The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-03-28

even to be interesting. / admit that
was mistaken and that you are several
things no one would ever dream you
were-good things, l mean-and adj
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 itl'
The light that burned in Mr.. AM
ory's eyes was not wholly amiable, but
his voice was quiet as he said:
- knew all this in eneral way be
fore; that is, ! suspected it. We are
not getting on. Those objections of
yours, those deficiencies of mine-l
beg you to specify them"
If 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 a lovers conviction.
you will not evade or put me of. /"
The girl flushed Have l not said
enough?" she demanded. ibid not
tell you in June it would be a sacrifice
to marry you?"
What them" he urged. ibid you
not also tell me once that love could be
demonstrated only by sacrifce?"
Am | pretending to love your she
torted, holly.
II had forgotten that momentarily, {"
murmured Armory, dejectedly. 'But
the objections? Surely, l have right
to those"
Very well, if you insist. But If you
do not like what say. remember did
not say it willingly" she warned. s'In
the first place, 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"
II admire the beautiful self-posses-
sion with which you say horribly cruel
things"
II knew you would take 1t badlyl
But I did not mean to be cruel; am
only trying to be true.
Il wish,'' he said, fervently, show /
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 conscientiousl''
CAS- 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?'
'sYou care too much for the things OF
the world-the Injuries and pleasures
of it. You care about being comfor-
table, f" she said, disdainfully.
.aWhat else?''
She hesitated What right have l
to say that yours is not a spiritual
1ife2 And yeti is noti'
'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 arei How must
have irritated you, to make you say
thatl"
'1rritated is not precisely the word l
should USE" he returned. when it
comes to making race with woman,
probably am out Of 1t, but that does
not make it any the pleasanter to be
sold so. You have been very explicit
You leave little to my Imagination.
think understand you now. OF course
when ! hoped to meet your require
ments was under the impression that
they were reasonable ones You
always seemed to me supremely rea.
sonabies in spite of your enthusi-
asms. I"
She lifted an appealing hand, but he
hurried on:
II suppose failed to appreciate the
fact that your ideals do not look like
me. A girls ideal is not likely to be a
trife stout and perceptibly past thirty.
and l suppose he never has the begin
uing of bald spot on his head."
She disdained to answer.
Sand at dinner he probably cares
more about whom he takes out than
what is set before him. admit that
it is no longer the case with me-unless
/ am taking you out, he continued
s'Of course these things are serious
offenses against the higher life, es-
pecially the stoutness; and they amply
demonstrate that | am of the earth,
earthly. l am glad it is proved to your
satisfaction, for otherwise there have
been moments when l have been so
fatuous as to think that you might
after all find it hard to throw me over
completely"
ut is hardly fair to talk like that"
she said, with suppressed agitation. II
try hard to recognize the facts of life.
/ am u reasonable being have not
been dreaming about the hero in mel.
odrama But surely, somewhere, though
l have never known him yet, there is
man who is both strong and fine;
man who can use the adornments of
life without falling their slave, or can
dispense with them and respect him
self no less; man who is not ashamed
to have ideals and to strive toward
them. Is humanity so poor, then. that
l may not hope TO find him? And do
you suppose like to tell you that you
are not he? You who come so near in
most thingsp"
Outside the swift November twilight
had begun to fall. The light was grow
ing faint In the library. Amory turned
the carved paper cutter over and over
In his strong, soft hands, bending It
this way and that
s'If were to tell her that am that
man, what would she say, wonderp"
he thought son my soul think that l
am not far from being 1t. If my life is
not blameless in my own eyes yet 1t
would hardly be blameworthy even in
hers Is it nothing to have kept
ones hands clean and ones soul
unstained? Does she think a man
does that without ideals2 Does she re-
ally think am under any serious mis-
apprehensions as to uses of life? Does
she-O how hopeless it would be TO
try to make her understand.
He interrupted his own thoughts alb
ruptly. The paper-knife snapped in
his hands, and he dropped the frag-
ments with a swift gesture Of his
breath. Then he rose, saying with a
new gravity that she had never heard
in his tones before;
80 be II. You must forgive me Il
seemed trifie bitter. A man does not |
lose cheerfully all am losing-for 1 did
not ask you to marry me to make me
comfortable since you insist on my
fondness for comfort, but because 1t
was my one chance for happiness.
Such happiness and such stimulus as
you are still young enough to get from
many things, End only in your pres
ence. have only one thing more to
say. Please remember It. am. I'M
fortunately for my comfort, too old to |
change. / shall not love again. Alb |
surd Is II may seem--and knos~ we~