Show I H THE LIGHT hAT THA T FAilED FAHL RUDYARD Author of oC Mine lI e O 0 Oin rn People Ib Pha Phantom tom lir rr Plain PlaiD Tales I from Irom the hills Hilla Three t. t Dick ha had bad never r asked cd anybody to help him In his Joys jOs or hIs hla sorrow He lie argued In iii the time loneliness of or tho studio henceforward ard to bo be bo decorated with n a film tUm of ot gray gauze In ono one corner cornor thai If It his fate fato bUn blindness all tho Tor- Tor In tho ho world worM could 1 not save him I r cant can't call cali him hini of off his trip to sit down and sympathize with me I must pull through the business alone ho said Ho lie was wae lying on the sofa I Iho eating his moustache cho and wondering what tho darkness of ot tho the night would bo be like Then camo came to his hie mind tho the memory of or a quaint scene In iii tho the Sou Sou- dan A soldier had been nearly hacked backed In two by a broad bladed Arab spear For lor one ono instant tho the nina man felt no rio pain Looking down ho saw that his hla life lire lifeblood lifeblood blood was going from him Tho The stupid bewilderment on his hla faco taco wa was so in intensely Intensely intensely In- In tensely comic that both Dick and ond Tor- Tor still panting and unstrung from a fight for Cor life liCe had roared with laughter In which the time man s scorned omed as asIf asIf asIf If ho ito would join but as his lips Ups parted parted part part- ed cd In a i sheepish grin tho the agony agon of or death cumo mO upon him and h ho pitched pl grunting at their foot Dick laughed again remembering tho the horror It seemed so 20 exactly like lIko hi his own case coc BUt Hut 1 I havo have a little moro more time allowed mo ho Ito said 1 Ho lIo paced up and dow down n tho tim room quietly at but afterwards afterwards after artor- wards with tho tue hurried feet of or tear fear cur It was as though a black shadow stood at lila Ills elbow and urged him forward and there were only weaving circles and oud floating pin plo dots before tiis eyes We Va must bo calm wo must bo bl calm aIm lie talked aloud for tor tho tIme sake o of or distraction Tills This Isn t nice at all aim What shall we do 07 Wo VO must tb do 10 some some- timing thing Our time is short 1 I shouldn't have believed beHoved that this morning but now things aro are different where was Moses when the tho light went 0 out u t smiled from ear car to car as at a well-bred well terrier should but mado made no suggestion Were Vere hove thoro but world enough nu and 1 time This coyness were no crime But at my back 1 always hear hear hear- lie Ilo wiped his forehead which was y unpleasantly damp What hut can J I do 10 What hat can caim I 1 do r I haven ha t tany tany tany any notions left and amI I cant think eon con but I must do something orI or orI orI I shall go oft off my head bead The hurried walk walle recommenced recommence DIck lck stopping every now and ond again to drag rag forth long neglected canvases onva Jl'S and old notebooks for fur ho he turned to his work l by y Instinct a as a thing that could Quid not lot full fuJI You won wont won't t do llo und and you ou won t do io h he said enid at each Inspection No Nomore Nomore Nomore more soldiers I coul couldn't paint em cm Sudden death comes homo home too nearl I and this Is la battle and murder both for Cor or ate me II The day was wall falling failing and Did Dick thought hough t tor toi a moment that the twilight twi- twi light Ight of ot the time blind had Imd come upon him I Var una unawares 8 Allah lInh lIali Almighty ne nr cried criNI despairingly uglY mo mc through ough Iho thu tUne time ol ci waiting and 1 I wont won't whine when my amy comes comel What can canI I do now before time the light gO goes goes' 5 There was WaR no nu answer walled waited till ho could coul 1 r regain sonic ome lI sort lIIl Il o ot or control cun- cun over himself Ills HIs hands ere I slink ing and antl he prided Ii himself i f on 1111 t tn 1 ci lr r steadiness ss he could feel teel that Ms lie lips I wc were quivering and the time sweat was running down Uhf tits face lace lie was la lasted by fear four driven forward b IJ by the till desire to get to work v at once and accomplish something and maddened b by the thc refusal refu sal of or his hs bruin brain to do more than ic- ic p peat at time tho news that he lie was about to tC toSO SO yo blind Its Us a a. humiliating exhibition exhibition exhibition tion he thought and Jm glad Torn Torp Isn't nt he to tu see sen The doctor said I Iwas Iwas i iwas was to tu uld mental worry Come h here r an and let lei me pet pot you OU The rue little dog yelped ll l cc us Did I nearl nearly squeezed IMo UlO tie out om of l hini lm Then rimon ho lie h tho the man 1111 speaking in inDie intile tile lid twilight and lId understood lint hi trouble stood off tf tt from rout h him him Im- Allah Is lit good goud Not ot quite ISO o gen gentle ilo J as tg we could wish but well we'll 11 discuss that later I think I J s-e s t-o t m my way to It now how All Alt these i. i studies Indies oi ot nessle Bessie's