Evening star., 1935-06-02
June 2, 1885


be deserted and neglected, or, which
turns out the same thing. to be liked
too well, and so avoided. But | resign
the rule to you and will cndeavor to
conform to the laws you have en-
acted"
Instead of accepting this as sur
render to him, he took it as approval of
his mission to Irving. and he wrote her
that he was called back to France at
once.
This threw Mary into a panic. She
was afraid that once he reached Paris.
he would lay the whole matter before
Irving. She dreaded furnishing that
dear clown with material for more
buffoonery. She wrote:
Though l am q little fool, do not
make me appear SO in Rue Richelieu
by repeating tales out of school.
But ! am not afraid; am sure you
love me well enough not to be acces-
sorry in making me appear ridiculous
to one whom like and esteem, though
am sure that the time and space
between us will never be shortened.
:. Again be not a telltale. So God
bless you, Give my love, of course
Platonic. to Irvine. am yours
ever :. .
Still he was unable to read the shy
wooing Of himself in her letter, or to
realize that it really was he who had
thrown her over. Afraid to go to her,
he wrote in final farewell:
MY dearest Friend. shall be on
my way to Paris when you get this.
Who will be your favored escort now!
. . Who will love you with all his
heart, and not quarrel with you or
with himsek when you tempt MIN to
encourage great disposition in you
to love somebody else? . &. My dearest
friend, thousand and thousand
wishes and prayers for your happiness.
God forever bless you. -
And so he left England, left his
heart there. He took with him all of
Mary's many letters to him to prove
to Irving what great warm soul she
had. He had feared his friend as his
rival. Now he was afraid only that
Irving might laugh at his proffcr of his
sweetheart. Even he could see kind
of crazy farcical insanity in his
tragedy. Yet if Irving should laugh at
him. he would probably kill the clown.
When he reached Paris he had his
opening speech all rehearsed and
ready for the meeting with Irving. But
Irving was not at home. The play
could not proceed till the other actor
made his appearance. Payne tried to
strengthen his irresolution by the help
of the decanter on the sideboard. As
the delay grew longer, the decanter
grew emptier and Payne fuller He was
full and furious by the time Irving
came in, all ignorant of the fact that
he was being waited for.
LCiotC dyiiC IOulu ONSln TIC play,
Irving threw him into hopeless con-
fusion by saying: I'm glad you got
here at last. for couldn't explain it all
by letter. And I'm glad you're evil
IDENTIFY miffed at me about something.
for that will make it easier to dissolve
our partnership"
What's that?" Payne gasped.
I've decided to give up play
writing. I've decided to go in for solid
history, for research. A great collection
of manuscripts about Christopher
Columbus has just been discovered
and published in Spain. The American
minister there has asked me to come
down and translate them. He will
make me vice-consul and pay me a
salary. So I'm going to Spain and live
there. like Spain. think I can
forget certain things there. Let's
drink to - oblivion and hard work"
He tilted the dccanter's last drops
into two glasses and offered Payne
one of them. Payne threw the liquor
into his hot throat. then hurled the
glass into the fireplace with splinter
ing smash. Irving stared at him, quiz
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