Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-11-21
A Thrilling Romance OF
Land and Sea.
BY ARRAH LEIGH.
CHAPTER v-Continua6.

her. She raised her face to his with !
naughty look, as if questioning his rioht
to be beside her. He almost felt an apol.
osy due to her for his abrupt speech. and
he, who had never apologized to ANN
woman, murmured:
Excuse me, but I wondered if on,
thoughts were anyt hing alike"
man., she said. wistfully. was think
ing how pretty the grounds look: how
lovely the summer will be; how glad /
shall be to stay home from school. and
to i've here. happy, away from people for
three months. You-you were thinking
of WHAT"
One moment. be said. eagerly; you
said you would live happy away from
people. Do you, then, not like people?"
Why should II" she answered, with a
gesture OF impotence. Il am only a
woman; what good is it for q woman to
live, to BET When I am in society. all
nampered and fretted by etiquette and
good manners, and all the rest of it, l
hate myself; feel small and insieniti-
cant; but when l get out here alone. 1
forget l am q female, BON to be SUBJ
Jected to petticoat laws, and worse, to
petticoat tongues. feel almost as il I
were man, capable of some great, grand
work"
Then You recognize man as being
above woman?" he asked, half amused.
half surprised.
OF course; who can help it? Why,
even boy is allowed more liberty than
But what do you want of liberty?
what use is it not to be contented with
the aems easy life' the trivial cares of
"Oh, because they are so tiresome, 80
stupid, monotonous. A woman must
shipper, and dance, and sew, and make
embroidery, and keep house; but man
oh, he can go to sea, and fight the In
dams, and follow about detectives. and
soc the wilder, the more adventurous, side
OF nature. Tell me, do you not think as
do?"
No." he replied, coldly. MANY men
lead lives as dull and monotonous as any
woman's. For instance, have never
done any of the things you have men,
What do you do?" she asked, and her
eyes met his in wonder. He smiled pity
ingly
"Oh, study, and read, and smoke, and
60 to the theaters. and spend a great
deal of money for very little pleasu re.
Sometimes find life such bore I Won
der live" He forgot she was listening
as he spoke the last few words, and was
surprised by her question.
DO you then seek to do no good, to
live but as hermit in the woods, bird
in the air. without object, or endeavor to
do aught to make your name immortal?
Have you no ambition to be greater than
you are, and q man? Have you, who
might be anything you wish, no desire to
rise above the insignificant life of an in
significant character2 You are a man;
man can so ennoble his name with good
deeds that all the world will hear of him
and bless him. Why be but as one of O
thousand when by an effort you can be so
great?"
His eyes flashed. What did she mean
by criticising his life, this chit of
schoolgirl?
Il suppose" he said, satirically, you
would have me become missionary, or
lay preacher, or something of that sort2
That is your ideal of man"
She saw he was sneering, but she was
not afraid of him. What mattered his
sheer or his frown. She looked at him
defiantly.
why not?" she retorted. "Can there
DO, is there any grander work than that
of saving souls2 Think of it! To save
o soul means to preserve it from evil, to
help it out Of the way of sin, to lift it up
from destruction. 1t is noble task, and
one which must bring great peace to the
dying heart-wOuld that the time might
come when I could feel had brought
some poor, forlorn, unhappy creature
from the misery OF sin; would that l
could know had saved soul from i'm
mortal destruction"
Her face was flushed with enthusiasts;
she looked very beautiful. His eyes grew
bright with animation; he placed his
hands on hers.
Would you be willing to try2" he
asked. "Tell me, would you stand the
test and sacrifice yourself for another?
Suppose man, weary with life, wicked,
evil with just faint wish to be better in
his heart, came to you and asked you to
help him by making yourself unhappy,
would you do it2"
Il would try" she answered, in her
surprise.
Would you marry him9" he ques-
toned, and was shamed by the innocent
answer.
IF loved him."
=. He looked straight into her velvety
brown eyes as if reading her soul, and
she stood as if trans6xed before him, fas-
cinated, unable to speak, to think, to
move; slowly his lips parted; slowly the
words came to her, standing like one en-
tTAuCeu Cu0ro.
What if had been speaking of my
self?"
1t was q cruel half question. For
moment q strange light-was it Of joy?-
glorified her face. The cheeks flushed,
the lips parted, the eyes expanded, as if
with hope; then shudder ran over the |
slight form, pitiful expression, half en-
treaty, half shame, overspread the young |
She looked at him helplessly, tim
idly, as if beseeching him not to question
her
e He ground his teeth together; pity
and remorse struggled for supremacy.
He took her hand, tenderly but mastery. |
He tried to be kind now.
Goodnight" he said. Il am going
home; but"-reading the disappointed
look in her eyes, he added will come
and see you Tomorrow, and we will talk
Of this"
Tomorrow; he little dreamed what
would happen ere the morrow. And she,
as she saw him stride through the open
window, had no idea what . change
would ooSe over them both ere they met