Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 200, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 December 1922 — Page 12

12

A Hoosier Chronide By MEREDITH NICHOLSON First Novel in thè Times Series of Fiction Stories by Indiana "Writers. (Copyright. 1912. by KeresJtth Xieholson)

"I don’t belleve it‘s quite true that you have lost your lnfluence. I read thè newspapers, and some of them are saying that you are thè hope of your party, and that you have a largo following. But you wouldn't do that, Dan; you wouldn’t lend yourselt to euch a thing as that' "I’m not so sure,” he replled doggedly, angry that they should be discussing thè subject at all, though to be Bure he had lnfroduced It. "A man's famlìy lias gotto surfer for his acts: lt's a part of thè punishment. l'd like to see Bassett driven out of politica, but I assure you that I don't mean to do it. There's no possibility of my having thè chance. He put me In thè legislature to use me; and I’m g'.ad that's all over. As I teli you, l’m out of thè game." ‘‘l don t sympathlze with that at all, Dau; you not only ought to stay in, but you ought to do all you can to make it impossible for men like Bassett and Thatcher to have afty power. The honor of thè Siate ought to be dear to all of us; and if I beionged to a party I think I should have a care for its honor too.” The time was passir.g. It was not to discuss politica that he had gone to Waupegan. "Come," he said. "Let's flnd a canoe and get out under thè stara." Sylvia wcnt for a tv-ap, and they had Eoon embarked. Ekimm'ng along in sllence .'or a time t!U they were free of thè .ores. There was no moon, but t’ stars ebone briliiantiy; a fltful t it wind scarcely ruffied thè wat Along thè deep-shadowed she s thè dock lanterns twinkled, and a' /e and beyond them thè lampa of * cottages flashed and vanlshed. Dan -ddled steadily with a eklllel, plashless stroke. The paddle sank noiseiessiy and rose to thè accompaniment of a tinkling drlp as thè canoe parted thè water*. There is nothlng like a canoe flight under stars to tranquilize a troubied and perplexed spirit, and Dan was soon won to thè mood he sought. It seemed to hlm that Sylvia, er.folded in thè sil-very-dim durk in thè bow. was a part of thè peace of sky and water. They were alone, away irbm thè strifes and jars of thè worid. shut in together as complete!}' as though they had been flung back for unreckoned ages into a worid of unbroken cairn. The peace that Wordsworth sought and sar.g crept into their bloocS. and each was sensibie that thè other knew and felt it and that it was grateful to them both. Sylvia spoke. aster a time. of Immaterial things. or answered hls questions as to thè identity of thè con steilations mappeU in tho citar arch abovc. “I dream sometinies of another ex istence,” she said. "as I suppose every ono ùoes, when I knew. a quiet iake that held thè sta!"? as this ‘does. I even think I remember liow il looked in winter. with thè ice gleaming in thè nioonlight. an i of snow coming and thè ketn winus piiiiig it in drifis. lt’s i*dd, isn't it? ti.ose memories we have that are not memories. The inetempsychosis idea must have some substance. We nave all been somebody else some time, and we ciutch at thè shadows of our old seives, hardiy belleving they aie shadows.” ‘Tt's a good d< al a matter of imagination, isn't it?” asked Dan. ldling with thè paddle. It seemed to hlm that all thè influences of earth and heaven had combined to creata tuia liour for him. To be taiking to her of books that in terpreted lise. and of lise use'.f was in itseìf something sweet; lie wlshed sudi comiadeship as this. macie possible by their coimnon interests in thè de * . “rging currents of thè cour try ni which they lived, to go cn fi* ever. “Sylvia'” he said softly; and ajj . “Sylvia!” It seemed to him that tl silence and thè beauty of thè nigh were his ally, conila unicating to her .rifinite iongings hidden in his heart wliicn he had no words to expiess. “I love you, Sylvia; I love you. I carne up toniglit to teli you that.” “Oh, Dan, you mustn't say it —you must never say it!” The canoe seemed to bang between wVer and stars, a motioneless argosy in a sea of dreams.

