Reading High School - Arxalma Yearbook (Reading, PA)

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6 THE RED AND BLACK Oh, hesaid in a fiat, colorless voice, it's you. Don't you want to See me, Dan? Elizabeth asked with insinuating gracious- ness, smiling feebly. Don't you really want to know me anymore? Come in, he said briefly, glancing at the chafing dish. I hope you'll excuse this unsightly evidence of ecomony, in- dustry, and lunch. My minion has not appeared to-day. This frequently happens of Sunday. on'Monday, after the laxity She has written me that she has 'ulsters on her throat'g and, with a flourish he carried the chafing dish into a darkened little alcove. Why, I don't mind, Dan- Elizabeth began with eager, condoning smile. Oh, I beg pardon, he interposed light- ly but definitely as he came back, I must apologize. Had I known you were com- ing, of course- and the sentence was completed by his refastening his collar and vigorously unrolling his sleeves to the wrists. Chilling though the welcome was, Elizabeth paused at the door of the big, bright studio, and looked about with dreamy eyes. Every little detail winged a memory to herg memories of the days when life to her had meant dreams and accomplishment, clay to be modeled by her febrile fingers under the prod and fire of inspirationg sacrifices to be made, rent paid with difiiculty and food often taken, from necessity, in homeopathic doses. Then as if by witchcraft all had been changed. Her father, after fifteen years of mining prospecting, had made a dazzling fortune in a far, isolated, north- western place, and had come out of the solltudes with the appetite of the starving for all that his gold could buy him. He was a rough grim man, with no artistic understanding, and one of the nrst things he had demanded was his only child. She must cease what he termed working for - ha forget that she had ever been anything ...ne what she was expected to become-Peter Alliens heiress, with a fortune to make longing eyes blink, able to buy whatever there was for sale in the high places of the earth. Well, she had made her choice two years ago, and Dan Varick had not forgiven her for it. Have you been back long? he asked. Only a week, Dan, and I came on the Deutschland. We found a furnished house on Park Avenue that does very well. She paused and added wistfully: I wanted to rush down here the first day, Dan. Your victoria is vastly becoming to you, Elizabeth. I saw you in it in the park yesterday-all tea rose colored lin- ing, and the men on the box all tea rose colored, too. Are they waiting for you now? She could not prevent an absurdly craven touch of apology from creeping in- to her Voice as she answered: Yes,I couldnft walk in these clothes, you know. I wonder how they'l1 stand the smells. The onion soup odor from the Italian restaurant around the corner is particu- larly strong on Mondays. A look like that of a misunderstood child rippled over the ivory pale oval of her face. It pulled on Dan's heart- strings. He had never seen her eyes more lovely, the pale blue light edging the dark iris so luminously. Certainly riches were vastly becoming to her. Why could he not softeng Why did he almost hate her?-and hate her most of all for coming in this azure, disquieting spring weather, with her haunting voice, and endearing smile, awaking the past and filling the room with ghosts? You're angry with me still, said Elizabeth, in her smallest voice. Yet what could I do, Dan? How could I have refused to go to Dad? .He ignored the question, stood up hastily, and walked up and down, his face lifted to the light. And yet, he said regretfully, you had talent-some genius. You were begin- ning to be known. ' It was terribly hard, she sighed. But you had it-your gift, he insist- ed 5 the gift given you of God-the magic in your hands of creating beauty. And you chucked this over for a carriage with a tea rose satin lining, and all lt stands for. He leaned against the wall and bit- terly studled her, from her artificially waved hair to her big-bowed shoes. You sold lt. You can live without it. Talk of 'messes of pottage' and 'selling birthrightsf Why, Good Lord! This beats 'em all! Elizabeth began tracing something on the floor with her parasol. Shadows pass- ed over her face, lightly, and left it as

