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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1917)
THE SUNDAY FICTION MAGAZINE, MARCH 25, 191 need,, a cry within her for something to love; something to expend herself upon; somebody to help; she wanted passion ately to be a necessity in somebody's , life. ; A sobering: thought came. In her mar- rlagcSJwlth George she had never thought of helping- him; just taking and resent' ing, never coming to any fine under standings. But would George have been capable of understanding! That she had never tried to. discover. It was all too perplexing, this finding herself at the mercy of life, and she was relieved when Nell came sweeping in. She ran at once to Daphne and began to speak quickly, as thought fires consumed her. The rays from the guttering candle fell upon her as she stood, lending a tint of amber to the white dress of marquis ette, with its wide silk girdle. "Oh, Daphne, you know my secret now!" she cried. "Sit down, Nell. Draw that chair up close. Now what have I discovered?" "That Karl and I have been friends, dear friends, since I met him at the Benderlys attic. This is the first time he has been here, but we've been many places together. Once we took a long. long ride away but Into the country to gether. He is wonderful!" Daphne looked surprised, tried not to if appear condemning, since thoughts of Rachel Sayre would intrude all that Rachel Sayre had borne and sacrificed for this boy with the big gift. "It's a surprise, Nell. Tell me about it all, if you wish." "Oh, there's so much words can't tell," said .Nell as she sank on a foot stool near Daphne. She seemed wrapped . in a tender egotism at what proudly she wanted to tell. "We were drawn togeth ter that first evening. He played to me 'alone, but of course nobody else guessed that. He telephoned me one evening .when you were out, and I met him and : we dined together." "And then?" ' "Just one meeting after another, go lng to plays, listening to music. And oh, Daphne, some day he's going to be a great artist. And he finds in me his Sayre fitted them out for him. She be lieved in his talent and she'd made a good bit of money out of her garden il lustrations. But, Nell, his rooms alone at night?" Nell flashed a scornful look at het friend. "Daphne! And that after all your talk of freedom and going your own way. If I cannot do as I wish to do I might as well have stayed with Bobl" So Daphne said no more. XIV. KLIi, beautiful with the thought. u. her great service upon her, left Daphne the next night to meet Karl. Shielded by the thought ful screen, he bent and kissed her. greatest inspiration. It's all been too sacred to talk about." Her voice fell. ) Nell's hand reached out and found Daphne's. Daphne hated to spoil the moment, but the words were at her lips. "And what of Rachel Sayre? She's helped him since- first he came to New -v jYork, penniless, unknown. She loves him." J "And he loved her, at first. Daphne, and he's grateful to her; truly he is. But she doesn't understand him. He's very sensitive and he shrivels under her rough handling. She wants ' to push him for jward whence realizes that it's a matter of slow growth and some one near to help and encourage him and be with him in his let-down moments." Daphne concluded to speak bluntly. So: "You don't love him, do you, Nell?" "Ton shock me. Daphne. It's too high, too pure a thing, this rare association, to 'designate by ordinary terms." She con- iinued,' musingly, after a moment of; rquiet while the light went on calmly flickering to Its end : "You know it's something to look forward to after a day's grind the meeting a man with a flne soul. -And one whoneeds you, to whom the very fact of your living means music to give out to the world. And now, Daphne, has come the greatest of all!" She leaned nearer, spoke almost in a whisper: : "He has written something for me alone. And tomorrow nigtjt he is to play it to me all alone!" "All alone?" "Yes; in his rooms, after we've dined together. His place is beautiful as though, he says, he had built into it a dream of me. He says I will love' his studio; .that I will fill it with grace, call forth the spirit of harmony; of great melodies." Nell had forgotten Daphne really in her repetitions; she was saying them over for herself. "I've heard of his .rooms, Rachel Daphne was remaining at home to write. Nell wore a green dress, a soft olive with a