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Show f . , The Master AAaster of Cha Chao Chaos s ; By Irving Bachellcr Bacheller BachellcrCop7rl BachellerCopyright Cop.rlght Coprlght Copyright Cop7rl , . htH32 193 1932 % by It-vine It vine Inlnl Irring - : Dn.cheller Dncheller Dacheller DachellTW . ! } ti " NU AU Scrvlc Service ServiceCHAPTER CHAPTER IX-Continued IX Continued IXContinued13 IX - Continued -13- 13 - 13"Yes 13"Yes 13 - "Yes Yes " * Ves , I thought lliought that 1 I would put putlour putyour putyour lour your superstition to the test and see seewhat seewhat seewhat what came of 1L it it . . " "Well Well " , I hope it may convince con.Ince conInce . yousoon yousoon you soon oon or late Keep It and nnd see what whathappens whathappens whathappens happens . I shall never ne.er neer . cease to be bearateful begrateful begrateful arateful grateful to it " "Did Did " It lead you to the one man manhe 7 ? * ' he asked ashed . . 'To To ' To the man I 10 lot love ' e a as ns I can cnn love loveno loveno loveno no other Otllcr When I think thlnh of him I Itorget Iforget Iforget torget forget fatlicr fnthcr father and mother and friend " She looked loohed down at nt her pretty foot footand footand footand and there wis W'lS WlS was ' a n note of s sidness s'ldness sldness ' tdness in inher inher Inher her tone as she nshed"Hen asked"Hare asked nshed asked"Have "Hen Hen "Have Have "Hare Hare " e you not seen Pat I'at Iat ' 7 ? * ' ' No . , And I fcir fe'lr felr fetr ' th thit th'lt thlt ' tt I may never.ee nevertee never . , .ee ee tee . ee her bee again " " "Too Too " bad badi I ! War Is cruel The Thechances Thechances Thechances chances now nm\ nm nmare \ are all In favor of HarryGage Harry HarryGage HarryGage Gage He Is terribly terrlbly good looking loohlng " ' ' I agree ngree to that " "I I " am e\ e even een eten \ en more deeply In 10\ 10 10e lobe 10than lobethan lovethan \ e than you and I am frightfully jeal jealous jealous Jealous ous , , ' ' she said Id as she arose and sur surveyed surveycd surveycd veyed veycd herself In a mirrowed mlrrowed panel panellightly , , lIghtly touching her hair'I hair 'I I ' I cannot believe helieve that you nre are nrereally arereally arereally really In love ' She turned upon him with a n prett pretty prettyindrgnrtflon prettvIndigmflon Indlln'lflon Indllnlflon indrgnrtflon ' ; ' in her eyes , saving s'l.ing sl.ing sling s'tving stving ' ' . "Is Is "Isit "IsIt IsIt " 11 it not love lo-re lo re - when I am thinking of ofhim ofhim ofhim him and laying plans plnns for his hlppiness h'lppi hlppi h'lppiDesS Inppiness ' DesS ness day d1.Y d1Y diy . and nl night ht ? Mi My M husband husbandcan husbandcan husbandcan can be a British peer if he " will "Ill Ill lIy My lIyRunt Myaunt Myaunt Runt aunt has promised her influence and andshe andShe andShe she Is a friend of the king hlng " "And And " ypu are an American Amerlcan ' " ' he heexcl'tlmed heexclaimed heexclaimed'That excl'tlmed excltlmed chlmed ' excl'tlmedTli'it 'That That Th'1t Th1t Tli'it Tliit ' ' would IVould not stop mv mr my thinkingi drinkingof thInhmg drinking \ of his welfare This stupid war cannot can ! not last for ever eer eter e\ e \ er I hope that th'lt thlt thU ' before beforeyou beforeyou beforeyou you go tonight I can introduce you to tohIm tohim tohim"g tohimg hIm " . u u'Is 'Is Is ' * Is he expected here ? ' ' ' ' t "Tes Tes "Yes Yes "I I " " " es and I \ wint w'tnt wtnt 'lnt lnt ' ' vou you ou to know hnow him"I himI hIm hImto to " "I I " suppose that he , " will "Ill Ill be like hhe all an ant another allother [ t other men men . , ' ' he answered with a alaugh at | laugho laugh " " . \o o \ o , he is not like 111.e 111e . any other manHe manHe man , He stands st'lnds stlnds st'tnds sttnds ' ' alone I 1 must win him ormy ormy or ormy my life has failed falled falledtt tt " tt"No > "No No " doubt he has taken you across acrossthe acrossthe acrossthe the kissing bridge brldge " He referred to a famous bridge bridgethat bridgethat