Speaker 1: Chapter fifty three of Philip Drew, Administrator by Edward House.
Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, recorded by
Speaker 1: the Progressing America Project. Chapter fifty three, the Effacement of
Speaker 1: Philip Drew. In the years since he had graduated from
Speaker 1: West Point, General Drew had learned to speak German, French,
Speaker 1: and Spanish fluently, and he was learning with Gloria the
Speaker 1: language of the Slavs. At odd moments during the closing
Speaker 1: months of his administration, Gloria wondered why he was so
Speaker 1: intent upon learning this language, and why he wanted her
Speaker 1: also to know it. But she no longer questioned him,
Speaker 1: for experience had taught her that he would tell her
Speaker 1: when he was ready for her to know. His labors
Speaker 1: were materially lightened in these closing months, and as the
Speaker 1: time for his retirement drew near, he saw more and
Speaker 1: more of Gloria. Discarding the conventions, they took long rides together,
Speaker 1: and more frequently they took a few camp utensils and
Speaker 1: cooked their midday meal in the woods. How glad Gloria
Speaker 1: was to see the pleasure these excursions gave him. No
Speaker 1: man of his age, perhaps of any age she thought,
Speaker 1: had ever been under the strain of so heavy a responsibility,
Speaker 1: or had acquitted himself so well. She who knew him best,
Speaker 1: had never seen him shirk his duty, nor try to
Speaker 1: lay his own responsibilities upon another's shoulders. In the hours
Speaker 1: of peril to himself and to his cause, he had
Speaker 1: never faltered when there was a miscarriage of his orders
Speaker 1: or his plans. No word of blame came from him.
Speaker 1: If the effort was loyal, and the unhappy agent had
Speaker 1: given all of his energy and ability. He had met
Speaker 1: every situation with the fortitude that knows no fear, and
Speaker 1: with a wisdom that would cause him to be remembered
Speaker 1: as long as history lasts. And now his life's work
Speaker 1: was done. How happy she was. If he did not
Speaker 1: love her, she knew he loved no one else, for
Speaker 1: never had she known him to be more than politely
Speaker 1: pleasant to other women. One golden autumn day, they motored
Speaker 1: far into the hills to the west of Washington. They
Speaker 1: camped upon a mighty cliff towering high above the Potomac.
Speaker 1: What pleasure they had preparing their simple meal. It was
Speaker 1: hard for Gloria to realize that this light hearted boy
Speaker 1: was the serious statesman and soldier of yesterday. When they
Speaker 1: had finished, they sat in the warm sunshine on the
Speaker 1: cliff's edge. The gleaming river followed its devious course far
Speaker 1: below them, parting the wooded hills in the distance. The
Speaker 1: evening of the year had come, and forest and field
Speaker 1: had been touched by the Master's hand. For a long time,
Speaker 1: they sat silent under the spell that nature had thrown
Speaker 1: around them. I find it essential for the country's good
Speaker 1: to leave it for a while, perhaps forever, said Philip Drew.
Speaker 1: Already a large majority of the newly elected House have
Speaker 1: asked me to become the executive. If I accepted, there
Speaker 1: would be those who would believe that in a little
Speaker 1: while I would again assume autocratic control. I would be
Speaker 1: a constant menace to my country if I remained within it.
Speaker 1: I have given to the people the best service of
Speaker 1: which I was capable, and they know and appreciate it.
Speaker 1: Now I can serve them again by freeing them from
Speaker 1: the shadow of my presence and my name. I shall
Speaker 1: go to some obscure portion of the world where I
Speaker 1: cannot be found and inopportune to return. There is at
Speaker 1: San Francisco a queenly sailing craft manned and provision for
Speaker 1: a long voyage. She is waiting to carry me to
Speaker 1: the world's end if needs be. Then Philip took Gloria's
Speaker 1: unresisting hand and said, my beloved, will you come with
Speaker 1: me in my exile? Well, I have loved you since
Speaker 1: the day that you came into my life, and you
Speaker 1: can never know how I have longed for the hour
Speaker 1: to come when I would be able to tell you. So,
Speaker 1: Come with me, dear heart, into this unknown land, and
Speaker 1: make it glad for me. Come because I am drunken
Speaker 1: with love of you and cannot go alone. Come so
Speaker 1: that the days may be flooded with joy, and at
Speaker 1: night the stars may sing to me because you are there. Come,
Speaker 1: sweet Gloria, Come with me, Happy Gloria, Happy Philip. She
Speaker 1: did not answer him. What need was there? How long
Speaker 1: they sat, neither knew, but the sun was far in
Speaker 1: the west and was sending its crimson tide over an
Speaker 1: enchanted land. When the lovers came back to Earth, far
Speaker 1: out upon the waters of Sin Francisco Bay laid the
Speaker 1: graceful yet sturdy eaglet. The wind had freshened, the sails
Speaker 1: were filled, and she was going swift as a gull
Speaker 1: through the Golden Gate into a shimmering sea. A multitude
Speaker 1: of friends and those that wished them well had gathered
Speaker 1: on the water front and upon the surrounding hills to
Speaker 1: bid farewell to Philip Drew and his bride Gloria. They
Speaker 1: watched in silent sadness as long as they could see
Speaker 1: the ship's silhouette against the western sky, and until it
Speaker 1: faded into the splendid waste of the Pacific. Where were
Speaker 1: they bound? Would they return? These were the questions asked
Speaker 1: by all, but to which none could give answer. And
Speaker 1: of Chapter fifty three, end of Philip Drew, Administrator, would
Speaker 1: thank the