnlng man. and n h not past
1sIief that one may review an en-
urv courtship while removing ones
gloves.
That 10 what Trysdais was doing
Standing BY : table In his bachelor
apartment& On tho table stood a
singular hooking green plant in a red
eArthen jar. Tho plant was one Of
the species cf cacti. and was pro-
yvided with long. tentacular leaves
| ahat pcrpetuaily swayed with the
istEhtcst brecze with peculiar beck.
Sning motion
Trysdaie's friend. tho brother Of
| the bride. stood at sidebosrd com
| plAining at being allowed to drink
| alone Both men were In evening
&rv~<. White favors like stars upon
| thetr coats shone thru tho gloom OF
! ohe apartment
A. he slowly unbuttoned his gloves
zero passed thru Trysdaie's mind q
i OWift. scarlfying retrospect Of the
| ~ few hours II seemed that in
II uostrfls was still the scent Of the
/ DvwcrD thai had been banked In
| noprous maDeu about the church.
- n his ears the low-pitchcd hum
~ ! thousand wellbrcd voices. the
4 1unt1e oe crisp garments. and most
Il hsistsntly recurring. the drAwiing
4 words Of the minister irrsvocabiy
ondlng her TO another.
i Tum this last. hopeless point Of
Slew Ae stili sfrove. a. n II haA be-
eume habit Of his mind. TO reach
some conjecture "A to why and how
/ NJ had lost her shaken rudeiy by
4 the uncompromising fact. he had
| Goddenly found himself confronted
/ ~ . thing be had never before faced
s-his own innerulost. unmitieated.
ond unbedeeked self. He saw all the
Qrbs Of prctense and cgoism that
- had worn now turn 10 rags Of
I ferly. He had shuddered mt the
bought that to others. before now.
the garments Of his soul must have
appeared sorry and threadbare- Van
~ and conceits These were tho
jDints In his armour. And how free
j from either she had always been
Dut why
i A. she had slowly moved up the
aisle. toward the altar he had felt an
unworthy. sullcn exultation that had
Grved to support him. lie had told
himself that her paleness was from
thoughts Of another than the man to
4 whom she was about to give herself.
But even that poor consolation had
u been wrenched from him. For. when
- saw that swift, limpid. upward
lpok that she gave the man when he
oDok her hand. he knew himself TO
- forgotten. Once that same look
had been raised to him. and he had
ezuged its meaning. Indeed. his con
eeit had crumbied. It's last drop was
u ecne. Why had IL ended thus?
There had been no quarrel between
them, nothing
\ For the thousandth time he re-
msrshaled in his mind the events Of
those last few days before the tide
had 70 suddenly turned
u She had always insisted upon piac-
ing him upon a pedestal. and he had
i accepted her homage with royal
Il grandeur. 1t had been a very sweet
incsnsc that she had burned before
him: 10 modest Che told HIMSELF. so
childIike and worshipful. and Che
would once have sworn so sincere
Bhe had invested him with an almost
Supernatural number Of high attri-
sufes and exceIlencies and talents,
and he had absorbed the oblation as
desert drinks the rain that can
eoex from II no promise OF blossom
or fruit.
As Trysdale grimiy wrenched
apart the seam Of his last glove. the
ero~ning instance OF his fatuous and
taFdily mourned egoism came vividly
hack to him.
The scene was the night when he
mad asked her TO come up on his
pedestal with him and share his
pe2tness. He could not. now. for
ne pain OF IT. allow his mind to
swell upon the memory Of her con.
uncing beauty that night--the care.
Sss wave Of her hair. the tenderness
ana virginia. charm OF her looks and
Il words But they had been enough.
nd they had brought him 10 speak
During their conversation she had
n Md
And Captain Carruthers tells me
mat you speak the Spanish language
We native. Why have you hidden
Ms accomplishment from me7e Is
"ere anything you do not know"
wow, Carruthers was an idiot. No
s'ubt he TrysdaIc; had been guilty
ws sometimes did such things Of
sTlng at the club some old. csnting
stiban proverb dug from the hoteh-
wfch at the back OF dictionaries.
NrrutherH, who was one Of his In
msistent admirers. was the very
nan 70 have magnificd this exhibi-
~n Of doubtful erudition.
But. alas. the incense OF her ad
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