bridgethat that crossed a creek creel . on the Bowery Bowerymuch Bowerymuch Boweryi much frequented by young people people.for peoplefor . , for In crossing crosblng It bo\ bo bovs bos boss \ s and girls h'ld hld h'ldlong h hadlong ' td tdlong long had h'ld hld hid ' the habit of saluting e'lch elch etch e'lchClthcr etchother eachother ' Clthcr other . " o , but he has smacked sm'lcked smlcked snicked ' me more morethan morethan morethan than once " said s'lld slld s ' iId Nancv Nancy with a smile smlle . , . She arose and brought a be'lutlful belutlful beautiful be'lutlfully beautifully beautifully ' ly bound and nnd Illustrated lIlustn.ted lIlustnted . \ volume olumo of ofBoccacclo ofBoccacclo ofBoccaccio Boccacclo and opened It as she satclose satclose sat ; ' close beside him . ' ' What a play girl you are nre 1 I " helaughed helaughed he , laughedI laughedThere laughed There 'There I ' could be no pIcture1I1e picturelike picture [ like 1I1e you " " 'Do Do ' Do you prefer to look 1001 . at me ? ' shet sheashed she ; t ' tskcd ashed asked , her face lighted hghted with "Ith Ith " joy . , , ; " "I I " 1 do Still StlIl It Its s - like llI-.e llI.e llI .e e . looking looI.lng looIlng . at red redwIne redwine redi wine and one may m'1Y m1Y ' drink drmh too freely freelywith freelywith freelywith with one ones s eyes " The & scene &Cene Cene wa was ' ) Interrupted bv by arap a arap . rap at the door Colln CoUn Colin arose and andovened andopened andopened I ovened opened It The butler stood btood before beforethem beforethem beforethem them saying ' . , "A A " messenger Is In the hall , , sir , toeee tosee to eee see ee Colonel Cabot He says s\ys s ys s'tys stys ' \ ' that hisbusiness his hisbuslnes'3 hisbusiness , ( { buslnes'3 buslnes3 business ' Is urgent , sir ' > sir"s sirs Ir " S r Colln Colin \ went ent out to the front door , ' . where be he found Colonel Tilghman Tllghman . , an anaide anwide aniilde aide wide , of the Commander In Chief , wholaid whoBald who . laid Bald aid- aid aidGeneral - . ' f c f'General c'General General 'General ' Washington wishes youto youto you to report Immediately at his office ouice " s The young man returned to Nancy Nancylaying NancylayIng Nancysaying laying saying : "I I " am summoned to headquarters headquarters head headquarters quarters Please gh give e a mv my thanks thanl.s thanls " . and andcompIlments andi 0 ( Compliments compIlments to iour your our charming aunt aunt"1 aunt1 " 3 . ' "Must Must " Iust sou you ou go go'fl gofl ? ' 11 11v | & y v "At At " once It Is urgent urgentR " Jo r , 'Oh Oh ' Oh , that little old woman \ womani oman I ! ' the thegirl theClfl | gIrl exclaimed , as she stamped her herfoot herfoot heryfoot foot Impatiently Impatlenth impatientlt . 'Does Does ' she knowrf knowq hnow know hnowthat knowthat q | | that I am here ? ' j , "I I " am sure that no one at general generalbeadIJuar1Crs generaliieadquar general3 beInghere iieadquar headquarters beadIJuar1Crs em knows hnows of your our being > here . . . " t'l tl ' i She foIl followed 0\ 0 0cd \ ' cd him to the door , S'lY SlY s'ty sty sayjt ' ' 4 ( S'lYIng Ing : 'Dont Dont ' Don t tell them , please ple'lce plelce plelse ' : ; Lett Let LetIt It t be one of our secrets You wIllcome will 1 1come you3 < come back bach to me soon Will wm you youot youof ot of ot ? ? ' $ ? They 'They 'met met * ' may send me away , " he an and5 an- an antwercd - . d5 d5veered twercd wered veered , , not wishing to commit himelt himelf him himself self selfy elt elf elf"Then y "Then Then " I shall sh'llI shllI shill ' trv try to find you . " L1 Again she offered her lips Helased He IIe Hekissed ( kissed Issed lased her and they parted partedri"fled ri"fled rifled . ' "Rcdl Rcdl lolled " 1 ! E Even Eten . , en the darkness darl.ness darlness . Is red I l I"ie Iie " c e exclaimed in a whisper as he healked healked hewalked alked eastward It reminded him film oftilng of ofIng ofings Ing ings & he had heard In the gossip of ofe ofe oflie e