Show tf IF THE LIGHT HAD AD LASTED By WARWICK J. J PRICE by Short stor Story Pub Co clock In the chapel tower fower TilE T struck flat vt An upper schooler on his way to the racquet court looked up smiling inc lar himself on his freedom from study hours and d wondering how long the October sun Bun would allow v play It was yet well above the trees If It be he hurried hurried hur hur- ried he might have nn an hour The sunshine flooded the little landscape land lund landscape 6 with that plat mellow elow it squanders only in the first most glorious glorIous glori glorI- ous ens days dars of ot Indian Indian summer summer It flamed named along t the e hills in purple and andson crimson son and gold It painted a more brilliant green the long sloping sward about the chapel and then climbing up the great dormitory tilted filled the tine Onder Under Under Un- Un der Masters Master's room with warmth and cheerfulness ss The under-master under looked up p fr from m his sick bed and for tor a long minute gazed thoughtfully out Into the great blue bine vault scarcely broken by a few thin motionless cloud arabesques It seemed so Infinitely tely far tar away and away and y yet t tso so so terribly near Then he lie came back back- again to the page in his hand It Isn't what one ono hasn't got That ought to quench the lI light ht of ot life Its Ito what one loses Is It ft not 1 Its It's de death th or treason In a wife Its It's finding ones one's unhappy lot eFrom e From what you haven't gaily turn To what yo you have the th-e worlds world's alive aUve SUll Still pulses beat still passions burn Theres There's still to work theres there's still sUll to strive The cure Is easy to discern S e fio So 0 dont don't be gloomy dont don't bo bo glum clum Nor give a thought to what you lack Take what you have no longer dumb Nor Idle hit misfortune back And own that I have r reason c cornel comet mel Again th the invalids invalid's e eyes ees es wandered d out Into the narrow glimpse of ot Gods God's good world that his little window gave Good advice Mr Stephen en and aud Ive I've tried to toll follow w It If but I l guess Its It's Just Justa a trifle late now I dont don't think Ive I've been glum very vert often and often and no one has known It when I have been I dont don't believe Ive I've often dwelt on all I hadn't hadn And I do doo think Ive I've hit as often and as ns hard at Milady Misfortune Misfortune Misfortune tune as I could But she's won at tit t last Then he added Perhaps she hasn't but Its It's hard not to believe bellee s so mindedly Absent he closed the thc book and lay looking at It It was It-was was a thin a-thin little volume of or verse by a Cambridge man Quo Musa he read on the th-e little signboard title I 1 hope llOpe the muse has traveled pleasanter pleasanter pleasanter pleas- pleas anter roads for Stephen than for forme me me Fd N be thankful if It Iteen even en so small a book bookas as ns this might carry my name on though for only one short gene generation There was a water-color water painted on the cover a sea seaview view done in dark blue on the light cloth ground He r re remembered remembered re- re so plainly the afternoon when that had been done It was wS the mothers mother's other work and nd he had been sluing sling ny oy writing it was August and the dusty roads and fields made the shaded room acceptable He had found vacation work up ups among the foothills and she had come to to the little farm- farm to be near him T There had been worries orrIes for both but ut now he only recalled recalled re re- called caned the deep pleasures of that loving lov lov- lo ing ng companionship and wondered If It if he bf had half balf appreciated It H He put down down- the book and lay Jay back upon his pillow w but with wide e eyes ees es and the sick brain so busy Nothing about film him but had some story to tell ten some scene to repaint for tor him Nor would one Lave have guessed the young oung masters master's empty pocket from seeing the tile room But the pretty furniture and the rugs with all nIl their warmth of 01 color had been In the old home before be be- before fore the fathers father's failure the pictures were the tile accumulation of ot college years when a g generous allowance nce was wasn wasa a n Q monthly suret surety the books books he he had always bought books f from om the days of the worn an and loved Bo Boys s 's of 70 to that latest and finel handsomest Anacreon Anac eon reon of Bullens Perhaps It was his this extravagance If It so It was his only one and In the long Jong separation from all those he ho most loved loyed he had these true friends at least alwa always s 's by him The sun fell aslant the long shelves opposite him It almost seemed t the t books were smiling so 80 cheerfully did lid the glance back his light There was dear old Ella two volumes vol vot- um umes s of ot him In gray boards as prim as-prim prim as ss his own Quaker folk and type as clear as his own laugh The Invalid had found him In a Broadway basement base base- ment shop during one of ot those fl flying trips down from Yale Cheap at seven dollars J l and the hotel bill hill was sent Kent after him to New Haven And l there was the Bachelor with his hlo e Reve ries lies beside a sea coal fire Ills His life had had sadness In It It too but now he only suggested t tt se long lazy afternoons after after- on the lake fake l e the little boat driftIng driftIng drift drift- Ing on Into the sunset sunset and ami Just those two Bachelor and stu student ent aboard That hat delightful dreamer of Prue and I J was vas there the old bookkeeper In the white cravat with Prue sweetly smiling on one arm and Aurelia AUrella proud proU 1 ly glancing on the other and Adam Moss his Kentucky cousin with a little basket