The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1923-06-29
For moment stupor alone nos.

tSAnBiattVu, Sltiuuk lliuStkI 10 lne size
of the ants; or, rather, he had swelled
them to his dimensions; so that the
terrific completeness of the execution
performed by these three simple
sweeps of a simple broom left him pro-
foundry astonished. Then, as the daze
left him, a violence took Its place. He
faced her, he wanted to speak. and
he knew that what he wanted to say
was something irreparable. But no
words came; his throat was altogether
tight, his mind a whirllng blank.
Peter turned on his heel and walked
away. He walked out of the garden,
and up the path which led to the vii
lage. In the village was place where
one could drink: the plan at the back
Of his head was simple enough. He
would go to that place and drink;
drink till he fell like an OK struck
by the slaughtering hammer. But
that fixed point of intent within him
was small within the turmoil he had
become. He felt as II poisoned, alb
solutely poisoned. His head was hot,
he trembled: and a singular part OF
him. detached and wraith-like, hover
ing above him looked down with
amazement at his state.
He had seen something SO clearly;
he had felt it so poignantly-the min
ute eosmic tragedy of these ants. Had
she seen nothing at all? Had she felt
nothing?
reservoir deep within him began
TO surge. 1t was reservoir which
had been filling there in the dark,
drop by drop, for years. Several times
II had surged as It was now doing.
But only with tentative pulsing
which did not reach the rim. Now,
each surge brought the accumulated
reserve higher. Like some alchemist's
brew boiling on the fire, 1t rose, neared
the margin, collapsed, rose again. But
each OF its ebullitions was raising 1t
higher; nearer to the film which cur
tanned his consciousness from the dark
secrets beneath; nearer his clear con
seriousness, nearer his mouth-his
tongue, his lips.
And suddenly, with a new effort, II
bad done lit had brimmedl Clearly
he heard the words spoken In the 81
lent sunlight. The little glade resound-
ed to them spoken loud.
'Cruei-and stupid"
That Vas 1t. Cruel and stupid"
Three times he heard the words
spoken before complete understand
ing searched out his heart. And then,
to this full comprehension, no felt his
legs wobble. and abruptly sat down on
little mound of grass.
He remained seated thus, ipnmoblle.
his eyes fixed ahead as If upon a
ghost
So this is what IL had come to after
all those years. To this he had come,
after all those years.
To these words, spoken not merely
OF the lips, but exploslvely expelled
by his entirely certain being. every
drop, every cell, every nerve.
These words, final judgment.
"Cruel-and stupid
The glade was very quiet In the sun.
md insects hummed. Thoughts also
hummed about his head vague, form
less, buzziug thoughts, circling and
c,r.ting M, ol,yavs axod In tho
center. was the kernel fact.
Cruel and stupid"--that is what he
had called her.
- so,,,,od ~ hin, ,hot lang t,ma
had passed when suddenly, like a
,nage can,o c,oarIv before III. ayes
~ wos ,hat nic,,re ~ nor ~ sha
had Noon years 400 standing at Tho
IN. ~ t,,o adga 81 the goldan ea,d
III, hnr rad ,,nn,h her dow stor-I,le
49, ho,. oan.Ia hraos,s
ua oontem,Ia,ed This long and then
-. ,o,..,a - as1, t,,osaI, a e,,os,,nn
A. .ho stood thero that No lone
80 90 ,.ret,, 90 tondor ond GO warn,
~ his a,.,,s ached o,as che ,har nj.
road, vim, todav no had ca,led borg
r. that ,,oro f,no tho, ,yon,en wore
indead tarrthle
But II not true-what then?
strange new kind of discomfor,
toolz nossessiop of him. his mind os
If alrriehfea SHE'D To ono side. tried
ia boIf He forced il back 10 the pafb
.C'onstdar, no said ia his mind econ.
sider--you must consider that"
Her life immediately psssed nv him
In ono streak Her life since their
two lives had been side by side.
He souirmed
A drab life il was. drnb streak of
life. Poverty-to dullness -monotony
-smallness.
And loneliness. Yes very probably,
loneliness.
IIeY He had been absorbed. He
had been eombing and brushing and
sleeklng and curling his soul. He had
been a coxcomb of the soul.
He had cultivated II, enriched II.
He had colored II, chiseIed n. cher
ished ii. Like a diamond cutter alb
sorbed. without cease he had ground 1t
to new iridesceDces.
He had climbed hill, ceaselessly