The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-23

A~pplegate sat down and ooked at her
alphabetically; He was not used to being
the term was misapplied.
Don't take on so, julie" he said quietly.
The room seemed to whirl around him, and
1t over and try to do what is best for both
of u.s.
AT that Macdonald lifted his sullen face
from his hands for the first time and
glanced across at the other man with blood
shot eyes. Then he rose slowly, his great
bulk seeming to fill the room, and, walking
over to Applegate's chair, stood in front Of
1t looking down at him. His scrutiny was
Ions. Once Apologize looked up and met
his eyes, but he was too tired to bear their
fierce light, and dropped his own lids
YEARLY.
Macdonald turned from him contemptu-
ously and faced his wife, VINO averted her
Look at me, Julie!' he cried, appealing
~. Il am better worth it than he is. Good
He's so tame! Let him go about his bust
ness. He's nobody. He don't want you.
Come along with me and Wen lead a life!
You shall cut a dash out there. l can make
money hand over fist. It's the place for
you. Come on!'
words allured, but her old gods prevailed.
She threw out her arms as If to ward of
his proposal.
dead to me and married him. One does
not go back TO the dead. If / am your wife,
what am I to him? 1t puts me in the
WIOnS LQeSc TWO years. L Will not nave IL
SO, 1 tell you. / will not have it SOP
Applegate felt faint and sick. Rising, he
CROPPED for the door. Il must have air. he
said to Hopson. confusedly. II will come
Once outside. the cool November night
refreshed him. He dropped down upon the
doorstep and threw back his head, drink
ing in long breaths as he looked up at the
hooking stars.
When he found, at last. the courage to
ask himself what he was going to do, the
answer was not ready. The decision lay
entirely in his hands. He might still be free
If he said the word. and as he thought of
be what his %neighbors called a straight
man. and he wanted to be straight in this
also. But where i'm such a hideous tangle
was the real morality TO be found? Surely
not in acceding to jules demands! What
claim had she upon him or upon the home
whose simple traditions of peace and hap
piness she had trampled rudely under foot?
was 1T not a poor, cheap convention of
righteousness which demanded that he
should take such a woman back to embitter
the rest of his days and warp his children's
lives? He rebelied holly at the thought.
That it was jules view of the ethical re-
Quirement of her position made it all the
more improbable that ii was really right.
Did not the situation in which he was
placed demand of him a choice between the
conventional morality and the real NOR
first. and as for Julie, let her reap the re-
ward OF her own temperament. The Lord
for il is so that he deals with men.
1t seemed TO him that he had decided, but
as he rose and turned TO enter the door a
new Thought stabbed him so sharply that he
dropped his lifted hand with a groan.
Where had been that sense of duty TO
his children; just now SO Imperative. in the
days when he had yielded to jules charm
against his better judgment? Had duty ever
prevailed against inclination with him? Was
1t prevailing now?
He was no mere an imaginative man than
a casuist. but IL that moment he seemed
To hear N his ears a cry that might have
come from all the women in the world
whose ethical ideals, faulty perhaps, but
still Their highest, had been thrust aside
by rude, strong, self-seeking hands. And in
the cry he found a sharp reproach.
High over all the turmoil and the despera-
ton of his thoughts shone out a fresh per-
ception that Knocked him as the winter stars
had Knocked. For that hour, at least. the
crucial one of his decision, he felt assured
that in the relation of man and woman to
each other lies the supreme ethical test of
each. ami in that relation there is no room
for selfishness. 1t might be, indeed. that he
and Julie, were quits and that he owed her
owed a consideration to all womankind
which could only be paid through this wom-
an he had called his wife? This was an
ideal with which he had never had TO
reckon
He turned and sat him down again to
heart of what the end would be.
20 Lord" prayed Applegate grimly in
that hour. IF there ever was another poor
devil in Just this fix. / hope you had some
mercy upon him."
Being a plain man. he had only plain
words in which to phrase his decision when
at last he came TO it.
II chose her and I'll bear the conse-
quences OF my choice" he said. 'sbut I'll
bear them by myself. His aunt will be glad