Salt Lake Telegram | 1912-11-19 | Page 6 | A Notable Short Story by a Famous Writer

I II A NOTABLE SHORT STORY I 1 BY A FAMOUS WRITER I POPPLE WELLS WELL'S LS L'S PAST W. W H. H G. G G. G Wyndham Martyn Copyright 1912 by bY V. W. H. H G G. G Wyndham Martyn when he ho found his present V merely prosperous and his future auly l secure determined to o n build huUd him a past pals v Born Jorn In a a maL nHa i n t m in Wiltshire he be had sot not been brought up with the te idea not that case case- te might some Ime dt dav b bo b his hie portion porton and nd until the age e i tf d f LO 1 0 was wan a school board teacher with what ho hn firmly be believed be- be boar an Influence tar for good Ho tic was WIM a convinced convince at this matured mature age that thatA 51 A man num to do anything great must mus have havea havea a a. a m mote mate c whose aspirations coincide with his 1118 own This ho he told his hia friends was a the Ideal lire life He Hc selected tho maid with wih becoming care Wen When he was 21 a relative who hail hall mado a large fortune in Nebraska adopted him as n heir Until this time h had d been wont to regard riches riche with wih a 1 cold and condemning eye Ho lie assured assure his friends that the thc changed hanged circumstances circum circum- stances tance would enable him him to purchase the books for which he had longed When and his uncle came cameto cameto cameto to town they ed at a a hotel In Brook street where tho the price of dinner was more than the school teacher hail bad ex expended ex- ex In a. a month on his mels meals lIe Jle I the ni maiden c wrote slowing glowing accounts to tle who was to t share hare the tho ideal life me with ih him at hut but there was an undertone of regret tendons tendon's wasted asted opportunities The richer classes classes he found were so utterly lost to the sense of or duty He wrote roto oto a number L of or verses on this profound subject subject sub sub- lb- lb and begged begge Carrie Carter of or Devises Devizes not to destroy them as he purposed purposed purposed pur pur- posed producing them In volume form ata ata at ata Carter read these a later date CanIo Carrie Carrio a and poems and ld essays s 's with wih reverence her young young- h heart overflowed with thankful thankful- r V ounG his genius hess nes when she re reflected d on J She was as un unsophisticated 17 and had outgrown outgrown out out- grown her strength Furthermore largo large rn round spectacles detracted from her good looks and she was excessively nervous Jn In n moments of agitation she would upset upseL furniture had frequent frequently to censure ensure her for tor tho the lack Jack of that that reposo which stamps tamp the ca caste tc of or do de Vere This depressed her exceedingly Not that was a n Chesterfield but ho possesse possessed pos pos- a certain superficial or of things a Review of or Reviews kind of cleverness clev erness enless which made roads him looked upon as a coming man He had once lectured atthe It at atthe the local Y M. M C. C A A. A on The Ethics Ethic of or Modern Life Lire Nobody understood the lecture least of or all al but It I will willbe willbe wi be seen that he strove Itro e after tho the tUII But when riches came he found that the Intellectual was not fashionable except among mong obscure literary folk who ho lived Jn tn Highbury I or ot Brixton The true tru friends of or were amazed to learn ho had dropped the pursuit of oC learning lear and an one of them seeing him correctly learinG attired In the lobb lobby of a Shaftesbury bury hut avenue theatre luring during the tIle acts took back the news nes to Wiltshire that ho lie was wason wason on on the broad path The essays and poems wore were b by this time discontinued c and the letter leler he ho wrote to Carrie preparatory to accompanying his uncle on a tour of or the tho world was waR a ft masterpiece In A Us Its Is way He Hc conveyed the Impression that his hit soul was in such a n of f revolt re olt that marriage was a n venture venture ven yen Hate ture he dared dare not contemplate Hn Un louch touched l lightly ht on the the hollowness of or things and concluded b 1 by 81 spying 11 Ing her he In Influence Influence In In- fluence over o el him was HiS as lar largely cl responsible for or making him tJ the man he wa was Poor Carrie of the spectacles answered this effusion The letter leler reached him at Rou Rouen n. n and riot not rIt without feeling a a pang or of shame he sent It i back unopened d. d Pop Pop- uncle who made no pretense e at found Paris very er much to his tate taste and after arel the world tour made his home there During the three years cars they thc l lived In tho the French capital learned e to speak a a er very correct French and even e c wrote rote It 11 with wih fair Call success lie le wa never lC cr evor without h a copy of or VeL which proved Indisputably that he lie was possessed of nf tho the true