The Washington times., 1923-12-28
By Gertrude Anterior.
and One Of the Most Widely
Read Writers Of the Day.


Author Of Many Notable Novels,
and One Of the Most Widely
Read Writers Of the Day.
you've always been a star Of
some sort, and you've never dis.
couraged yourself-except when IN
the dumps-out Of the belief that
a fixed position was waiting for
you in the stellar armament. To
vary the metaphor, you've always
been in the crack regiment, even
when the regiment was, composed
of cub reporters And you'd
find yourself shrinking shrinking
nothing but famous Woman's
husband-lover, would be perhaps
more like It.
Memories
Here Claver1ng swore ana start
ed down the room again. That
interview in the library two weeks
ago tonight came back to him. He
had banished it's memory and she
had been feminine and exquisite,
and young, ever since. But that
sudden vision Of her standing by
the table as he had rushed to her
succor, calm and contemptuous In
her indonitable powers, weakened
his muscles and he walked UNI.
steadily.
Miss Dwight went on calmly.
''For she is going to be a very IA.
nous woman, make no doubt about
that. It's quite on the cards that.
she may have a niche In history.
You might be useful to her in.
many ways. with that brain Of
yours, but IL was given to you for
another purpose. apd you'd end by
leaving her. You'd come home like
a sick dog to its kennel-and be-
como q hack. Your genius would
: have shrivelled TO the roots. II
you give her up now your very
unhappiness and batfled longings
will make you do greater and
greater things. Talent needs the
pleasant pastures Of content to
browse on but they sicken genius.
If you married her you WOULDN'T
even have the pastures after the
first dream was over and you
certainly would have neither
the independence Of action nor
the background of tragedy so
necessary to your genius. That
needs stones to bite on, not
husks =. Believe me, know
what I am talking about. I
have been through worse. II per-
sonal happiness were brought to
me on a gold platter with Divine
assurance that 1t would last
which It never does-remember
that, Claverly-I should laugh In
it's face. And II you let her 90
now you win one day say the same
thing yourself"
But Clavering had made . vi0-
lent rebound. He threw. himself
into q chair and Lit a cigarette.
smiling at her indulgently. The
trouble with you, Cora" he said,
els that you are-and probably al
ways were-artist first and woman
last. II you'd got the man you
thought you wanted you'd have
chucked him in about six months.
But happen to be q man first
and artist next"
Miss Dwight shrugged her
shoulders. ''Will you deny that
you have been completely happy
while writing that play? So happy
and absorbed that you forgot
everything else on earth-and
everybody"
That's true enough. But II its
q mere question of happiness.
that's not the sort that lasts, and
the reaction is frightfuL I am be-
ginning to feel a hideous sense Of
loss and wish had It to do all
over again"
You can 30 TO work on an
other"
"I'n never feel to another play
as I have to this"
That's what every artist has
said to himself since the gods
plucked out a rib and invented the
breed. Even II you do your
comedy next your submergence will
be precisely the same. It's the
creative pot boiling that does the