camp Officers Ollicc.rs Olliccrs . who had served Berved In Inrope inrope InEurope rope had said that the prIm'll prImll prim'tl primtl prIm'llrge prim'tlrge primalirge ' ' rge was alwavs al\\avs al avs always \ at Its worst InVar In \Var Var war VarIme warIme \ warIme Lang-lon Lang lon Ime . . . He lle had h'ld hld ' heard he'lrd helrd ' Samuel Lang Lang- Langon - . on tell teU of the tho spring tide of law- law lawessness lawessness law-essness law essness - essness spIritf that swept through througb the tbe spirit ' f ( a race at war and turned the thekes thekes thellkca kes and barriers of restraint Into Intoclancholy Intoelancholy Intoaclancholy brookshe clancholy elancholy wreckage The broohs brooks , he rivers and the seas no longer longerew longernew / ew their places place . , ; He Be lie congratulated himself on the theely thelady themcly lady ely Interruption of the tbe proceed proceed- proceeds proceedgs proceed-igs proceed igs - . s gs under the roof of the baroness baronesshe baronessC baronesso C a spellof spell of Nancy s we weaving wC'l\'lng wC'l wCl 'lng lng ' tving \ " ' had haden haden hadccn o en broken lie I1e would keep ktep away"om awayom away awaym awaym " m her A man's mans mun's muns ' purpose must notllke nota not a like llke the dew and the tbe mornIng mornIngoud morningcud morningoud oud cud In his time It was thought thoughtiat . - t 'love love ' love and antI war * ' ' give g'tte gtte g'l gl ' ' \ e one some somee somecase someccuse e use case < : for a temperament like 11he thattats thatcats that ' cats tats and nnd dogs dohs dog ' ) but this vuIg'lr vuIglr vuig tr ' trliosophy vulgarbllosophy vuIg'lrItosophy Itosophy liosophy Itosophyas \ - was \\-as as not for him School , . , ,9 9 ,9tuck , arch tuck fightingYet lightingYet and home bad had been fighting lighting Yet the heart he\rt he rt ' \ of youth youtb coulder could couldever SJe couldSJe , ever be he quite secure Aft After r allere allf1 all f1 f1ere : ; ere Amosd was some truth In what v . hat Amos 1 1d andt d andbll 80.112 80112 said . of the need ot of tear fear and t blip bll . tlr The Lady Washington sat with herknitting ber her berhnIttlng herknitting hnIttlng knitting In a corner of the great hall hallIn hallin hallin In the company of two staffhe8 staff \\he8 he8 'cites cites 'citesShe \ ' wivesShe he8She She was looking loohlng for the young man manIn , In whom she felt a deep , motherly motherlyInterest motherlyinterest motherlyInterest Interest Her shrewd Intuitions had hadtold hadtold hadtold told her ber that th'lt thlt thu ' something was amiss amissFamiliar amissFamiliar amissFamiliar Familiar with wItb all the gossip of the theladles theladles theladles ladles In Cambridge , she had learned learnedthat learnedthat learnedthat that Nancy " was "as as a niece of the bar baroness baroness baroness oness She went to the tbe young m'ln mln min m'lnand minand manand ' and led him aside ' Dear Denr boy bo ; I 1 I w \ was as uneasy , " she saId saId"iou said"You said"You saidYou "iou iou "You You " know hnow that th'lt thlt tlr'it tlrit ' ' weomen we \ women \\omen omen have hae , a anose anose anose nose for danger d'1nger d1nger ginger ' I took It on mY'1elC mY1elC myself myselfto mY'1elCto ' to send for you I am too super superstitious superstitious superstitlous stitious stitiousI " . "Mv Mv "My My " \I I : \ dear second mother , you arealwavs nre are nrealwa arealways always alwa s right and I thank you Pardon Pardonme Pardonme Pardonme me If I say no more " ' It Is no now " half after ton ten Go you youdlrectlv youdirectly youdirectly dlrectlv directly to bed betI Tomorrow will be a abusy abusy abusy busy day " . As soon as Colln Colin had finished hIs hIsbre'lUast hisbre hisbreakfast bre'lUast brelUast bre ' tkfast In the tbe morning , Billy came cameInto cameinto cameInto Into the office and said that Mrs MrsBowlby MrsBowlby MrsBowlby Bowlby had called to see him Hefound He Hefound Hefound found her In a parlor They sat down dawn