head were nonsense and th nearly brought ht your muster into A ti scrape I hul hold 1 the notion now us Uti d' d clear cleara l ai al' aias alas a as crystal the th the that trans trans- cM all wit There shall shaH h bi- bi isle Mu-isle In iii that thaL head because I shah never el g get t Maisie and Bess Dess of ot course e. e c UIO sue ho knows all about thou though h sue she he doesn't know she sho knows and there shall hall b bt some drawing In It and it shall hall all aU end up iii with a a. laugh That's for or myself Shall she he giggle or grin No Ko she shall hall laugh right out of or th the tho canvas and o cr every man JUan and aull woman that hat over ovo had hall a sorrow of their own what shall hall what IB is It Jt th the poem saya says says- und Understand the tho speech ech and feel a a. stir Of fellowship In all disastrous fight In all disastrous la ti fight ht That's better I than han painting the tho thing merely ol to pique Malsie J I can do O It now because I have haveIt havet It t mc me Binkie Im I'm going to hold lold you u up by your our tall tail Youre You're an omen Como Gome hor here swung head downward tot for a moment without speaking Rather like holding a guinea pig Ilg but ut youre you're t a bravo brave little dog and you dont don't yelp when alien youre you're hung up UI ItIs It Itis Its Is s an omen ornen wont went to his own chair and andas andas as ott- ott often n as ho lie looked saw Dick lug Ing ng up and down rubbing his han hands lI and chuckling That rhut night Dick wrote a aletter L tOtter letter to 1 full of ot tho ten regard for her hor health but saying very little about his own and ind dreamed o otho oZ tho time to bo be born Not till Ull morning did he remember that something something something some some- thing might happen to him hini In tho time fu tu- tu U- U ture lure He Ito foil to work whistling softly soHl and was swallowed up In tho the clean clear Joy of creation which does docs not como come to man too often lost lest he lie should himself the equal of ot his God Goll and so refuse to die dlo at tho the appointed time Ho lie forgot Torpenhow and at his feet teet but bul remembered to stir Bessie Dessle who ne needed very little stirring Into a tremendous rage that ho he might watch tho the smoldering lights lighte In her eyes lIe He threw himself without reservation Into his work vork and did Ill nut not think of ot the doom that was to overtake him for tor ho lie was waR d with his no nOn ion and tho the thins things 8 of ot this world hall hail no power upon hun him Youre pleased today said Bessie Dessle Dick waved his mahl stick In mystic circles and went to tho the sideboard for tor fora tora a drink In the evening when tho the ex cx- of ot the day dav had hud died down 1 0 n ho went to tho the sideboard 1 again on and 1 after somo visits became convinced that the eye doctor was waH a liar since ho could see seo everything clearly lie Ho was of ot opinion that ho would oven o mako a home borne for tor Malsie and that whether she aha liked it or not sho she should bo be his wife Tho The mood passed next morning but the sideboard and all aU upon It re re- re for his comfort A Agrain ho R sot t to work and his c eyes troubled n lm him with i spots and dashes and blurs till he had hall taken counsel with tho the sideboard and the tho Melancholia both on tho the canvas can and In n his own mind appeared lovelier than over ever There was a dell delightful sense of ot Irresponsibility upon him such aa as they feel fool who walking among their fellowmen fellowmen fellow- fellow men muon know lenow that tho the sentence death of ot disease is upon them and aud since fear tear I lu hI but waste walto of or the little time left lect aro riotously nappy happy The days das passed with wIth- without out event Bessle Bassle arrived punctually always and though her voice seemed scorned to Dick to come cornEl front rom a a. distance her taco face wa was always 1 7 very vero ver near nestr- and the Melancholia began to flamo on the canvas canvas can- can vas ii In the likeness of ot a a. w woman man who had hald Known all the tho sorrow Borrow in the world and T was s laughinG at It It was true that the corners of ot the studio had draped themselves In gray ray film nim a and d re retired re- re tired 1 Into the darkness that tho the spots In his eyes oyes and the pains across his hie hiser head Maines Maine's were er very mee and that letters were hard 1 to read and an andell harder sun still to naw answer r- r lIe He could not notTo tell ell her ot of his trouble and lie ho could riot not laugh rt t her bar accounts ot of Melancholia which her ber own was always going to ho bo finished But Dut the tho furious Curious toll toil anI and the days das ot of nights of wild willi dreams made amende for tOl aU all and time tho sideboard hIe bes friend on earth Dessie was simply dull llull he used to shriek was ruo rao when Die stared at her between with eyes eu Now Nov ho eho sulked BUlked watched him or with disgust t little saying ver very r To Tv be tie Toi 10 Mo |