South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-26
Blind Mans HOhday-By O. Henry


sue time he appeared t1 himself 90
ae conceived shat DE followed ideals
% fine that the world was not yet
Eeady 20 accept them. During one
mood be cursed his follr possessed
b. the other. he bore himself with
serene grandeur akin TO great
ness. IN neither did he attain the
perspective.
Generations before. the name had
been Larsen His race had be-
queather him its lue-strunE. melan-
choly temperament lbs saving bali
auce q thrift and industry
From his point OF perspective he
saw himself 10 Dee q shady shulker
along the ragged edge of rcspecta-
bihty. a denizen des tro.s-Quarts du
monde that pathetic spheroid lyiUg
between the haut and the demi.
whose inhabitants envy each of their
neigh bors. and are scornvd hy both.
He was self-COndemued 90 This 0pIu-
ion N he was self-eXiled. through DO.
60 this quaint southern city thou
sand miles from his former home
here ne had dWelt for longer than n
fyear. knowing but few. keeping iu "a
fsubjective world Of shadows which
was invaded at times bv the per-
Then ne fell i'm love with girl
whom ne met I'm a cheap restaurant,
and his story begins.
The Rue Charities. in New Orleans.
is n street of ghosts It lies in the
quarter where the FrenChman. in
his prime. set up his translated pride
and glory. where. also the arrogant
don had staggered. and dreamed of
gold and grants and ladies'S gloves.
Every flagstone has its grooves
worn by footsteps guing royalty to
Che wooing and the fighting Every
house has q priucely hearthreak.
each doorway ite untold tale or sal
lant promise and slow decay.
By night the Rue Charities is now
but "a murky dssure. from which the
CROPPING Wavfarer sees. flung against
the sky. the tangled dligree of
| Moorish iron balconies The old
houses OF monsieur stand yet i'm
domit9hle against the century. but
their essence is gone. The street is
one OF ghosts 90 whOsoever can see
them.
a faint heartbeat Of the streets
/ ancient glory still survives in cor
! uer occupied by the Cafe Carabine
dor. once men gathered there TO
4 plot against kings and 90 warn pres
not the same kind OF men. a brass
button viii scatter these. JnOse
4 would have set their faces against
AN army Above the door hangs the
sign board. upon which has been de
4 pictcd a vast animal OF unfamiliar
a species. In the act of firing upon
q this monster is represented am un-
obtrusive human leveling an OBJ
trusive gun. once the color of bright
q a al It
8 ture is faded beyond conjecture, the
Il guns relation 20 the title is "a mat
p ter OF faith the mcnaced animal
q wearied of the long aim of the
hunter. has resolved itself into "a
shapeless blot.
i The place is known as "Antonio's Do
as the name. white upon the rcd-lll
i transparency. and gilt upon the win
4 dows attests. There is "a promise i'm
Antonio; a justihable expectancy
i of savOry things in oil and pepper
and wine and perhaps an angels
q whisper OF garlic. But the rest of
the name is o Riley,
The Carabine dor IS an iguomin-
s. ious ghost OF the Rue Charities. The
cafe where Bienville and Cont
Il dined. where a prince has broken
u bread. is become a family restaur-
4 ant"
It's custom er8 are working men
s and women, almost TO "A unit OC-
vasionally you will see chorus girls
Il from the cheaper theaters. and men
y who follow avocations subject TO
quick viCissitudes but at AutOuio'S
name rich in bohemian promise.
~ but tame in lhllment-manners de
bonair and gay are toned down 20
the family standard Should YOU
II light a cigarette. mine host viii
touch yon on the "arrumF and re-
mind YOU that the proprieties are
~ mcuaCed. Antonio" endCes and be-
Z Cuiles from fiery legend without but
/ 80 Riley teaches decorum within.
: 10 was at this restaurant that Lor-
+ is0p first saw the girl a flaShy fell
low with predatory eye had fol-
. bowed her I'm. and had advanced tO
take the other chair at the Little
table where she stopped. but Lori
s Son slipped into the seat before him.
ITheiT acquaintance began. and grew.
and now for two months they had
sat az the same table each evening.
not meeting by appointm cnt. but as
Z by "a series or fOrtuitOuS and
happy accidents. After dining they
would take a walk together i'm ONE
b. the little city parks or among
: ne panoramic markets where cN-
hibits n continuous vaudeville of
r. sights and sounds. Always at $
clock their steps led them to GER
ain street corner. where she prcttily
put firmly bade him good night and
) eft him Il do not live FAR from
s here." she frequently Said "and YOU
81. must let me go the rest OF the way
lone"
But now LorisOn discovered that
be wanted 20 so the rest of the way
With her or happiness would depart.
eaving him on a very lonely CORNER
y life And at the same time that
e made the discovery. The secret or
Is Punishment from the society of
he good laid its anger i'm his face
nd told him 10 must not be-
Man IS too thoroughly an ecUist
ct 20 be also an eEotist f DE love.
: he object shall know &c. During "a
fetime he may conceal 10 through
treas or expediency and honor. but
shall bubble from us dying lips.
houEh ~ disrupt a neishborh0od. To
a known, however, that most men
o not wait So long 90 disclose their
ASSIGN In the case OF Lor.son. his