“I had to teli you, Sylvia. It was inevitatole that I should teli you: 1 wonder I kept it to myself so long. Without you I should go adrift—no bearings„ no light anywhere.” “You round yourself, Dan: that waa thè way of it. I saw it and appre-i ciated it —it mean’t more to me than I can teli you. I knew exactiy how it was that you started as you did; it was part of your fate: but it tnade pcssible thè liner things. It’s nothing in you or what you've done or may do. But I have rny own work to do. I ha\ o cut a pattern for my own lise, and I must try to foliow it. I think you understand atout that —I told you that night when we talked of our alma and hopea on thè campus at Montgomery that I wanted to do Eomething for thè World. And I mti3t Etili go on trylng to do that. It's a poor, tlny little gieam; but I must foliow thè gieam.” "But there'B nothing in that that ffe can’t do together. We can go on seeklng it together.” he pleaded. "I hope it may be so. We must go on being thè good fric-nds we are now. You and Aunt Sally are ali I have—thè best I have. I can't lct you spoll that,” ghe ended fimily, as though, aster all, this were thè one Important thlng. There was nothing here, he reasoned, that might not be overcome. The work that she had planned to do imposed no barrier. Men and womcn were flnding out thè joy of striving together; she need givo up nothing in joining her lise to hia. He touched thè hand that lay near and thrìlled to thè contact of her fingere. “Please, Dani” she pleaded. drawing her hand away. “I mean to go on with my lise as I have begun it. I eh all never marry, Dan —marrlage ien't In my pian at all. But for you thè right woman wlll come some day —I hope so with all my heart. We hjust understand all thls now. And I must be sure, oh, very sure, that ycu know how dear it is to have had you eay these things to me.” ''But I hall eay them again ar.d •Iw-fya. Sylvia! Thi* vw anly thè be-

ginning; I had to speak tonight; I carne here to say these thinga to you. I am able to care for you now—not as I should like to. but I'm eroina to succeed. I want to ease thè way for you; I mean that you mustn't go rack to teaching this fall!” “There, you see”—and he knew she smiled in her patient, sweet way tì.at was dear to h.m—“you want to stop my work before it’s begun! You see how impossible it would be, Dan!” "But you can do other thiags; there are infinite ways in which you can be of use. doing thè things you want to do. The school work is only a b ndicap—drudgery that leads to notking " Ile knew instantly that he had erred: ai.d tiiat he must give tu r no opportunity to defend h.r attnude toward her work. He retu.n -d qticKiy to bis great longing and need. “Without you l'm a fallar , rtylvla. If it hadn’t been for you I shouul tever have freed rnysolf of that man •ver there!” And he lifted hi arra toward thè lights of thè Bassett .anding on thè nearer shore. “Xo; you would nave saved yoursell in any case; tilere's no questioning that. YoU were bound to do it. And it wasn’t thè man; it was thè base se; vitude that you carne to despise.” "Xot without you! It was your attltude toward me, aster that cheap piece of meiodrama I figured in in that convention, that brought me up wiih a short tura It all carnai througt you—my visti to meaaure up to your ideal.” "But tho break must have cost you scmething; haven't you missed him just a little bit?” It was clear from her tono that ahe wisbed affirmation of this. Tho reference to his former employer angered hlm. He had been rejoicing in his escapo from Morton Bassett, and yet Sylvia spoke of him with tolerance and sympathy. The Bassetto were ccolly using her to extricate them seives from thè embarrassmenis lesulting fiom their own foily; it was preposterous ihat they should bave s:nt Sylvia tu brir.g Marlan homo. And bis rag was lntensiried by thè recollection of thè pathos he had hlm reii feit in Bassett that very evenlng. as be had watche-1 him nwunt thè =teps of his home. Sylvia was caos ing thè old chords to vibrate with full knowiedge that. In spile of his avoweò contempi for ihe man. ilorton Basseistili roused his cuilosity ani interesb It was unfair for £>y 1 via io Laka al vantage of this. • Basseu's nothlng to me,” he said reughly. “He seems to me thè lonejlest sou. 1 ever knew.” replied Sylvia quietly^ Ha was at once as barn ed of tlie temper to which he had yielded, and angry at himself for having broker, thè cairn es thè night with these dia corùant notes. Sylvia s band touchon thè water caressingly, vaking tlny ripples. “Sylvia,” he said when he w.ts cairn ugain, "1 want you to marry me.” “I bave told you. Dan, that 1 ca; never marry any one; and that must be thè end of it.” “But your work can go on—” he b gan. ready fcr another assault upon that tarrier. A sailbcat, loiterlng In thè llght wln had stolen dose upon them, and pass< d hardiy a paddie's length agyay. Dan without clianglng bis position, drove thè canoe toward thè shore with a few strokes of thè paddle. then steadle 1 hinifie’.f to speak again. Sylvla's eys watched thè sulla vanlshlng like ghosts ir.to thè dark. Only thè iights of thè sallboat weit vlsibly now, but suddenly a girl s voice rose clear and sweet, slnglng t<' ilie acoomp&niment of guitar sui . mandolin. The guitar tlirobbed; anò ..n its deep chords thè mandolin wovc i f The voice seemed to stetti out of thè heart of thè night and flo;u over thè stili watera. The unsec ■lnger never knew thè mockery of ti song she 6a.us. It was an old aon ... on.- f.uniilar tb ..u. io round. And it bore thè anxwe; to Dan's question which Sylvia hai! carrled long In her heart, but ooulo not speak. She did not speak it then, it was ordained that she should nevei speak it. And Dan knew and under

