St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-14
A LOGICAL CONCLUSION.

meaning of Lee Ransom's lettering i'll
bed, at length came in person and,
streaming into the face of the dreamer,
demanded to know what in this busy
world he meant by sleeping until such
an hour of the morning. For answer,
Mr.. Ransom, stirring beneath the cover
lids, finally condescended to open his
eyes. Blinking at first, and then smiling
a lazy greeting to his sunship, he
stretched out his arms as child might
towards the light. But in an instant
the light had lost its grateful warmth.
his arms fell heavily beside him, his
gaze was rooted on vial labeled
poison" that stood conspicuous on
desk by the windOw-the spell the night
had cast was vanished, memory awoke,
and the load of oppression that had be-
come his SOULS beSt-knOwn companion
resumed control of his mind and body.
In the most intense misery, an ana
lytical mind never quite drops the role
of interested observer, but unconscious
" sets to work tracing its own tears
back to their fountain head. An anguish,
too powerful for tears to play part in,
had possession of Lee RanSom's being.
1t benumbed him; the most he was ca
felt, and it was as if another stood dis
sectiDg his misery that the critical spirit
Unborn in him followed, with the cold,
steel-like precision of surgeons knife,
the incidents of his past life that had
brought him where he was.
Six years back, Lee Ransom, a boy In
worldly knowledge, an old man III the
emotional experience of a hlgh-strung
dreamer. sat one evening in an opera
house. I'll TrOvatOre" was on the stage
before him-Patti and Scalchi were sing
ing.
I'm sure don't know what pleasure
YOU can find in opera, RANSOM" his
friends were wont to say to him.
You miss nine-tenths of it, listening
to it with your eyes closed"
IF | see the stage it rObS me OF all
delight" he would reply; 'the mimicrv
of it all is visible then, and it pains me.
But if l close my eyes l shut that out.
Ny senses grow drunk with the music
and my spirit steals out of them to its
own realms, with never thought OF
earth to weigh it down."
On the particular night to which
reference has been made, however, the
senSuOus idealist barred the pleasure
destroying world from his vision, not
with closed eyelids, but with the sight
of beautiful woman.
Ransom, my boy" said the older
man beside him with an amused smile,
"Tve been watching you for the past
forty-five minutes and thirty-Seven
seconds, and in that time you have not
taken your eyes off from Mrs. Warren
long enough to wink. What the deuce
are YOU thinking abOut?"
THAT she is the most wonderful
creature | have ever SEEM" replied
Ransom, with touch of reverence in
his voice.
Don't you know who she is?'
"a peri shut out from heaven by mis-
take, if / can believe my eyes," said
Ransom, laughing, endeavOring to shake
off his seriousness and so protect him
self from the chatting Warde was sure
to give him, did he persist in it.
Your doom is sealed" said Warde,
with the impressiveness of an oracle.
That woman must come into your life.
The gods decree it, and if you find a
gauntlet in the gift, take it up and fight
it out with heaven-Im not TO be held
the author of it, even if am going to
introduce you"
"Whatr' exclaimed Ransom, s'yOu
are going to introduce me to her-me?'
"Yes, YOU" repeated Warde, mimick
ing the hushed tones in which Ransom
had voiced his surprise. drop the
scales from your eyes, my boy, and look
her in the face. She is flesh and blood
indeed, if reports speak true, she is
very fieshly-a woman of theories, one
of which is that there is no eating quite
so delicate as mems hearts. She does
not count chickens tongues circum-
stance in comparison. So, be advised,
my lad, and if you wish to make your
self dear to madam, hold your tongue
and give her your heart"
Half an hour later saw the two seated
in Mrs. Warren'S box, Ransom follow
ing to the letter the instructions Warde
had given him. His handsome, sensi-
tive face-the face of a poet, she in
wardly pronounced it-pleased madam
$50 she was styled commonly, and she
had been inclined to be very gracious to
the youth; but his evident embarrasS-
ment hindered conversation with him,
If it was a trifle gratifying to her van
ity. General conversation among the
half dozen men and one dignified old
lady-madamS aunt and constant COM
panion-who filled the box. turned on
the Developments of divorce case
that was then engaging the attention of
the public.
"There is no doubt but Mrs. Wells
has good ground for complaint" said
one of the men. mo woman could be
blamed for Directing strongly to her
husbands adopting female child of
twenty-four."
"But you men are so ev il-minded, :"
spoke the dignified old lady eXpostula-
tingly, ''you give innocence no show
for its life. So far there is no cOnclu-
81 nrOOf of fla pnonsc o1ilt nor of tho
young woman's; why not believe that
he was animated by only benevolent
motives and that her evident affection
for him is inspired by becoming graft
tude?"
"Stnff and nonsense, Mrs. Yardley,"
said Warde emphatically;;" the very
fence around the Garden of Eden has
been torn down-there's not trace of
such innocence eXtant. Plainly and
without a doubt, that girl is Wells
Mistress"
sAnd what of that" asked Mrs. War
rem with an exhibition of the innocence
Warde had just declared non-existent.
"You don't mean to say, Mrs. War
rem, that you would as mildly ask,
And what of that were you in Mrs.
Wells place, do your" Warde demanded
to know.
naUuepenuS, Teplleu MIS-. w dTreD,
meditatively, toying with her bracelet,
while her face assumed a rapt express
sion. II understand human nature
masculine nature-and believe l am
capable Of forgiving a man, even my
husband, anything but deceit; that /
never can forgive" a sorrowful shade
stealing into her eyes as if bitter eX-
perience had taught her the limit of a
woman's pardon.
surely nobody ever deceived You,"
said Ransom eagerly, surprised into
speaking by the passionate wave of in
dignatiOn her eyes had generated in his
chivalrouS young soul.
"Ah, my boy" said madam with sad
smile, II may not answer you. Sorrow
comes to all, our lives are checked with
sorrows manifold, but woman has this
rnoro-rha mar MT coll har cnr.l.,, b.. a