culture Providence Pro ma masquerading In the guise gulso of oC ptomaine pol poisoning removed the uncle from Pop Pop- path kind and nr let left him maHl master of oC a charming apartment In the tho Rue and annum per her r t Tie TIc Tc removed Instantly to Lon London ol and was enabled enabled b bv by reason of his membership membership member member- el I ship of n a good goo Parisian club cub to gain all admission ad- ad al ml mIH mission afon o to one In Pall Pal Mull Mall hil There Thele were some Om who vho Were curious JIK as at to Popple- Popple I wells well's well people his public school and college col lol col- col lege but he lie soon oon lived lve down any doubts a AS to his hit eligibility and was accepted 11 as 8 a a good looking decent mannered riet rich dilettante who paid his losses with witha wih a a a cheerfulness that was was amazing But Hut to lila his hll Intimates Inferred that h he had a a romantic past cn Interwoven with wih th the thu unhappiness of or a lad lady whoso hoso husband represented a foreign court at VIenna Since there are uie so maI many changes hi In Jl the thc corps was safe ut from rom detection and tho the erotic crola ver verses es eshe he published hud had beautifully bound and pr presented to his friends were thought to tobe tobe tobe be hi hi- tribute to the lal lady who could never ne er b be bc V Youn Young girls thought him delightfully wicked and some mothers feared he wn was one one of oC the quiet kin kind of whoso whose o de debaucheries de- de e. e no on one need be bo surprised to tc learn lern V When he was was' 35 determined to mal marry a woman who could uld cold advance i him socially V avance I There was at that time a 3 very verY brilliant l American widow into whose house he had hadnot hal not not- so BO far been able ablo to gain In admittance It I was not that she was very rich of beautiful but rather that she had attained at I a a position n in society due duc to her heri herwit I i wit and charm that that attracted acted His HIa heart was 31 O overjoyed ed when otis one ole morn mom morning ing In a 0 friend bc begged ged a volume of or his Songs After Y to present to the i American charmer I II 1 Mrs Bertram Is very fond of or poetry explained Jevons Jevon and land I told he her I 1 had hada a B pal WU who wrote real hot stuff The phrase phree Is hard hardly I adequate mur- mur muted but you can have a volume It If you OU want It IV IVA A A. later he lie was Introduced to toI I the lady he persisted lu In II thinking of or a as I th the Duchess of or Towers of Du V novel fell fel at her shrine shrine- and worshiped I V Jevons could not understand it I at allI allI all al I fI cant can't think what she IK is o doing hi he mid laid She ISh could have hac Pact had who I he a a title Priestly who Is belter looking look look- ing lug or 01 Kingsley who does not fOt pose but I la is realY really cever clever and worth twice as as much I 1 us ue this chap 4 J I proposed Mrs Ins Berl Bertram Ber Ber- 1 l' l tram tani 01 turned tunica her great blue eyes on him I I with wih something or of sorrow soro in themI them 1 1 I II I like Uke you OU very much she he said but butI I I J suppose Im I'm Im an old fashioned woman 1 for Lor I J could not marry a man maim whose past pasti j i I does roe not bear looking Into I have heard 1 about t a a. a a certain certin Viennese scandal I Alas poor The scandal he het I had bad with such euch difficulty created was was' now t I I to be his undoing He was to be be haunted V by y the ghost of a a woman who had hall never I I been born bor Ho asked if she abe would deter defer I I he an answer mUl until he could explain ever everything to her hero herL L tomorrow H He lIe was as naturally much agi C w o tate ar 11 He the night in thinking what to toI I I sity To 8 a pa past t was nut riOt a prospect but to lose lone his lady ady was n n. wo worse e one Compromise seemed Impossible On the morrow showed that there was wn stil IU some manhood mahood In him hin for V he lie abased hImself and told her the truth She said cald very little but told him she would give hIm hm an answer when she had thought it o er over At At present ent she only liked him him better than other men but that was not enough Also she asked If I she Nhe might tell tel her friends that they had hadla la labored ored under an nn illusion as to the n nesa nen of his past pat Groaning consented and beheld his his' record washed r so C clean clen that even een a Y M. M C. C A. A would have accepted him without hesitation Ho Be dedicated te his new volume of verso verse le V t tp l' her and she seemed teemed eo so pleased leBEd that she he gave svea ve a dinner t to t thirty of or their In Intimate tn- tn friends at her house houseIn in Bruton street In honor Jonor of or t the e poet pet After dinner dIane J V she ahr was asked to read some come lome of or the tho onnet eoniK son eon iK net nets nets' V glowed