stood. “Who is Sylvia, what is she, That ali tne swaius dorè heT?'" The song ceasecL When Dan saw Sylvia's head lift, he silently took thè paddi® and impeiled thè canoe toward thè red, white. and blue lanterns ;hat defìned Mra. Owen s landing. Tl.ey were wlthin a hundred yards of thè intervening green light of thè Bassett dock when a briLliant meteoi darted across thè zenith, and Dan's cxclamation broke thè tension. Thelr eyes turned toward thè heavens— Sylvia's stili bright with tears, Dan knew, though he could not see her face. "Poor lost stari’* she murmured softly. Dan was tumtng thè canoe llghtly to avold thè Juttlng shore that male a miniature harbor at thè Bassetti when Sylvia uttered a low waming. Dan, instantly alert, gripped bis paddlo and waited. Some one had launched a canoe at thè Bassett boathouse. There was a stealthlness In thè performance that roused him to vigi lance. He cautiously backed and waited. A word or two spoken in a low tone reached Dan and Sylvia: two persona seemed to be embarklng. A canoe shot out suddenly froin thè dock, driven by a confldent hand. “It must be Marian; but there’s some one with her,” said Sylvia. Dan had already settled himself in thè stern ready for a race. "It’s probab’y that idiot Alien,” he grcwled. “We must foliow them.” Away from thè shore shadows thè starlight was sufficient io confirm Dan's surmise as to thè nature of this canoe flight. It was quite 10 o’cioek and thè lights in thè Bassett hous <>n thè bluff ahove had been extin guished It was at once clear to Dan that he must aet promptly. Alien, dismayed by thè compllcatiors that beset his love affair, had proposed an elcpement. and Marian had lene a wiliing ear. “They’re running away. Sylvia: we've gotto head them off.” He beni to his paddle vigorously. “They can't possibiy get away.” But it was not in Marian's blood to be thwarted in her pursuit of adventure. She was past-mlstress of thè canoeist'e dlfifleult art. and her ennoa

DOIXGS OF THE DUFFS—

_______________ - , ' x ( —-—- —, > c ' ' ■ / HELLO /TQfcl, SAVI WAS / .... _ a • i / 1 DON’T KNOWNET-1 / OVER AND TOOK A SbAKIT WELL,^I*M GLAD \f R _ aTTMATv 1 f W COU,?SE * WD * \ X / SHE HAS EXCMANtiED 1 /HELLO AT THAT NE.W HOUSE OF )T HAS VOOR f G |vf VODR A fD VOO OJVBIV A SWEiL CHANCB. Il> A f WHAT DIO \) )T THREHTIbtES 1 THERE. )( VOURS ToDAV- (SEE, IT.b APPROVAL- I i NEVN HcXiSE AND LoT DORIS A 1 H AVE O? PoRGETTING > VOO GIVE NOW AND |S STILL I W)LBUR-i( ??ASS '"'Tc/vOO OLD TIMER •' A LITTLE CHRISTNIAS CHRISTMAS ) HER ON CHRISTMAS- H£R FOR. )\ UMDECIDEDi l ìf' (yHARKtT E* j

ìijiiiaii#^ A lonu wALk\ f FRESH AIR T\ 100 AN JOErHE FRESH . HOWS M.E GOi iNA j %m\'% Air willoo ì-UM So J iT ? J , t IAKiNGr -The Babx OUT i'Or? an AißinCt. jT?aV: I’R . yKASKgViCK

