San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-16
By Arnold Bennett
Illustrated by Hubert Matthew

off my head again, and / went back
to the cell. And they were all as
white as sheet, every one OF them.
My sentence was committed TO penal
servitude for life. / needn't tell you
there's no such thing really as life
sentence. After about a quarter Of q
century you're let out. A quarter OF
a century,
"You, sir, must have been aged
about three when my executioner had
a fit. All the time you were grow
ing up, governess, school, college /
suppose, fighting ! suppose, falling In
love suppose. I was in prison.
thinking about what mad jealousy
leads to. And I'm still thinking about
Il, and after what I've seen and
heard Of you tonight I'm thinking
about 1t now more than I have for
years. I'm not fifty"
mot fifty!" exclaimed Philip n
amazement.
"And I haven't told you all yet
haven't told you the worst part. As
the very moment when my execution.
er had his fit, my innocent DelphinA
wa. executed in another prison yard
in London. She hadn't been reprieved.
They'd allowed me to deceive myself,
for fear 1 might 90 mad. Someone
actually proposed that the other exc
cutioner who had dealt with Delphine
should come along and the next morn
ing deal with me. The scheme 'feU
through" as they say For one thing
the fellow refused. Executioners ara
very superstitious.
1--WE had all that to think over foe
q quarter Of a century. Of course I
don't feel it so much now-not nearly
so much. I'm numbed. You do get
numbed. i go about the world numb
ed. Nobody knows me. Naturally I
don't call myself Crazy" He turned
at last sharply to face Philip and said
with a sort of explosion: IF l wasn't
numbed l should have smashed this
plate-glass window with my fists long
before I'd finished telling you my
story"
At this point there was a thud just
outside the sun room, in the lounge.
Philip gave an involuntary cry. For
an instant he thought 1t was the exc
cutioner in a fit-astounding delusion
on his part!
The thud was the noise Of the fall
Of Philips young wife. Girlishly re-
penting her resolution to dine alone
and leave Philip to recover unaided
from his madness, Ethel had quilted
the dining room, crossed silently the
i lounge, anu,
enthralled by the discourse of Mr..
Crary to the window, had hidden her
self behind the wall which separated
the sun room from the easternmost
part of the lounge
She had withstood the terror of ths
recital as long as she could, and then
had faltered and dropped in the arched
opening between the rooms. She lay
there with her lovely raiment and
Jewels all disordered, and her face as
dead-white as the faces of the Off
Gals at the execution where the crimi-
nal was not executed. Mr.. Crary saw
her first and pointed to her. Philip
turned in obedience to Mr.. Crarys
soaring finger. He sprang from his
chair to the archway and knelt be-
side her, not in the least knowing
what to do.
"I,et her lie. She'll come round in
a minute" said Mr.. Crary proudly,
with his unmoving lips.
Philip was himself ready TO faint
under the fearful shocks of Mr.. Graz
| RVS tale with its tremendous moral
for the jealous. Mr.. Crary had put
Philip in terror Of the possibilities OF
his own instincts. The husband felt
as though he had just escaped catas-
trophe for which none but himself
could have been blamed, and as though
the catastrophe avoided might recur
soon or late in the future II he did
not watch over himself night and day.
He was nearly stunned by the reye-
lation OF himself to himself.
And also he was exquisitely and
profoundly touched BY the yielding
conjunction of his wife, who after.
leaving him to his folly had out OK
sheer loving good nature come back
TO wheedle and cajole him out Of his
folly.
He stroked her cold cheek, marvel
ing at the fineness of IL and at the
complex and delicate perfection OF the
organism which was she.
And the empty lounge brooded with
its rosy lamps and its Pickering fire,
Indifferent and yet warmly indulgent.
upon the group. And outside the
cleaning motor cars glided IN curves
against the glittering electric back
ground of the promenade and the
piers. And through the glass wall OF
the dining room walters attentive ana
deferential could be seen passing to
and fro. And there was not a sound.
And Mr.. Crary contemplated with
pride what he had done. the stipend
GUS impression he had msde, the
mighty lesson he had taught. After
a quarter of century Of martyrized
subsection Mr.. Crazy had risen sud-
denly TO majesty, 10 domination. to
sovereignty. He had imprinted him
self upon his fellow creatures. He
was saved from futility. The sub
| lime horror of his tragedy clothed
him. He lived again.
Returning life blood tinged the
young girls cheeks. Philip kissed
| them with tender violence. his pas
sion was to shield and cherish her. 20
surround her with protective atfec-
ton. His passion was by extraordi-
nary deeds of devotion 10 earn her
| forgiveness.
I'm all right" she murmured fee
bly,.
He picked her up IN his arms.
Light Light as down. He carried her
off swiftly toward the lift, the pale
wisp of the train Of her dress dragging
alons the carpet. The auburn girl
! and the yellow Eirl in their tight-fit-
| ting black. Gagged in the reception Of
| flee before vast books of account
these saw the pair first and caught
their breath. Then the hall porter.
meditating between notices OF thea
tiers, trains. and chara-bsncs, saw
them. They were in the lift. The
gate banged. The lift shot up, show
| ing through its bars q glimpse OF
white skirt against black coat. IL
Z wsS gone alOft.