Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-23
There will keep my foot'' said Ma

rian.
"But it can turn and strike you! Come
off-come away from therei" with des-
pairing howl He threw himself before
her and tried to fling her from the spot.
mo woman shall stand between me and
what l dread!"
| Marian threw up her arms, and trust.
full, believing looks, before which he fell
back, an exhausted, AFFECT heap, upon the
| floor.
"Oh, our Christ" she begged, tive shall
die unless Thou come to us. There is no
help in man. Satan is here, even in per-
son. Now, show us that Thou art a
mighty Savior, and Savior to the utter
most, no matter what selfsufficient folks
have told us to the contrary. We can't
| see Thee. Oh, our Christ! take hold of
US! we lie at Thy feet Thou art love!
| thrill us with all Thy heroism and pa
thence! Oh, take hold of us or we shall die !"
Here Marian's heart burst and ran in
| stormy tears over her face.
"It's gone" whispered Reginald; "move
| away and let me see. knew it!-yes, it's
gone!"
He stretched himself and lay as lifeless
| as a seaweed; and while his exhausted
body barely breathed, the spirit of music,
| freed by Marian's hands, began to talk to
him. First it sobbed and shivered, say
ing plainly, ''Ah, son of man, both you
| and are tormented and hampered in this
| worlds" Then it rose up, with the letters
on its feet, and moved him with heroic
| impulses. He felt strong; sat up; was
thrilled to quivering. 1t led him on to a
tenderness and newness of life. Marian,
her back to him, her hands and heart
dcfrn l.
ing Heaven to his imagination. "Hope
| for me?" he asked himself, aloud.
Hope tor me?" caught the young wo-
man, whose ear was keen. A piano was
| hardly able to give utterance to the tri-
| her touch.
Having exercised his tormentor, she
turned her helpful, beautiful face toward
him.
"Sit there and let me look at you," beg
ged Reginald, land let me tell you all
| about it."
She was all his in listening.
He laid down the outline Of his case.
Much of his confidence cannot be told-it
was in his eyes, in his alternately crimson
proud figure. His father had been a
.
curse of their race would be covered for
years by the hard crust of manhood, but
its lava finally broke through and over
flowed everything. They all rose from
untainted boyhoOd to powerful maturity.
But as their natures grew, so grew the
worm; and the worm crumbled the ripe
man.
He told her where his mother and sis
tiers lived; of his childhood; his happy
prospects; of the bright career even yet
before him, if he were equal to it.
"zhey don't know how it is with me, !"
he confessed 81 make short visits home
1t would break mothers heart. She has
hoped for me- This fit was coming on all
last night dared not go to my rooms
l walked the streets all night. That
snake began to follow me about daybreak
/ was at the railroad depot jumped
aboard an early train to get rid OF it, and
jumped off here to leave it on the train. l
ran up the streets and down. 1t chased
me through Gods green woodstock
could such a child as you know how to
treat delirium tremens, little angel."
(For this Marion was a chameleon as to
her personal appearance. The face he
saw that moment was the face OF babe.
Nature had intended her for beautiful
woman however, Natures plan had been
nipped in the bud by care and SORROW
girlhood passed her by on the other side,
while she stopped over her wounded fam
ily. These women, whose natural devel-
opment is so checked, are babe, wife,
mother, grandmother, in one conglom-
erate.)
Reginald's question led her to tell him
how her father died in bondage to drink.
She touched lightly on her life; the strug-
gle to put buttered bread in the mouths
of growing brothers, and support an in
valid mother at the same time. "lt was
hard" Now he saw the old, old, care
Clipped grandmother face. 81 sewed and
gardened, and copied papers-but fortu-
nately for us, somebody who left the world
was good enough to give his little fortune
to us. And now all is we'll"
at must always be well with you" said
Reginald, cycling the lovely woman who
expanded again before him. His face
flushed darby. 81 can never hope to
have any good angel for my friend"
She crossed the room and came near to
him. "Why not for your friend? Why, !
know YOU! / shall be true friend And
then, don't call me good angel / am a
soul like you-you came to me in need,
and felt it,"
On this side, the mans face, watching
here instantly, taking impressions from
her he had never taken from woman be-
fore; on that side, the girls face, lit, self
forgetful, answering him.
A pang cut him. Just suggestion OF
what might have been.
you'll despise me finally. / know you
will"
"On the contrary" said Marian, 'T'll
love you with my prayers"
"Good bless you!" He saw her posi-
ton. She had neither coquetry nor pru-
dishness. She stood on the middle ground
of selfrespecting, wide-reaching woman
hood. Taking her hand in his, he breath
ed over and over, "God bless you! Now
l will CO." said he. Yet he stood and was
10TH "Say Reginald"
my friend Reginald"
This pleased him. "At home they used
to call me Rex, for short" he smiled, turn
ing his eyes aside to look at the memory.
aRex, not for short, but for strength.
Rex means king" said Marian.
"Kingl" with scornful snort; sheet
lightning hatred Of himself all over his
face "Now I will gOn vet never relax.