THEM DAYS IS GOXE FOR E VER—

vBuOO Five (JASti’T THAT PROFESSOR. i THEM OUCKS- WHICH t’LL MOU COtteCT J;/OKC,THIVT YOU WERE TA.U<IW6 AMD FOR6GTfUL IT TRUE? COME EP 9

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liew on a.s though liiawu away iato thè dark on unseen cords. “You’d better lend a hand,” said Dan, and Sylvia turned round and knelt, paddlng Indian fashion. The canoe skimmed thè water swiftly. It was in their thoughts that Marian and Alien must not land at Waupe gan, where their intentions wodld be advertised to thè world. The raco must end bifore thè dock was reached

OUT OUR WAY—By WILLIAM?

THE OLD lIOME TOWN—By STANLEY

At thè end of a quarter of an hour Dan called to Sylvia to cease paddii ng. “We've passed them; there's no doubt of that,” ho said, peering lnto the dark. “Maybe they’re just out for fun and have turned back,” suggested Sylvia. ‘T wiah I could think no. More they’re trylng to throw us off.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

Operate Tjiis On Your Orbali

Lot’s check up for a moment and see if we hear them again.” Ile kept thè canoe movlng slowly abile they listened for some sigii of thè lost quarry. Then suddenly they heard a paddlo stroko behind them and an Instant later a canoe's bow brushed their craft as- lightly as a hand passlng across paper. Dan threw himself forward and grasped thè sides firmly; there was a splaah-

Swapping Days

(t GEE.Iu cPcvjc ) | ;;/ ? t>oxT t 0 l, AIM'T LATE TU'S* ) [ ! '// \ TAVé VOJR ATS* , H ( Rr :_ —■) ' L ooats - axcckws / i f"* tBSS i & iws*Lu ZJ r \ lift AiM'T ( 1 —. „ 1 f ) ri ) ! / _g!sinTA'" ( J- > no noPB viopv. K > BvT-?jr- vjajT a wnirrt V TUIS VEA2 * NCVJ J ( BoVZ- Se- BAOC # y-s f ONTU? job nom!>av-tuaTs* / ?-) 7 TWINI4 cc ) A Or ~,v „ 'I 7 ThAT ? N, 1923. / _

,/ vou uke y / ou r ou voup \ / crrMrr himto h&pd 3 "so me ToUigHT \ / CVCLOUET PaT/ our 9TPOT ry: LjrrU IÌS*WE*D jPo TUE MP.VJ VEAR / M ATOP c I K'NouJ J njv/\Tfe M UAN/ETO FURUtsH . L i r ..c Z] ALL TH’ TACK, ' CLUB ?- i ISSURE 4C Tfep rrfe OUEC ? Iffl 1 outv Vou OF a ToILV old TMhV’LL 8H Tpa/iUG 2z V ip'i t FagUioUEDTIME Tb S~nc< A (Tt JT. ÌL r . t Vr / \ VIOULD BE l'Ußk] QP "THE VIV4EFL. AUD VEAR CUCKS OFF - =- spmc^

ing and wobbling as he arrested thè flight A canoe is at once thè most docile and thè most Intractable of argosies. . Sylvia churned thè water with her paddle, seeking to crowct thè rocking canoes closer together, while Marian endeavored to drive them apart. “Alien!” panted Dan, prone on thè bottom of his canoa and grtpplng thè thwarts of thè rebelllous craft beslde

FRECKLES AXD lIIS FRIENBS—Bv BLOSSER

OUR BOARDING HOUSE—By AHERN

him, “this must end here.” “Let us gol” cried Alien stridently “This ls none of your business. Bit us go, I say.” Finding it* impossible to free her canoe, Mariana threw down her paddle angrily. They were all breathless; Dan waited tdl thè canoes rode together quotly. Sylvia had brought an electrio lamp whioh Dan now flaahej thè length of tbe captlve ca

DEC. 30, m

—By ALLM

—Bv AL POSENc

noe. It searched thè anxious, angry faees of thè runaways, and dìsclosed twn' suit cases that told their own story. 'T hold you to keep away from here, Alien. You can't rio this. It won't do,” said Dan, snapping off thè light; "you're going homa with us, Marian.” ,‘T won't go back; you haven't aa y ìiyht to stop ma!’ L To Be Conttaued