The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Light of the Star, by Hamlin Garland

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Title: The Light of the Star
A Novel

Author: Hamlin Garland

Release Date: April 4, 2009 [EBook #28492]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: "HE WAS A NOTICEABLY HANDSOME FIGURE AS HE SAT ALONE IN
THE BOX"

[_See p. 31_]

THE

LIGHT OF THE STAR

A Novel

BY

HAMLIN GARLAND

AUTHOR OF "HESPER"

"THE CAPTAIN OF THE GRAY-HORSE TROOP"

ETC. ETC.

NEW YORK AND LONDON

HARPER & BROTHERS

PUBLISHERS:: MCMIV

THE LIGHT OF THE STAR

Published May, 1904.

THE LIGHT OF THE STAR

I

After the appointment with Miss Merival reached him (through the hand of
her manager), young Douglass grew feverishly impatient of the long days
which lay between. Waiting became a species of heroism. Each morning he
reread his manuscript and each evening found him at the theatre, partly
to while away the time, but mainly in order that he might catch some
clew to the real woman behind the shining mask. His brain was filled
with the light of the star--her radiance dazzled him.

By day he walked the streets, seeing her name on every bill-board,
catching the glow of her subtle and changeful beauty in every window.
She gazed out at him from brows weary with splendid barbaric jewels, her
eyes bitter and disdainful, and hopelessly sad. She smiled at him in
framework of blue and ermine and pearls--the bedecked, heartless
coquette of the pleasure-seeking world. She stood in the shadow of gray
walls, a grating over her head, with deep, soulful, girlish eyes lifted
in piteous appeal; and in each of these characters an un