New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-23
OUT OF STEP.
EXPECTING.
IL.


tone, and as il Salome's writing TO Mr. Moore
were much the same as her writing to an ordinary
acquaintance.
Ian the silence that followed the whippoorwilrs
note sounded stridcnty melancholy
Salome cktsped her hands her head and
walked about the room.
do you think | was wrong she asked at
last. ot
at is a year since you have heard from him p
was the counter question.
a year and two days"
A mans heart may change so In year,
said Mrs. Gerry.
81 thought of that-I thought of that cy-
claimed Salomc, her voice suddenly thrilling on
the words, but he said he should not change.
lie said-oh, MOTHER cannot tell you what he
said that last time when he came to Augustine.
You have been thinking had forgotten; that
was adjusting myself to circumstances. Haven
you been thinking that, mother -
"Sometimes. ! am sure / have bcen hopihs
that you had adjusted yourself to circumstances
was the earnest reply -
According 70 you." exclaimed Salomc, that
;s all that life is: that horrible adjustment. Now
IL, She started again to walk across the roon''
Her face was so pale that the glow upon 1t had
snritual aspect Il am not going to ADJUST my
self I am going to live. I've been trying your
way all these months Haven't been eood
To be GOOD, YOU know. mother, is to be Ice, stone
;ron-all those things from which heart OF heSh
revolts To-day something snapped. was S'ad.
was sitting at that desk in the school-house WHERE
am to work. There were ink and paper there
wrote a line to Mr.. Moore. | addressed u 10
.ho firm Tie said he could always hear, whcr-
ever no was in that way. When left the place
7 mailed the letter 1T has gone by this time
t. NAV be in his hands BY tomorrow morning;
or he may be travelling
Salome's words came SO fast that she appeared
breathless when she had finished speaking
She seemed to radiate hope and eager life
Mrs. Gerry sat in entire contrast to her daugh-
ter. Her motionless position was in Itself some
thing like reproof
"What did you write ?" she asked.
ooh. did not need to write much. l simply
said that had changed my mind That was an
"Rut why have you changed yonr mind - was
The memorable question.
"Wby? Good heavens! Mother why 10 We
cboose happiness rather than misery"
TIL o,,i food Gazing at the figure sitting in
.ho chair "As for me-" she went on quickly,
at think have borne it d good wble; don you
think SO, mother?"
Mrs Gerry leaned forward and took her
daughters hand, attempting to draw the girl
down into her arms. But Salome resisted, eX-
planning that she must move, must walk, that she
could not keep still
Mrs Gerry did not lose sight of the main point
Rut nothing is altered since you would not
listen TO him." she said; "an is just as 1t was.
Won arc the same girl Nothing can be altered.
from the very nature of things. Why did you 90
through this year of suffering? Why did you
make Mr. Moore suffer. since now you change
your mind p
.Oh. how reasonable you are, mother" cried
Salome, 81 and what thing it is to be reasonable !
Bnt / have had enough of it. have had moro
than twelve months stuffed full of pure reason
sbleness / have lain down and risen up IN
reason, and supped and drank reason. Mother
lot myself be alive again. And to be alive is to
love Randolph Moore much that, like you,
regret my year of being conscientious. What a
foolish thing it is to be conscientious, ! have
lost all those weeks an1 months out of my life
lust by that making believe to have a conscience.
/ give il all up Who was that girl who had a
soul when she began to love, or did she cease
10 have q soul as soon she loved? 1t makes
no difference Oh, mother! Do you think he
will come soon? Do you remember his face as
do? The look in his eyes? You always liked
Elm. Bless you for that But who could help
liking him? hope he will get my note directly.
/ hope he is not away. Now have written
wonder so much that did not write long ago.
Oh, mother"
Az that last cry left her lips Salome sank down
on her knees by her mothers side and pressed
her face into the folds Of her mothers gown.
She began to sob in that violent, reckless fashion
which reveals how intolerable has been q pre-
tious restraint.
Mrs. Gerry bent over and encircled the girl
Iii.
an inarticulate murmur of endearment and sooth-
ing.
What she was thinking was that it had all
been for nothing, worse than nothing And
Salome must have suffered even more than the
mother had guessed.
The elder woman was tempted to try to warn
the girl to be ready to meet the changes that q
wear might have made in Moore. And Moore
had been sent away at the last with absolutely
no hope, 30 far as he could gather hope from
ANYTHING Salome had said. She had been a
pinnacle of resolve and sacrifice. Rather than
endanger the happiness of her dover she persisted
And she had some kind of an idea that suffering
would atone for that crime of forgery. Not that
she could bring home to herself any sense of
Yepcntance. But to suffer might atone TO suffer
deeply and continuously. How should she know
that suffering never atoned, that nothing atones
for the past
At last Salome looked up. She pressed her
hair back with both hands.
"Now that have written she said, Il know
that every minute have lived since l saw him
was only minute that wac leading up to the time
when ! must write II you love, nothing else
seems worth while, mother
Tho pale, sensitive face was go changed with
emotion that Mrs. Gerry, looking down at it. had
. recurrence Of the old sharp anxiety concerning
her daughters physical welfare. She did not
speak, for she was afraid that she could not
command her voice.
In spite Of her penetrative love, Mrs. Gerry
had not suspected how liable Salome was to this
outbreak. She had come to believe that the girl
Aoxn oox, xbox, H.