dawntogether downI downtogether I together She and her husband husb'lnd husblnd hushind ' had hadcome hadcome hadcome come \ with Ith General Schuyler by boat boatfrom boatfrom boatfrom from Albany Alb'lnv Alblnv Alb'inv Albinv Alb'lnvShe Alb'invShe AlbanyShe ' She said to him " . ' 'The The I ' The ride down downgae downgate downgave ga\e ga e gate \ me a chance chanco to be with my hus bus husb'lnd busbind tinsband b'lnd blnd bind ' But that Is not my only reason reasonfor reasonfor reasonfor for coming I have something to tellyou tel1 tell tel1you tellyou you " ' , Well Wel1 , If you have ha'e hae " ' something to tel1 tell tel1me tellme tellme me , I am sure that It \ will III be worth worthhe'lrIng worthherring worthhearing he'lrIng helrIng herring ' " She told him of the letter sIgned sIgned"lancv signedancv signed"Nancy signedNancy "l\ancv "l l ancv \ancv " \ " which came C'lme Clme ' on the rlderless riderless rlderlesshorse riderlesshorse riderlesshorse horse and of her reason re'lson relson re'ison reison ' ' for readmg reading readingIt readmgIt It it . . She had a vh vivid vhld Id memory of Its Itscontents itscontents Itscontents contents and quoted It almost word wordtor wordfor wordfor tor for word"I word"I word word"I "I I " saw or thought that I could see seethe seethe seethe the moth motf motive e behind the letter and It Itworrled itworried Itworried worrled worried me . . . I ha\ ha hay have hae \ e a been sorry that thatI I did not burn It it . . " Slie She had seen the frown gatherIng gatheritigon gatherIngon on his bls brow and the changing color colorof colorof colorof of his face face'So face'So 'So So ' So It \ went ent on " he whIspered"il'l whispered"Tes whispered whispered"Yc "il'l ill "Tes Tes "Yc Yc " ' : It went on the next net nevt . : day . She Shemay Shemay Shemay may have h'lve hlve h'tve htve ' ' read It by now " ' Could you get a letter Into Can Canad"l Canad Canado ad"l adl ad " t for men me ? ' ' If necessary , I will wlI1 take It my myself myself myself self " " ' "When When 'When " ' ' " hen do you go north ? ? " 'The The IThe I ' The ship sails tomorrow mornIng morningat at seven " "Good Good " ' I will w111 gl give gibe \ e you the letter letterand letterand letterand and some money monev mone tonight at eight eighto'clock eighto'clock eighto'clock eightoclock ' " o'clock oclock In his letter be he told the whole truth truthof truthof truthof of his meeting meetmg with Nancy l\ancy l ancy Aancy \ , . of the thedInner thedinner thedinner dInner , the \ wine Ine and the dl\ dl dlerslOns disersions disersionsthat diversionsthat \ erslOns erslOnsth'lt th'lt thlt that ' followed them In the celebrationat celebration at Cambridge He spoke of Nancy's Nancys Nancy'sletter Nancy'sletter Nancy'sletter Nancysletter ' letter and of how his l.noledge know l.no\\ l.no . \ ledge of Its Itscontents itscontents itscontents contents bad had come to him through throughMr throughMrs throughMrs Mr Mrs . , Bowlby Bowlby"I "I I " am human , " he wrote , " "and and " the theglrl thegirl thegirl glrl girl Is a most bewitching bewitchmg creature cre'lture crelture cretture ' I Icannot Icannot Icannot cannot claim clalm to be a n saint I am of ofthe ofthe ofthe the common clay , and you vou will wlI1 have hate ha \ e to total.e totake totake tal.e tale take . me on that level If at all 0.11 011 . , but butI butI I am no comrade of Anacreon Al Always Always Always ways I hay have ha\o ha o \ a thought thougbt ravself myself m self un\\orthy un orthy unworthy unworthyof unorthyof \ of you but I swear s"ear sear , " that I love you youMy vouMy ou ouMy My soul and body are for no other In Intbls inthis Inthis tbls this world As to Nancy's Nancys ' motive we wecan wecan wecan can only guess and your guess mav may mavbe maybe mavbe be as \ wrong rong as mine Even Een E\ E \ en extreme extremepro extremeprotocation extremeprovocation pro\ pro proocation protocation \ ocation cannot c'lnnot clnnot ' make mahe me forget therestraint the |