Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-07-23

eqs,a. :,r,!or by that other man, whose age,
whose ciiarac. er. whose modest devotion Of
fered her every assurance of happiness that
a woman could desire. she had struggled
against herself, and had begged him to give
her day to consider. That day was now
drawing to an end AS she watched the set
ting sun the phantom of her guilty husband
,.arkened the heavenly light; einbittereu the
distrust of herself which made her afraid to
say yes, and left her helpless before the hesi-
tation which prevented her from saying no.
The figure Of man appeared on the lone
Iy path tina. led ~ the lodge gate.
lmpulsively she rUse from her seat - be
advanced. lmpusiYely she sat down again.
After that first act of indecision the flutter
of her spirits abated; she was able to think.
To avoid him. after lie had spared her at
her own request, would have been an act of
ingratitude; to receive hiuswas to place her
self once more in the false position of wo-
man too undecided to know her own mind.
Forced to choose between these alternatives,
her true regard for Bennydeck forbade her
to think of herself, and encouraged her to
wait for him. As he came nearer she saw
anxiety in his face, and observed an open
letter in his hand. He smiled as lie APP
preached her. and asked leave to takea chair
at her side. At the same time, when he per-
ceived that she had noticed his letter, he put
1t away hurTiediy in his pocket
II hope nothing has happened to annoy
you" she said.
He smiled again, and asked If she was
thinking of his letter. 1T Is only a report"
he added, from my second in command,
whom have left in charge of my home. de
is an excellent man. but | am afraid his tenn
per is not proof against the ingratitude which
we sometimes meet with. He doesn't yet
make allowances for what even the best nat
ures suffer under the dcteriOrating influence
of self-dIstrust and despair. No; / am not
anxious about the result of this case. l for
get all my anxieties Except Onc) when / am
with YOU"
His eyes told her that lie was about to re-
turn to the one subject that she dreaded. She
tlied-as women will try, in the little emer-
gcncies of their liyes-to gain time
II am interested about your home" she
said; II want to know what sort of place 1t
is. Is the discipline very severe"'
There is 10 discipline" he answered,
warmly. MY one ObjectsS TO be n friend
TO my friendless fellow-creatures; and my
one way OF governing them is TO follow the
teaching OF the sermon on the mount. What
ever else ! may remind them of when they
come to me, ] am determined not TO remind
them of prison. For this reason, though |
pity the hardened wanderers of the streets,
| don't open my doors to them. Many q ref
uge, in which discipline is inevitable, is open
10 these poor sinners already. My welcome
is offered to pentientS and sufferers of an
other kind-who have fallen from positions
in life in which the sense of honor has been
cultivated; whose despair is associated with
remembranccS which | may SO encourage
with the new testament to help me, as to
lead them back II the religious influences un-
der which their purcr and happier lives may
have been passed. Here and there | meet
with disappohimcntS, but persist I'm my
system OF trusting them ss freely as If they
were my own children, and for the most
part they justify my confidence in them.
On the day-if 1t ever comeS-when | find
discipline necessary Shall suffer my diSap-
poihtment and close my DOORS
us your house opcn,' Catherine asked,
"tO men ana women alike?'
lie was eager to speak with her on a sub
ject more interesting to him even than his
home. Answering her question in this frame
OF mind his thoughts wan Ier'l; he drew
lines ahsentIy with his waIkns-stick on the
soft earth under the trees.
The means at my disposal" he said, ARE
limited. have been obliged to choose be-
tween the men and the women"
And you have CHOSEN women"'
yes
'Why?"
Because a lost woman is more friend
less creature than lost man"
'Do they come to yOu or do you look for
them
''rhry mostly come to me- There Is one
young woman, however now waiting to see
me, whom have been looking for | am
deeply Interested in her"
us 1t her beauty that interests your
Il have not seen her since she was 4 child.
She is the da' ;Iltcr a. AN Old friend of mine,
who died IN ,ity years ago"
And with that clam on you, YOU keep
her waitng"'
Yes"
lie let his stick drop on the ground, and
looked at c dhrrinc; hut hc oil, red no ex-
panat on ot hil Stranrc conduct. She was a
little disappointed. luu have been some
time away from your hnmc." she said; still
searching for his reasons. When do You
go back
Il 20 b eek, he answered. "whrn know
whether may thank God for being the hap
piest man living"
They were both silent