low lowed d with pride for rot forit it had had not no striven auen harder to tomake make hits his verses ersee to Laura moro more perfect than had ad he to lo honor his his mora beloved belo He Ho knew his Verges were good and ho he lean leaned Jeane oil v. v bac back c as she took the the dain dainty volume and prepared prepare to read But hi his heart hoart almost almo t stopped as ns she ghe read Oh Carrie Crrie m my Carrk Tho The heart of ot the town evil town V V Or Of this most niost e 1 Seems Heem to Jest at Gods God's Godt frown And nd 1 fain would not tart tarry But Hut fly back buck to m my own fy My Carrie m my CarrIe I It IL I was some of oC his disproportionate lu ludicrous lit lit- Il- Il ls bombastic Verse written lo to t tIme Dc Devizes girl fifteen years ago There Thero was wat a shriek of or laughter and amid Iud every wery one looked at him for an tion lie He made no motion and lid tho the pitiless piti ton less voice ole read more of or the damnable f doggerel anti and rca then therm an au on essay essa on omi life and r society written from coin the narrow standpoint standpoint stand stand- I point of a absolute I Ignorance i He fit lt crept out of or the house an and mado I his wa way va to thA quiet fluid of or Grosvenor enOr Illare around which ho walked alicd a dozen times trying trying- to understand what had befallen him That Mrs Irs Bertram the the brilliant American widow was his hla Carrie he lie could no longer doubt Indeed as he thought of her a a dozen little tricks of oC manner came back t to t him But Dul it mt was all al too to Incomprehensible as n yet and he made his hla way back bak to Brutton street to I see co what she had to say w s snot not wholly holy a a. coward coward When Sherm it was almo almost l certain that tho the guests would be gone he returned to the house Even en E the well trained footman smiled covertly as he ushered usherl him into the little study to await awai the time possible coming of his duchess She Sue swept Into Inlo the time lOom magnificent self contained and haughty He rose rono at her het coming and looked bertul her ber full tul in the eyes Ces looke lNe Need eel you Ja have 0 done H It he asked Quiet tu let ly There was no more actual need than for 61 to have hayo written mo me as you did when you oU left ler me me meI I Well Yel you OU scored cleverly erly enough he ha heald said ald wearily No revenge could have ha e been more more perfect God how the they laughed Tell me how 10 It Is you have hao changed from an awkward gaucho gauche sucho girl Into the this woman you OU are Nothing more wonderful than your own transition I went to America after ater you OU left left England and lived with a cousin until I married marrie Mr Bertram Ho Be W We was e very rich and ad we wo lived Jived everywhere I J saw SIW you 0 In tn Paris years er ago I saw you in Petersburg and Vienna ac He winced wince Then you knew I had lied He about my past all ni tho the time I J knew past the she fhe assented I II knew all aU the time I found J had no need to wear wr glasses classes I learned leared to dress well veIl wel nee to dance to wal walk and most of all al to have th the ease of or manner that millions milons and power can bu buy Thal's what you Ou did In the book he sall said What book book 4 4 Peter I 1 have always alwa's thou thought h of or you ou as time the Duchess of or Tow Tow- ers ore She was a gawky girl rl who hio grew to bo ma magnificent as you OU are gew The Thc woman looked looke at him curiously She been prepared for some e lion llon of temper and here ho lie was as talking taU In ip a dull dul dispassionate tone Ar Arent tren It 3 you yon Olm angry v with nl me mae 1 she sho Iho do- do Dont you OU understand that th t you youcan ou cnn can never associate to with your our friends g again ln without b being ridiculed Dont Don't you vou understand that I plotted this humilia humilia- tion ton for you I y I understand ho lie answered I de deserve do- do serve It It I behaved like Itc an intolerable cad cae In iii tho the old oll days va Dont you ou hate me me she a asked ked Ho lie shook his head hed Perhaps It IK is IF that that I r am m not riot strong I enough to hate the tho woman I love lo e T r loved lo you OU when yo you 1 1 and I 1 were bo boy and girl rl but then I loved myself melC first Now o now I love lo e you on first rrt and I J am an neither l n nor posing when I fa say that thiat What shall we do Oh go o away aW somewhere and hide You Y soc see CC yourself that I cannot stay ta here hero There Is nothing else to do rho do Theres one other oilier thins thin she he sair with wih a I little catch cath In her voice olee 1 you jou 01 can take tak me mc with Jh you ou Carrie he cried In Iii 11 amazement She Fhe i back at him through the tears that were Fc In her c eyes e and held heM out her hands Yes she hc said ajI softly still your our Carrie Carrle Car Car- I rie Copyright