"The Lie Direct"

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13715, 3 October 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

"The Lie Direct"

Two men went up into the sanctum >&iu-u>iujii of tho yuilldriVftn' Club to luxiib. The younger wax a writer of lictioii ami the elder a clergyman, his fri-. nd and k"** l - by ciutlKr erteouitteied on a iaiv visit to town. They were evidently absorbed in di« ctissioii when they sat down, for the host baldly inteiinpled hiui.self long eti oiii;li to i>ive tb<- htjrb&l of oldeis to (he altendaut waller ln'!or* he leaned forward across ih,- tabic and lesiiriied r-.ij-crly : " l.ft the critics rage furiously loto-th.r it tiny Hill" referring t<» a controversy excited by gii* of hi- lat<storitrs. "The tbiiiL' i* g"in;f to ■.land' I believe, and 111 go bail (here's no rea M.nablo person who iliw?,n't bdi.ve. that falsehood is jiistiliablc. and nrntc thai, jusliliablr. on many occasion-*. " "Only ,-v.rybo.iy" will differ as to the o.casioirs." put, in the clergyman. lh»hiillioiir in tlw- coiiirrs of his eyes conn (.■(balanced by (he nr.iv,(ie>* ..I'the luifi aboiii hi?, month ill j»o tunlirr lh.ill tint ..,11(11.ued i he wnt-T, ..tiiLinj,; his hand on lb.- table imj.trssively " In (he .-ir.-imnl.ili. n a. I dr.ci.Ud thrill. 1 won't .-all it lals|„„,d ' 1 agn. with wiiocv.r t! was who -aid thai on- li«-d only when one i,.i.-i,!i..ii..!ly <b'-n<.--i a person who had a i ..'hi- to know i he it tub "And *ti|>|»*<-. -nd the iir»n\im.n. with -ii.ld.-J. < Jiiictce.■'-. "'hr Lr,owl.-d>ie ~! ih-- liulh could b- iruvl, paitdiil. ii.rmtul .v.n. I- 110 i*r»w. who had the iivlit to it What tli'-nT Would you > d! owe it t<" torn, or not'" Wi.v. (tiro o! ...UKc, I Woildlit tell ,:.: iiKWIrJ tW otfiT- " YtiU mijfht.

call it what jou liked I * uuiiM be a passive- 1 he, li/ .joUrte »paj;« Ueular about its front i. mi*, -but there u.ne been lots' of tin, 0n..-., .ictnvjy and, pi>>M\\ly told. suue ih- wot Id b-gan " "• "Fine?" echoed ( ,ilie -. cleigvman, thoughtfully. " I wonder.!" ", ' ..' ;'.' " Pitting proper, expedient," ' amended tlis writer, impatiently. " ' , ". •' Fitting -proper, repeated the clergyman—" even when the result ap-. ptared to justify it. I—wonder!" ' '

He sank into a reverie iso profound that the younger nian had to call 'his attention'' to the fact that food was-heing offered to him; and then he helped" himself 'meehanieally, as •if his min'd had drifted too far to be immediatelv recalled ; to" material things. • "-.-.., ) « "I wonder!" he said- again, - vaguely, ■ sad and thoughtful, ■i v,:us once.-yon see."-he- went ™ making a sudden effort' and looking ht<i companion in the face • with - a directnaife that--was' almost, disconcerting; "1 was once mvohvd in a cas, mb a lie: clined if you have- no objections; to tell you the whole story and let v 6u judge. J Some years ago. I broke/ down -from overwork and worry,, and was ordered away for .my ...health. I chose to tr*Vi( about my -own conntrv. and AS at a certain place where manv-peopt go to recover from imaginary met a man who was being slowlv crim>le.l His place afc . t he (aoh> was; next'to mmel and every day he was hronghf- in™ *«". . erf fed neatly and Wpedl ■tiowly by his manservant were, almost useless), and fetched awJv again. Curing the m «al. whp „ r^*g and I found h.m.so cultivated., ennrmirJ and humorous a companion that, for "& tun u" or- ft 7 - J rietv" ind , ul s ,n s myself in\ hj« ' 6o-

,'S 1 '', ,ra " 1° '"dulgen.v at all .to him." x,,d:the- writer. 'wh.?e: affect ion for friend ,vas;one of-long

