Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-11-26
One Man in His Time
Continued from yesterday3
by ELLEN GLASGOW.

that mournful Interrogation into the
twilight Something permanent 10
live by! In the mute desperation
OF her look she appeared TO be
searching tho garden, the world, and
tho immense darkness of tho Sky, for
III answer. Tho nttcrGiow had faded
slowly into tho blue dusk OF night:
only u faint thread OF gold still
fingered beyond tho ccdars on tho
Western horizon. Something pernia-
nent and indastructiblc! Was this
what humanity had struggled for
had lived and fought and died for
since man nrst cane UP out OF the
pritneval Jungle? where could ono
ind nnalterablc peace II 1, were not
nigh above tho cbb and now OF de-
sire? She herself might break away
from codes and customs. but she
could not break away from the strain
oi honor, Of simple rcctitude. which
WAS ia her blood and had made
ner what She wap
yes. there ought TO he something.
There Is some ching" she said glow
~. Though her hand still claspcd
Alice Rohehy's she was gazing be
yonh her across the terrace into the
garden. She thought % many things
while she sat there. with that look
rf rlairvoyance. 81 radiant vision. In
~" Eirl In q white dress. with
blrr hair ribbon that would never
stay tied: OF John Bcnham ahcn she
mad plsycd pail with him IN her
childhood. OF Kent rage and that
'punS i"v". so poignant while II
lasted. 30 utterly dead when Il wa,
over. 81 her long. long search for
perfection. for something that would
not pass away. ~ tho brief pleasures
and tho vain expectations OF ne:
~ IN" gray deserted road illled with
dead leaves and III. sound Of voices
far Of. Nothir.: but dead leaves and
distant voices that wen, by In
spite "f her beauty. nor hriil!anc..
h"r gallant heart, ,his was what life
had brought to her ~ the end only
loneliness aud the courage Of those
who have given always ana n"ycr
tccNlvcd.
Thor" g something ol>n. She sad
ASain There Is courage" Then. AS
The ether woman mad" no reply she
won't ON more rapidly Il wilI Do
what can y IS very ii''lc. /
cannot change him. | canno, make
h'n i""l again. Bu, Won can trust
me- You arc safe with me"
Z know ths." answered alice
ZOO s. voice thar sounded mumlcd ana
(.
h" ros" and r"adjusIed her vcii.
THAT means Il great DIAL" ~he I'D
% Il 'ph. ,hink :, n.aus that
Tho world has Grown better"
Doriuna stopped and kissed her.
-" ~ only means thu, some %. us
$3.50 learned TO live without happ!.
ness
She went with Alice 30 tho door.
aud ,h"n stood watching her d.sccnd
10" steps and enter tho small closed
"a! in tho drive. There Was II touch
INK sracc IN tho slight. shrinking
nsure. AZ II d, embodied in II single
mage all TIC women IN the worlu
wno had los, hope. yet II IS the
weak. the passive, who get what
they want IN the end" thought Cor
nna. as dispass!ona,eiy as II she
w"rc merely "a spectator. Il suppose
u Is because they need 1t more. They
have never learned TO do without
They do not know how 10 carry "a
broken heart" Then she smiled as
she turned back into the house. 1T
is very late and tho only certain
rules arc that ono must dine and
ono must dress for dinner"
little later. when John Benham
was announced and Sh. came down
10 the drawing room, her first glance
~ his face told her that she must
nc looking her best. She was wear
ing black. and beneath the white
lock in her dark hair. her face was
flushed with the color OF happiness
only her eyes. velvet soft and ns
deep rs a forest pool. had Il haunted
look.
Il have never" he said. seen you
look better"
She laughed After all. ono might
permit touch of coquetry In the
final announcement! Perhaps YOU
hsvo never really seen me before"
Though he looked puzzled. lie re-
snonded gaily: on the contrary.
have seen little else for the last two
or three months"
There was an edge o, irony to
hcr smile. Were you looking a,
mo or my shadow"
He shook hts head. Are shadows
ever as brilliant as that?"
Ihen before she could answer the
Judge came in with his cordial out
stretched hand and his air OF humor-
Gus urban!ty. as II he were too r,uch
Interested in the world to censure
IL. and yet too little Interested to
take II seriously. His face. with It's
thin austcrn features and it's kindly
expressions. showed the dryncss ina,
l.
lily. Benham. looking ut him closely
thought, "Ilc must be well over so
but .ho hasn't changed so much as
hair of his head In the last twenty
years"
At dinner Corinna was very CAV:
and her father. whose habit Il was
not TO inquire too deeply. observed
only that she was looking remark
ably well. The dininS-room was
lighted by candles which nickcrcd
gently In the breeze that rose and
fell on the terrace. In this wavcr-
ing Illuminating innumcrable little
shadows. like ghosts of butterflies
played over the faces of the two men.
n'se features were so much alike
and whose expressions differed so
DerVersely. In both Nature had bred
tyne: custom and tradition had
moulded the plastic substance and
rehned the edges; but. stronger than
either custom or tradition, the indi-
Nidual temperament, the inner spirit
or each man. had cast the trans
forming faro and shadow over the
outward form. And now they were
hiike only In their long, graceful
hSures. in their thin Roman fea-
lures. In their general air of urbane
distinction.
we were talking at the club Of
a nj