The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-03-18

You told me once" she said slowly,
casting about for her words, that 1
was consumed by the passion for per-
fection; and every body admits that all
the world wants love-,
"Well?"
"Do you lSnow-dont you think there
exists in every human heart an inap-
peasable thirst for perfect love?"
81 am not here to generalize about
humanity. ! only know what l myself
have felt, and that l have told you
alre ady."
Miss Winchester passed her hand
quickly across her forehead, as if to
brush away the little frown that had
settled there.
"Other people have sometimes told
me that they had found it," she went
| OH, steadily. 81 may be unjust, but it
has seemed to me that usually they
were very easily satisfied and yet
there have been some of them | have
cnvied from the bottom of my heart.
Is it my fault that l have not been able
to be satisfied, too? You know l have
been more or less admired, but so far
it has always happened that the admir-
alton | have received has seemed to
me too light thing to be serious with.
Can you imagine what it means to
linow-or think you do-eXactly what
you want, and to really wish for it,
and never to have it come near you,
but instead to have the cheapest, taw-
driest limitations of it thrust into your
hands? Why, it seems to me it is the
life of Tantalus!"
Miss Winchester was breathing
rather hurriedly now, but she took
courage from the impassive, attentive
face of her listener and went on brave
ly:
After a few experiences l stopped
/ expecting anything different. But |
could not change my ideals, you know,
because life and love did not prove
what had thought them"
| Amory's eyebrows went up line at
this statement, but he said nothing,
and the girl went on:
"Then, pretty soon, met you. You
struck me at first as such Philistine
Of the Philistines, with your ire
! proachable surroundings and your air
of having seen and experienced every
thing, and found it all pretty good
yet of thinking all the while there was
really nothing worth putting yourself
out for but a comfortable life and your
little jolSe-that l never dreamed you
were going to care anything about
anyone so different as l am, nor that
you could care in the way you have"
"In the way do" Amory corrected
her carefully.
81 thought you were too satisfied
even to be interesting. l admit that ]
was mistaken and that you are several
things no one would ever dream you
were-good things, mean-and l ad-
nit that like you very much, but
don't you see?-it is your very excel
lencies that are against you. You are
worse than the others, because you
come so near, and yet do not attain
1t is criminal in a man to approach so
near woman's ideal and then fail
of it,
The light that burned in Mr.. Am
ory's eyes was not wholly amiable, but
his voice was quiet as he said:
81 knew all this in e eneral way be
fore; that is, l suspected it. We are
not getting on. Those objections OF
yours, those deficiencies of mine-l
beg you to specify them"
"lf you were used to arguing with
women" observed Miss Winchester
maliciously, you would not expect to
get on"
You are not like other women" he
said, simply, with lovers conviction.
You will not evade or put me Off"
The girl flushed. "IIave l not said
enough?" she demanded. Ibid | not
tell you in June it would be sacrifice
to marry you?'
"What then?" he urged. Ibid you
not also tell me once that love could be
demonstrated only by sacrifice?"
"Am l pretending to love you?" she
torted, hotly.
Il had forgotten that momentarily,
murmured Armory, dejectedly. but
the objections? Surely, have a right
to those"
Very well, if you insist But if you
do not like what say, remember did
not say it willingly" she warned. "In
the first place, l admire men who have
force, who can be powers in the world
! do not mean that you are weak, but
that you are Indifferent. You are only
a power in the world of diners-out.
! 81 admire the beautiful self-posses-
sion with which you say horribly cruel
things"
II knew you would take it badly
But / did not mean to be cruel; l am
only trying to be true"
81 wish" he said, fervently, show l
wish you would be untrue to that cold
soul of yours for five minutes. !
wonder if you have any idea how dear
you can be when you are not trying to
be conscientiousr
LAS | was saying, you care too much
for social success" resumed Miss Win
chester, striving to speak with the
calmness of disinterested critic, and
failing signally.
"Ah, yes. What else?"
You care too much for the things of
the world-the luxuries and pleasures
of it. You care about being comfor-
table" she said, disdainfully.
What else?"
! She hesitated. what right have !
to say that yours is not spiritual
life? And yet-it is not!"
"In short-why don't you sum me up
by saying that it would not occur to
me that needed the consultations OF
religion so long as the cooking was ex-
cellent at my club?"
"How furious you are How l must
| have irritated Won. tn make Won saw