It w! hk \ ng h,ch s p ,an g % A own w kBS ° n ' **■'*** - ,h *n'on Wir own. We were mutually attWted i'rr' „ P 'L°3 became T.f.o n n fuhdSmrenrtij differences in .disposition. ' opih-' have, borne afflict.on -with 4 braver patience than he-the braver in that'h/'did not look to a hereafter for comfort 'V' ; " ' A.continuous powder .and-no jam- tW come, threjr; in the wtiter.; with• thJ l glare of battle m his . eye, for he alsri , had opinion* and beliefs at variance with those of h.s. companion.- >'There, area, good many of us who have fo face that" > «ot many in worse .case . than--lie. " returned the clergyman, gentlv, declining to be,drawn into discussion. /"But ah though the use of his Jinih« ?llß ' denied!him. he took a keener delight than any man 1 have -ever known in the comi>e».sations that life mind, through boolfi, and his sens-is, through contact with the oute* world, brought him. Beautv of fotour ami form, beauty in nature, beautv. in pie. wss an exquisite pleasure to him. and music an intense—l had almost said a sacred p»«;ion. He drank in lovelv sights and sweet sounds with an almost* painful appreciation, and I remember w < II hi* telling me in has whimsical wnv—it wast during one of the last convereatiore I had with him before mv departure—tliat, travel about as I would with rnr mere" automatic arms and legs, I t-ould* hey** overtake such happiness as he did on the wings of harmony.

" We correspond, from time to time, for a year or two, I in the wsual manner, and he fey means of dictation to the eervant, who was an earnest if-nojnewhat poor performer on the tvpewriter. But gradually the thread of our tnter-cburs* was broken in some way, and our letter* ceased." .

"I've always said that nothing but community of interests preserved friendship,*' declared the writer, sententioiwlv, .'\with the exception, of .course, of ■ onr *<vwn."" "I jw«j surprised, therefore.''" went on tivri months »go. tf brief that a greaf sorrow' and great.'joy. had come into his life almc«t slmultaneoWilv, and begging me to go with him. if oft might so far trespass uiwn our acquaintance, as he had ' matters which it (je--hoved a man'—l am rejieating his word* --' to roneult. another wiser tJ/ui hini-. e*jf.' I started at onw. rt tookni*' ail day m accomplish the journer, aiid it was early morning when 1 arrfved at the little station lie had mentioned as the place whete !nv would send somebody Vo meet me. I fmmd the carriage without difficulty,-, and was driven for some five m£e« •J>w»ugh the beanlifol autumn woods, ;•■..:■*■■ '

"It wa* a : W\ square, eomfortable-' looking paperweight of a house,""'' h* went, on after :i moment. ,v beaming welcome from an open from iloor, whew mr friends confidential liervant stood- waiting lor me. He eoudueied me at once to tnv room, trying that dinner would he serv/d as soon as J could make mvtelf r*adv and join his master in the lih'rarv. This i made ha&: e to do. I found mv friend in bis wheeled chair, near a eiieerfuilr crackling tire in a delightful room lined with biiokis from it* <;cnrlet carpeted floor to kg oak-beamed ceiling. He welcomed' me warmly, and yet with a certain restraint, and J felt—it. m igJ a have bteu i;ume riiibtle t bought-sransfemie,--! hat tlm thing he had in his mind to diseUhs with ine wax one which only an extremity of trouble would have induced him to" discuss with any man. •• Dhiner was announced almost, before our first greetings wem over, and an *«- celieni dinner it wa> -cooked, bv an ojd woman who, he declared, had " virtually ruled him and the house ever ha roiild remember, and waited upon by flu man, who also attended to hi s master'* peculiar need* with the utmost swiftness and dexterity. The household, i'liubvcijuently learned, consisted of ouJy. tbee>« two, an elderly lujusruiaid, and the" whitehaired coachman who had driven ■mo from the station

'"Why they stay with mo in this t.utuf• the-way place, without a grumble, iill the year round. I can't se«," »>»id my 1i..-.i. after our meal was over and?"** were oiii-c more- alone- in tha library. 'Awl. by Ibrt way,' lie added, turning ins face toward iii.i Multlf-uly, " I . don't know whether 1 mentioned that h«v had a particularly hamlMiin* fact 'apropos of Mciiij;. what 1 haw not tiH-n before, 1 shall haw no fuiiht'r chance, of *i». forming myself about noir, fur 1 Ji&vei become, in these last i!ii months, com plet-ly blind.' '" "I"tit- unexpected horror of the . an-iii.tiiiiviiii-nt. th.>.shock i«f it, left me tor the motm-n'i. xpc-'chlci. Hut I look**! ut tiflu and saw, what 1 xllppu*' I might. Hi ,i m>.ro direct light have noticed brtore. that In* «yes had the dull, dumb <ur« til blindit.ssx. BcfoK* I lie itiattic tliate solllid of pity I made conhl haw reached him. he continued:- " J tia.-d to tell inyvrlf. qnitt. »itu*itly. I think, that as long at I had an ey« ..i an cat hit I'd not wast* any tiaw envying any oiler man Nature -swms • i hav'.- U-n alraid id w too much. »., si..- has < Ui oil my power* of vi*«ut> That .* th« great sitinw that has ranw to mt. Tin- (jr-af j<>y. if I may accept it sand it. i* about that that I hav«- U*n driven by my c.nin-im>«"' to consult yoilt. i. ih.it 1 hate found or perhaps, as that- ■ sts a . - rl ..in amount of activity, uii my part." I'd «ay Fair ha-" lotlfid for U>line, living .it my v it gate", a Wo llt.ili who lov<J< mi-'' ■• H- appeared to di< ».l interruption, b«r h- «'i-.t on hurriedly: ' Kiifaord:(i«>. rni it l!»t Set m<- toll you how a happfad J"t>- a £ar:isfl out them lit