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THE RED AND BLACK ,.,-,,.-.T.,- ,.,,,. , ,gvlkaiw Y Val. XVI. READING, PA., JUNE, 1913 No. 9 ' - 'faaig.gisii1a.. fff Q Q i- eY3iiIiiiQl5i 'ili'liiiii gig, i V .Q-.lp5.v,p TIIQREQIE if if f y- if l ' 1nt g . .:nti. lil1aE ..i i .- X -U I M :Lb ,Q wiv, Q A- Zf?4ff 'VJ' V .A - . lvzgf-Y -' - f4- -. -ar.-Q..- f - . --- D l ' fffg EDITORS-John G. Noll Wilbur Moyer , STRANGE GODS nr wimsuu M. Monza, '13. HE went up the narrow steps gaily, almost with a romping step, her parasol tucked under her arm, the feathers on her hat nodding above the expectant turnings of her head. Instead of two years ago it seemed but yesterday that she had said good-bye to this place, walking down slowly and look- ing bat-kg instead of a society beauty of transcontinental reputation, she was to- day the Elizabeth of the old days, who had so often climbed those wearisome stairs with tired feet in worn shoes. Her breath was faint and quick when she paused before a door at the head of the third landing and gazed at a. small, brass plate upon it as if it were the face of a dear friend. DANIEL VARICK. Then he was still in the building-she would see him-she would hear him say Beth -they would touch hands over the separation that had been as thorough as the splitting of a mountain by an earth- quake. She had not been fully aware un- til this moment how much this visit meant to her, and she realized now that if Dan were not in, the missing him would hurt her more than her gay, friendly seek- ing of him clearly explained. Her hand was already poised to knock when the sound ofa nian's footsteps came to her, and a voice she knew well hummed an old familiar song she loved and had often sung. She was sure of her welcome, sure of her charm as she knockedg her smile almost impertinent. After the door was opened the look changed slowly to dismay, then to disappointment. A young man in a 1J?li!lt01 S blouse filled the space. His thick, round throat was bare above the turned-in collar, his sleeves rolled above his elbows. His coarse waving hlond hair hung low over a. straight black brow. He had true, clean, lighting eyes of an undecided gray and full lips that at the present moment were unsmiling, and almost unfriendly. He was gripping the handle of a chafing dish, and he continued stirring something with a big spoong Elizabeth did not know what, but it smelled savory.

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LITERARY 7 pretty, untroubled, and confident as be fore. Ah, well, Danny, she murmured, even though you discountenance me as a woman of fashion and say horrid things about me, you do like me. We were such good chums. It used to be sweet here, running in and out of each other's stu- dios. I tell you I missed it a lot when I went in for heavy splendor in London. The others-Billy, Cis, Christy, all wrote to me. You never did-never answered one of my letters-painfully rude, honest- ly, Dan. But I heard all about you any- how and was awfully glad to hear of your successes. Dan did not answer. He seemed so thoughtful and calm, gazing into infinity, that she saw no danger in going quite close to him, touching his arm, letting her ungloved fingers twine insinuatlngly about it. You might have written, Danny. If you knew-oh, how I watched, watched, watched for a letter. The words were like a confession of a long deferred hope. He looked down in- to her eyes, her gaze remained tender, in- viting, dreaming. It was such a candid, soulful look apparently, such a false one as he well knewg his heart grew big with bitterness. You are fond of me, Dan? she asked, her eyes brightening as she saw his face twitch, though his jaw was set. Fond of you? The words were slow, unwillingly, almost angry. I loved you always. You always knew lt. She appeared startled. But you never told me, she murmured, her fingers still ruminatingly touching his sleeve. You knew it. A thousand times you tried to make me tell you. I meant to some day. I was only waiting then for success. I believed ln you then. You don't now? she queried, hurt. Now I know that this cat and mouse game has always been a favorite of yours. The tone was so hare of a shred of lllu- sion that her Angers fell sharply from his arm. He stood up, squaring his shoul- ders. You kept me hoping and fearing for a year, a fool's paradise: then you found you hadn't known your own mind! But don't say again you didn't know I loved you-I can't bear it. His hands came down upon her shoulders, the grip hurting her. Why, you came today feel- ing sure you'd only have to see me to find me the same miserable, romantic beggar you'd left, with love for you bubbling from his heart and peeping from his eyes -didn't you? You thought this little visit would be a little adventure, a sort of a spice to your ultra-fashionable life. He gave a short, miserable laugh, and rushed on vehemently. My dear Elizabeth, you had things all your own way long enough. You've played with me once too often today. Your eyes have been lying to me every moment since you came in. You've seen that I grow wretched and restless at the sight of you. You've watched me as Louis XI watched the suf- ferings of his tortured prisoners. She tried to draw away, but his eyes, with love, storm, and arralgnment mes- merized her into submission. I'm not playing that part any longer and starv- mg. He caught her to him abruptly. She could not resist. His burning, trembling lips, controlled her own. It was a wild kiss, ripe with the suppressed suffering of heart-sick, lonely years,-overpower ingly sad in a despairing farewell. , I love you, she heard him say faintly, brokenly. Oh, Beth, I love you. As summarily as he had taken her to him, he put her away and stood before her, pale and very grave. She was trem- bling as if a storm had whirled about her and left her faint. You had no right, she moaned be- tween her shut teeth. You dared-you've been a coward. I've just one question to ask you, and then we'll finish this scene, Dan said quietly. I've heard all about Lord Hen- ry Poyndale. In fact, I met him at dinner one day last week. You know I am some- times lnvited to one of your fashionable feasts to be scrutinized as some near. human curloslty. I heard there, of him and of you. Can you deny that the ruby on the third finger of that hand which rested on my arm a few moments ago was put there by this high nosed, light eyebrowed nobleman? Her eyelids hid her eyes from him, but a look of defeat and certainly of shame made a shadow around her mouth. She made no other reply than to walk slowly from the room. Through the sunlight and noise of the