cream lace collar high in the neck and rolling to a point in front, revealing lovely lines and white skin, . "You look like a high priestess," said Daphne. Nell didn't like the teasing remark. She said good-by rather coldly and went out to her tryst. Daphne wrdte a page. Then the tele phone rang and she knew Billy was call ing her. She went out into the hall to answer him. Billy's cheerful voice really came Pinging over the wires She refused at once his request to go out with him; or to let him call. She didn't want to see Billy. She told him so, and he laughed in disbelief. And while he was still try ing to persuade Iter, she cut him off. A half hour later a messenger brought her a letter. Despite her efforts at mastery, her hands trembled as she tore open the envelope. Billy had written: I'm surprised at myself that I'm not completely bowled over by love of you. But let's talk things out a bit more. You didn't give me half a chance last night. I know I'm more than terribly fond of you, Daphne. I'd do a great deal for s you. You attracted me strongly the , first time I met you, with your eyes the color of my favorite marble - when I was 10. That's something, isn't it? Brown that marble was, -with deep gold sparkles in it Lord, how I loved and cherished it! And , your lips, that lure one. I even re member the black dress, with the white collar. It wasnt smart, but it had an air. Do let me sed you, Virl, for remember, I'd sacrifice a great deal for you. Billy. Daphne carefully folded the letter and tore it into little bits, which she dropped into her waste "basket and let her mind dwell on the thought of the few weeks of undoubted happiness Bhe'd experience be ing every day with "Billy, waiting for Eilly In the evenings, reading with Billy, listening to Billy's exquisitely funny de ductions on woman. She didn't scold herself for the digression. - "After all," she mused, "I have grown some. If I hadn't, I'd just proceed to captivate Billy, fill his imagination and marry him as soon as legally possible; though all the time I'd sense deep- in my heart the ultimate pain I'd know." r . SO SHE flung up ier head, and went back deliberately and with firm hand and brave spirit to work. i At 10 a gloved hand that shook opened the door. Daphne, now writing madly, looked up. Nell it was who stumbled in. And at sight, of 'her face, drenched of., all its lights, Daphne started forward. "Don't look at me, Daphne!" Nell cried. "Please!" So Daphne forebore, and Nell went , on Into the alcove. Daphne heard her mar?' lng about swiftly; and "then silence, a long silence. Daphne finally could no longer stand that silence. So she went softly into the inner room. Nell was sitting' on the edge of the bed. looking- straight before her. She had attempted no light. She did-not turn as Daphne came fn. ; - 5 Daphne went and stood close to her. "And so that is how it came out, little girl?" she said very lovingly and very understanding y. "That Is how it onm nut Tia,.i - I Nell repeated. "He said of course he j thought I understood. I I cried and he -held me and tried to soothe me, but be couldn't soothe the hurt he'd given me. I'd dreamed of being a white light to him, with no thought of passion and -baser things." , Daphne spoke sharply, letting her hand fall on Nell's shoulder. "Nell." she cried, "try to be honest with yourself!" Nell shrank as though) a lash had scourged her. She made to move from under Daphne's touch, tried to fchow forth her indignation at Daphne's brutal ity. But she felt the direct gaze above her piercing into her, unwavering. At last, after a long- time, she spoke. In a voice scarcely audible. "I couldn't think. Daphne, that he re garded me so lightly. It was terrible to me when the realization came. Why, he had white roses all about, and he played ' .to me with the lights turned low and there Was the fragrance of the flowers, the long echoes of the wonderful music I felt like the one woman in all the world to him.'V ' . "Bat you did understand yourself, didn't you?" came from Daphne, inexor ably. - V ; 1 Nell rose from the bed. She stood In the dark save for the gleam that came through from the larger room. "Oh, Daphne, yes why do you drag me out before myself? Yea, yes, yes! i; knew all the time It was one way of playing at love. I'm shamed, fthamed ' now. But work like mine isn't enough to fill up life. And when Karl came he met my need for light and change and