of ot he shaped heart shap rt-shap d straw straw- berries Both had much to say of ot those all too short rainy afternoons and cups of ot her fragrant tea and the cozy confidential chats between chap chap- There too was sweet little Lorna Doone and Kipling galloping through the memory like Uke one of his own awn East Indian troopers tJ Kamal Is out with 20 men to raise the bo der- der side side hummed bummed the thc Invalid Bret Harte M Mollere Keats Eugene Field Feld Shelb Shelby Austin Dobson an od odd eci companionship com Nm- a but all dear he lie could see them n. n all and he the tried to get up t to so go O out and handle them once more But Buthe Buthe Buthe he was too weak and fell teU back on the pillow again with a little sigh Motionless with closed eyes he lay there while the Ule sun moved across the he shelves across the thc etching of Fortuny's Fortuny's For For- tuny's Death Bed and left the room in twilight Then the sick man turned to the table by br him and n-d n taking up the paper began to write Dearest Mother This Mother This Is my good- good by I had prayed I might not ha have haye e Jo- Jo write It It perhaps not even say It- It It yet But It has seem seemed best other other- wise Its It's hard throwing down ones one's work at twenty six and It Just begInnIng beginning beginning begin begIn- ning to show But tb that t too is best somehow and now theres there's one less to think of ot and plan for If It one less to love O 0 dearest dearest mother I hail hal teamed reAmed It all nil so differently The mine was to prove proe U the e lucky making stroke The dad and thee dear were to have your home once on once e more and I 1 Iwas Iwas was to be with you you and and perhaps ps I prayed a fourth J I had even Imagined that home the lour lone l lawn the the- water at Its foot toot a gre great t west looking library li library library li- li and the sweetest little bay- bay windowed r room om upstairs for Her And dear daddy dadd- was to have his newspapers newspapers newspapers pers three times a n day and a n horse as good as the Duke perhaps DUke perhaps even the Duke himself hImself for for those early morning rides and I once more astride of Punch And up In the studio thee was to paint Just for us I was to write something worth the name There There- was to be bee music again In the house and ho home love home e love loYe everywhere But now Ive I've got to give ghe It all up up- up give ever everything up and up-and and remain forever forever forever for for- ever just a young school teacher who tried and failed Its It's a pretty prett Insignificant tragedy after aUBut all aU allBut allBut But to thee dearest I r must ever be thy loving boy hoy Still the boy d dear ar remember me meso s so as In those sweet film dim days before trouble came and while I was yet et young oung enough to climb Into thy lapI lap I am only a n boy A man would be bel braver brayer and not crY cry out But It It Is so so hard Hopes plans work waiting now now nothing Dearest I love loye thee so If It th the only knew knewl I And Ive I've tried to grow more worthy of the great love ove thee has given me Well In III know soon how hov well or ill I have haye succeeded God bless thee God bless thee Remember Remember ber I love thee so truly and fondly Goodby I do love thee so I BEN Give this boo book to Kate and the note This was folded argil and addressed with witha a name Then on another sheet Dear Kate May Kate May I write you one more note Youve You've always wa s 's been een so sosweet sosweet sosweet sweet and Interested In m my work and striving and youve you've let me write Just when I wanted to and as I felt You Youcan I can can er e-er know w now how much good that has done me how much courage and Ind hope youve you've l led d me to But Its It's all aU so BO and though Its It's all aU come to nothing at the last yet et I want to write you ou Just once more ore and thank you and tell you how I love you It cant can't be but that you ou have guessed it It Is no new ne thing Per Pei haps I should hould have told you Jou before but my pride slipped in a score core of times and dragged me back Youre poor yet and In debt Keep quiet a awhile awhile while longer Once I thought It was all fU coming right It really did seem t that hat I had at last reached the crestot crest of ot the long long climb I could al almost at- at most see the b stretching broad o d- d tr land of pea peace e and love loye spreading away at my feet But the crest pro proved ved scarce a areSt reSt resting g place and I T had to start the c climb limb again Now Ive I've no time to win that crest with all tI Its dearest re re- re ward I r must drop out to the side side side- thanking God I suppose that tired as I am am I am am not mud stained mud mud and stained and and say good good- good y i I I should not have written this perhaps perhaps per per- perhaps haps haps- butI buCI but I did so want to I hated hafed to feel that you might never neter- neter know the true deep pure pure Jove love that has so long tong been all your own that would have found Its highest happiness in n a lifetimes lifetime's lifetimes lifetime's lifetimes lifetime's life life- times time's service Ice of ot devotion devotion and and that now merely comes comess with m my good goodby Remember me me sometimes me Forgive For I e. e this note And once more dear good good- by BEN The sick man lay bade back on his pillow and again closed his eyes eyes The clock In the chapel chape tower struck six The sun dropped below the hills hills The upper upper schooler came out of the racquet rac racquet rac- rac court court It was a well pretty-well- pla played ed game he said ald to his comrade If the light had IRs lasted d just a I little t e while longer I should have hav won |