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<v Speaker 1>Chapter fifty three of Philip Drew, Administrator by Edward House.

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<v Speaker 1>This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, recorded by

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<v Speaker 1>the Progressing America Project. Chapter fifty three, the Effacement of

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<v Speaker 1>Philip Drew. In the years since he had graduated from

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<v Speaker 1>West Point, General Drew had learned to speak German, French,

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<v Speaker 1>and Spanish fluently, and he was learning with Gloria the

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<v Speaker 1>language of the Slavs. At odd moments during the closing

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<v Speaker 1>months of his administration, Gloria wondered why he was so

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<v Speaker 1>intent upon learning this language, and why he wanted her

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<v Speaker 1>also to know it. But she no longer questioned him,

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<v Speaker 1>for experience had taught her that he would tell her

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<v Speaker 1>when he was ready for her to know. His labors

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<v Speaker 1>were materially lightened in these closing months, and as the

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<v Speaker 1>time for his retirement drew near, he saw more and

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<v Speaker 1>more of Gloria. Discarding the conventions, they took long rides together,

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<v Speaker 1>and more frequently they took a few camp utensils and

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<v Speaker 1>cooked their midday meal in the woods. How glad Gloria

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<v Speaker 1>was to see the pleasure these excursions gave him. No

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<v Speaker 1>man of his age, perhaps of any age she thought,

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<v Speaker 1>had ever been under the strain of so heavy a responsibility,

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<v Speaker 1>or had acquitted himself so well. She who knew him best,

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<v Speaker 1>had never seen him shirk his duty, nor try to

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<v Speaker 1>lay his own responsibilities upon another's shoulders. In the hours

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<v Speaker 1>of peril to himself and to his cause, he had

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<v Speaker 1>never faltered when there was a miscarriage of his orders

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<v Speaker 1>or his plans. No word of blame came from him.

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<v Speaker 1>If the effort was loyal, and the unhappy agent had

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<v Speaker 1>given all of his energy and ability. He had met

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<v Speaker 1>every situation with the fortitude that knows no fear, and

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<v Speaker 1>with a wisdom that would cause him to be remembered

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<v Speaker 1>as long as history lasts. And now his life's work

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<v Speaker 1>was done. How happy she was. If he did not

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<v Speaker 1>love her, she knew he loved no one else, for

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<v Speaker 1>never had she known him to be more than politely

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<v Speaker 1>pleasant to other women. One golden autumn day, they motored

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<v Speaker 1>far into the hills to the west of Washington. They

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<v Speaker 1>camped upon a mighty cliff towering high above the Potomac.

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<v Speaker 1>What pleasure they had preparing their simple meal. It was

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<v Speaker 1>hard for Gloria to realize that this light hearted boy

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<v Speaker 1>was the serious statesman and soldier of yesterday. When they

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<v Speaker 1>had finished, they sat in the warm sunshine on the

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<v Speaker 1>cliff's edge. The gleaming river followed its devious course far

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<v Speaker 1>below them, parting the wooded hills in the distance. The

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<v Speaker 1>evening of the year had come, and forest and field

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<v Speaker 1>had been touched by the Master's hand. For a long time,

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<v Speaker 1>they sat silent under the spell that nature had thrown

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<v Speaker 1>around them. I find it essential for the country's good

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<v Speaker 1>to leave it for a while, perhaps forever, said Philip Drew.

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<v Speaker 1>Already a large majority of the newly elected House have

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<v Speaker 1>asked me to become the executive. If I accepted, there

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<v Speaker 1>would be those who would believe that in a little

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<v Speaker 1>while I would again assume autocratic control. I would be

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<v Speaker 1>a constant menace to my country if I remained within it.

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<v Speaker 1>I have given to the people the best service of

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<v Speaker 1>which I was capable, and they know and appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 1>Now I can serve them again by freeing them from

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<v Speaker 1>the shadow of my presence and my name. I shall

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<v Speaker 1>go to some obscure portion of the world where I

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<v Speaker 1>cannot be found and inopportune to return. There is at

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<v Speaker 1>San Francisco a queenly sailing craft manned and provision for

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<v Speaker 1>a long voyage. She is waiting to carry me to

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<v Speaker 1>the world's end if needs be. Then Philip took Gloria's

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<v Speaker 1>unresisting hand and said, my beloved, will you come with

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<v Speaker 1>me in my exile? Well, I have loved you since

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<v Speaker 1>the day that you came into my life, and you

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<v Speaker 1>can never know how I have longed for the hour

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<v Speaker 1>to come when I would be able to tell you. So,

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<v Speaker 1>Come with me, dear heart, into this unknown land, and

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<v Speaker 1>make it glad for me. Come because I am drunken

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<v Speaker 1>with love of you and cannot go alone. Come so

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<v Speaker 1>that the days may be flooded with joy, and at

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<v Speaker 1>night the stars may sing to me because you are there. Come,

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<v Speaker 1>sweet Gloria, Come with me, Happy Gloria, Happy Philip. She

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<v Speaker 1>did not answer him. What need was there? How long

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<v Speaker 1>they sat, neither knew, but the sun was far in

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<v Speaker 1>the west and was sending its crimson tide over an

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<v Speaker 1>enchanted land. When the lovers came back to Earth, far

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<v Speaker 1>out upon the waters of Sin Francisco Bay laid the

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<v Speaker 1>graceful yet sturdy eaglet. The wind had freshened, the sails

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<v Speaker 1>were filled, and she was going swift as a gull

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<v Speaker 1>through the Golden Gate into a shimmering sea. A multitude

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<v Speaker 1>of friends and those that wished them well had gathered

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<v Speaker 1>on the water front and upon the surrounding hills to

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<v Speaker 1>bid farewell to Philip Drew and his bride Gloria. They

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<v Speaker 1>watched in silent sadness as long as they could see

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<v Speaker 1>the ship's silhouette against the western sky, and until it

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<v Speaker 1>faded into the splendid waste of the Pacific. Where were

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<v Speaker 1>they bound? Would they return? These were the questions asked

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<v Speaker 1>by all, but to which none could give answer. And

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<v Speaker 1>of Chapter fifty three, end of Philip Drew, Administrator, would

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<v Speaker 1>thank the