Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-08-18
BY CHARLES J. BELEAMY.
copyrighted by the Author, and published
by arrangement with him


1t was not Bertha Ellingsworth at all, as
he had known her-it was rather as he
had drealsed she might be- In the common
est of women are elements of character,
germs of emotions, that in their height and
fused together can glorify her to a creature
of resistless power and dignity, with holy fire
shining in her face. 1t is the sleeping god
dess men worship in women, for worship is
the truest form of love, and when that wor-
ship is lost the part of love for which a man
would make a hero of himself and rise above
every groveling taint in his nature is lost,
too. A woman may sin and not repent; she
may seem as shallow as the surf on the shin
ing sand just before its ebb, but so long as a
man believes in the goddess in her he waits
on her folly, he strives to gid over her sin
in ennobling reverence for her possibilities.
"Why, tomorrow was the day you prom
ised to let me talk Of
81 remember She drew back from him
and clasped her white hands for a moment
over her forehead; "and have you been
thinking great deal of it,"
"Why not tonight, Bertha!" he begged in
sudden fervor.
But she started to her feet like one in NOR
tai terror ''Oh no, not Tonight"
down with new sad smile as he held her
hand to his lips you don't mind very
much, do you? | am not very much of a
woman really" she said wistfully, "if it
wasn't for the habit you have fallen into"
Then she glanced at the clock on the
mantel
She followed him to the door.
"How sad the moonlight is. am afraid
~ cho bn lnI lor Io,, 30
him.
Then he heard broken voice coming, it
seemed long way to his ears.
''Oh, Philip, aren't you going to kiss me
good-good nightm
His passion he had thought crushed came
over him in a storm. He gathered her yield
ing form in his arms as if he never would
lose her again, and kissed her trembling, an
swering lips dozen times and her wet, anx-
ious eyes.
Bertha, will not 60" he whispered hur-
riedly. II cannot leave you So"
But she had gently released herself from
his embrace. She tried to smile at him
through her tears.
"No, no, you must 60" Still he hesitated
till strange eagerness came into the blue
eyes "No, no, you must go. Goodby,
Philip"
As he went down the steps and out of the
gate, the chill Of the last expression in her
eyes hung about his heart. Then he stopped
and looked about She had closed the door
but something white fluttered on the step.
1t was her handkerchief, with the perfume
she always used in its delicate folds He car
ried it to his FACET was almost as if he
touched her. He stood hesitating a moment
"A moment big with issues to them both.
He remembered her tender words and the
rare caresses she had had for him; he forgot
the undertone that had so painfully inter
preted them. 1t was as if he had tasted of
some priceless vintage of wine. He would
return in an hour and taste again. All, he
had waited patiently for the moment when
this woman of stainless marble would turn
to flesh! And now his foolish heart counted
all its hard lessons for nothing, but beat high
with triumph. Tomorrow" She under
stood him, then, but how modest and timid
she was Tomorrow would be for them
both tho brightest day of their lives She
was not startled at herself now, no wonder,
at the revelation of the depths of such a
heart She wanted little time to calm her
self; to get wonted to the new woman that
looked out of her eyes,
He had made up his mind, and the moon
went under black cloud for anger But it
was only for an hour; then he would come
back
Market hall was crowded, and Curran was
speaking at pitch of impassioned eloquence
beyond anything Philip had ever heard
"What overwhelms you is your own ener-
gies fused into weapons of deadly warfare; it
is their cunning which turns your myriad
hands against yourselves. Whero else can
they find the force to vanquish you9 The
rich are but few. Whose hands but yours
are strong and numerous enough to carry
out their plansa The longer you submit the
stronger they entrencb themselves with your
flesh and blood. Every week some new trade
or profession is invented to make respectable
and steady some new discovered method of
living out of the poor; every month some new
law is passed in the interests of the money
power"
He paused for moment and then went on
with more bitterness. Every month the
upper classes grow more indifferent to the
foundation on which they rest-of throbbing,
agonizing human flesh Not satisfied with
the terrible natural distinction between
wealth and poverty, they invent codes of
manners and devise elaborate systems of
what they mincingly call etiquette. Mar
riage with the poor is inexcusable. Even
familiarity with inferiors-a great breach of
'propriety" they call it. They ask not is a
man honest and true hearted, is he kinda but
Is he wealthy or did he ever soil his hands
with worka Not is a woman beautiful, is
she modesta these are of little account; but is
she well-that is, richly-connectedl If her
father cheats others she may be admitted to
their circles; If he is unfortunate enough to
be cheated, never, All, the shame of it, that
makes no account of hundreds of millions of
human creatures of untainted blood, of un-
clouded intellects, except as mere beasts of
burden; to deny them social privileges, and
whip the boldest of them back into the dark
ness of ignorance and contempt. All the
lights Of KNOWLEDGE must burn for the