the south, and last summer, soon after this ihing came upon me, I <used to have mrself wheeled there and .left, in the shade for hours to think tilings- out where I could feel light and colour and fresh air about me. On the other side of my ■wall is a cottage, and one day she began to'.flay, play like an angel. Yon know how that would move me. I sent a note to'her telling her that a blind beggar.bad been lifted into heaven for a little while by her music and would be glad if, of "her clemency, he might sometimes be so lifted again. After that she played to me every day. and so, she being alone—for her mother, it seem*, had died early in the spring, soon after they- came—and I being lonely, we gradually drifted into—. Oh, I know it's monstrous V he exclaimed, breaking off in his recital, and evidently afraid of the mental recoil he suspected in me, 'monstrous to consider that- a beautiful young woman should .bear. the name, even, of wife to me; but she is very poor, and now entirely desolate. I am, comparatively \ speaking, well off, and 1 cannot live long! I shall at least leave her better able to fight the world. TouMl think I could do that, 1 suppose, in any event, for a man such as I am—a sight - lea* head in command of a body that cannot move hand or foot—might will what be pleased to any woman without excrtrag'adverse comment: but I ask you. haven* I the right to allow myself the happiness of hex near companionship for whatever time it may be before I die? It seems to me that I have, since, instead of shrinking-from me, she loves me. and . » willing,.-indeed—bless her wonderful * heart for it—wilful to. marry me. What time is it?' be cried abruptly, turning his blank, eyes toward the clock on the mantelpiece. •"Five minutes before* : nine; I- answered. ,',,'., ""She will be here directly, he said. *I had a piano of my mothers put in order and moved in here as soon as the garden, grew too cold for me. You will see her with me, and alone if you like, and to-morrow you must tell me. 1 man to man, what you think I ought or ought.not to do. She knows that I wa* to write and put the case before you, but she will be surprised to find yon here.* : - . • "I will do.my best,' said I, infinitely moved, 'to make friends with her.' ■ "*I wish I could tell what you are thinking now V he cried out with sudden passion, and then, before I could reply, he said, 'Hush,'. I bear her in the hall.' "AH the excitement died out of bV> face,, leaving it white and drawn, but peaceful. I' had heard nothing. "*She's coming,' he whispered, 'and shell be so embaratsed, poor, pretty soul. She thinks it's of no account, her being pretty, but I tell ber that, blind as I am, I think I feel the atmosphere of her beauty, and if she were plain the would not please me eo.* "*As he spoke the curtains in front of the doorway parted. My eyes, lifted to the height of fair tallncss they, expected to encounter, looked for an instant upon vacancy. ■* They they dropped- to meet those "of a grotesque and piteous little hunchback, whose agonised gaze cried to irie, as did the hitching of her poor shoulders and tho sudden, trenaoling flutter of her hands* fo her mouth :" ■' For God's sake, don't betray me V .** He leaned his head a little, on one ' side, listening .to the silence. Then he said to me, laughing: "Is'.sbe as charming as all that? Or do you tcTrain from speech/for fear of' alarming'her?' "She stood quite etill, her sharp-feat-ured, tragic face,\ with its halo of reddish hair, raised toward mine, and her expression imploring, pleading, mutely compelling me. " 1 had to answer his question. "'Both,' I-said. ..** As I .finished he called to her: '1 always knew" you were* lovely. Kica. but this is a real dumbness j»f adniirationj' ~«£'"_. I ~*£-.i~ z .&*j. -'-',.■ "Shp< bsd~fant4rticaDy described* S^'jii-herself after bearing her play, the* Twine time dwelling upon the bappinetis it was to him to think -of her «».. She had longed to make her affliction known to him. but for his own sake had not dared. "*No one here will undweive him urikil* you. bid them.' she Mid. 'and ynu wfli not be so cruel! What has lie left in life but this illmion* What have I but my love for him?' .**. And she did love him! I had seen tendermts and pity leap from Iht eye* whenever.they turned in Ms- direction, and. he r . Whaf t~h«u\<l-p man have don**?" ended the clergyman.. The writer shook his" h£S«. "What did you do?" he asked rather linar>«"r. "I married tlvm." answered the other •imply.—Caroline Du*r, in 31cClure*s Magazine.