The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-07-29
4 TEMPTATION.

pear at the present time he is ON the
broad highway to future wealth. 1t al
arose from the fact that he took time b,
the forelock, the only way poor mortals
have of ever getting even with him Of
the scythe and hourglass.
Now, Mabel Thorpe did not expect
her hero to swim the Hellespont of life
with all his armor on, but she did de.
mand from him, as she had q right tc
do, a high moral standard, for she had
not married him until she had seen, as
she believed, his whole past life laid
open before her as q book. There is nc
time when Il man is as weakly senti
mental and as religious as when he is
trying to live up to the standard Of Il
pure young girls ideal, al Leander be-
came almost an angel.
There arc very few of US capable {
making human angels Of ourselve .
Good and evil are us persistently pre-
ent in u moral nature us light an
darkness are III our atmosphere, and ore
serves as the complement of the Othe1
To Danish night we use the light Of
science, to cOunteract wrong we invCEa
divine help, Int SO largely is our WORT
~ nature i'll excess OF our spiritual pc =
ers that we are constantly in danger Of
erring to be forgivCD-in other w~rls,
SHINING and reponting.
Mabel Thorpe believed in an inflexi-
bic uprightnc>s. Tie command to do
evil that good may come was t. her a
perverted text. She was not aware that
there are sins of omission as we'll rs Of
commission. and that her unrighteous
condemnation Of sinners and her severe
judgments were il themselves # Il sin
FIJI nature. The self righteOu, te often
harder to live with than the ler.
Leander Clarke had been , .ood son,
and he intended to be q good husband.
He was both proud and fond Of his
wife, but certainly regretted that he
could not give her all the luzuries that
she could appreciate, not eve the grand
piano that her musical talent deserved.
But he went to work with a will to
make her happy and HOPED in a few
years to be able to add all otter needful
things.
Among the wedding presents Of the
young couple was one that far outshone
all the rest-a superb set Of diamonds
sent by III uncle of Leandei S who was
near to death and gave the rcsidue Of a
large estate III this extravaganza present.
Leander himself was genuinely sorry
that such an undesirable gift had been
made, but he argued that his wife was
a sensible III and would turn them
into something more suitable to their
condition i'll life-a piano, for instance,
which was a necessity ia her than q
luxury. What was his SURF Sc when his
bride said:
Il never was so pleased in my life.
Diamonds represent to me the crystalli-
cation Of everything beautiful in art and
nature. I never dreamed that I should
possess such magniticence."
but these have no associations - said
her husband. They are not heirlooms."
They will be. All diamonds were
new at some time. And are they not as
ISOLATED with the lear old man who
gave Them"
The dear old man had been a terror in
the family and had only given the dia-
monds to Leander's wife because he
hated that nephew a little less than the
others, whom be hoped to make horri-
bly, jealous and angry and had succeeded.
When Leander asked his wife to keep
her diamonds in the bank, she promptly
declined.
But You surely will not wear th"!a,
dear:" he suggested.
why mott she asked.
ut would injure our PROSPECTS and
not be consistent with our - .}4on."
They were a gift to Surely
have the right to do as l please with my
own"
Tho right, yes. But I thought my
wife had more discretion. l did not
know you cared for gewgaws. Mabel"
So the first cloud came on the horizon
OF their love, but Leander was good
temper ! nd Mabel satisfied, and it
y disappeallI The truth was that Lean.
der had ex. cted a handsome sum of
mon from his very uncle, who was q
bachelor anu very old. But age had no,
mellowed a ugly disposition to thwart
his relatives, and after raising the young
mans hopes he took a malicious pleasure
IN disappointing them.
The young couple began life in Q
pretty furnished cottage ON the modern
plan of a chatting dish aud hand painted
china, and it worked like a charm. Ma
bel presided over the dainty cuisine, the
buffers pantry, the parlor, and really
did wonders. Leander fell in love will
her over and over again. But for tn,
diamonds they would have been as hap
Ply as larks.
Did they hear a sound at night
was a burglar after those precious gems
They We're afraid to leave the hous
alone lest thieves break in and steal
and one or the other Of the two wa
compelled to be the hiding place Of tn
Q wels when they went out together
Mabel did not care to adorn herself wit
diamonds when she went to market @
to church, but she could not listen to
sermon in peace if the gems were no
about her. And somehow it did ammo
her 10 carry concealed wealth like
hrioanG mr. a smnuO1er