Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-04-28


agine what it means to know-or think
you do-cxactly what you want, and to
really wish for it, and never to have it
come near you, but Instead to have the
cheapest, tawdriest limitations Of it
thrust into your hands7 Why, it seems
to me it is the life of Tantalus,"
Miss Winchester was breathing rather
hurricdly now, but she took courage
from the inpassivc, attentive face Of her
listener and went on bravely:
"After few experiences stopped OK
pecting anything different. But could
not change my ideals, you know, be-
cause life and love did no. prove what
had thought them"
Amory's eyebrows went up line at
this statement, but he SAID nothing, and
the girl went on:
"Thcn, pretty soon. met you. You
struck me at first as such u Philistinc of
the Philistincs, with your irreproachable
surroundings and your air of having seen
aud experienced everything, and found
it all pretty good-yet of thinking all
the while there was really nothing worth
putting yourself out for but comfort
able life and your little jokc-that l
never dreamed you were going to care
anything about anyone so different as |
am, nor that you could care in the way
you have"
"In the way do" Amory corrected
her circtully.
81 thought you were too 7atis6ed even
to be interesting. admit that l was
mistaken and that you are several things
no one would ever dream you were
good things, mean-and L admit that
like you very much, but-don't you
sect is your very cxccllenccs that arc
against you. You are worse than the
others, becausee you come SO near, and
yet you do not attain. 1t is criminal in
nun to approach so near woman's
ideal and then fail of it'll"
The light that burned in Mr.. Amory's
eyes was not wholly amiable, but his voice
was quiet rs he said:
al knew all this in n general way be-
fore; that is, suspected it. We are not
getting on. Those objections of yours,
those deficiencies of minc-I beg you to
specify them"
eff 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 n lovers conviction.
"You will not evadc or put me off, !"
The girl flushed. "IIave not said
cnough2' she demanded. "Did l not
tell you in June it would be Il sacrifice
TO marry you2"
"What thcn3" he urged. "Did you
not also tell me onoc that love could be
demonstrated only by sacrificc2"
cam pretending to love you2" shc
rctortcd, holly
az had forgotten that momcntarily,
murInurcd Amory, dcjectcdly. "But
the objcctionsa Surely, l have a right
to those"
Every well, if you insist. But if you
do not like what say, remember did
not cay it willingly" she warned. "In
the frst place, | admire men who have
force, who can be powers in the world.
do not mean that you arc weak, but
that you are indifferent. You are only
n power in tho world of dinors-out"
81 admire the beautiful self possession
with which you say horribly cruel
things"
~ knew you would take 1t badly!
But l did not mean to be cruel; l am
only trying to be true"
AZ WISH" he said, fcrventIy, chow l
wish you would be untrue to that cold
soul of yours for live minutes. wonder
if you have any idea how dear you can
be when you are not trying to, be con-
scientious!"
"As was saying, you care too much
chester, striving to speak with the calm
ness of disintcrestcd critic, and failing
slgnally."
"Ah, yes. What clse?"
tYou care too much lor the things of
the world-thc luxuries aud pleasures of
it. You care about being comfortable, "
she sand, disdainfully.
"What clse2"
She hcsitated. "Wbat right have to
shy that yours is not spiritual life2 And
yct-is 1t notW
"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 us the cooking was excellent at
my club2"
GLOW furious you are! how I must
have irritated you, to make you say that u
sIrritat ed is not precisely the word
should use," he returned. "When il
comes to making n race with woman,
probably am out of 1t, but that does not
make it ony the pleasnuter to be told so.
You have been very explicit You leave
little to my Imagination. think un-
derstand you now. OF course when
hoped to meet your requirements VA:
under the impression that they were
reasonable ones. You always seemed to
me Supremacy reasonable, III spite of your
enthusiasts"
She lifted an appealing hand, but he
hurried on:
81 suppose failed to appreciate the
fact that your ideals do not look like me
A girls ideal is not likely to be trihe
stout and perccptibly past thirty, and
suppose he never has the beginning Of
| hold cnnt an k;o had ~