Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-11-01
A TEMPTATION.

MANM A.hAAtANA 0ANAh NO AAtAANNA MAUI
Thorpe, he had no expectation Of ever
being a rich man, but as his affairs ap-
pear at the present time he is on the
broad highway TO future wealth. It all
arose from tho fact that he took time by
the forelock, the only way poor mortals
have of ever getting even with him Of
the scytho and hourglass.
Nov, Mabel Thorpe did not expect
her hero to swim the H~ellespont Of life
with all his armor ON, but she did de-
n.and from him, as sho had q right to
do, q high moral standard, Tor she had
not married him until she had seen, as
she believed, his whole past life laid
open before her as q book. Thore is no
time when q man is as weakly senti-
mental and as religious as when he is
trying to live up to the standard Of a
pure young girls ideal, and Leander be-
came almost an angel.
There are very few Of us capable Of
making human angels Of ourselves.
Good and evil are as persistcntly pres
emit in our moral nature as light and
darkness arc in ON atmosphere, and one
serves as the complement Of the other.
To Danish night we use tho light Of
science, TO counteract wrong we invoke
divine help, but so largely is our world
ly nature in excess of our spiritual pow
ers that we are constantly in danger of
erring to be f~orgiven-in other words,
SHINING and repenting.
Mabel Thorpe believed in an inhexi-
BILE uprightneas. The command to do
evil that good may come was to her a
perverted text. She "a not aware that
there are sins Of omission as we'll as Of
commission, and that her unrighteous
condemnation of sinners and her severe
judgments were III themselves of q sim
full nature. The self righteous are often
harder to live with than the sinner.
Leander Clarke had been a good son,
and he intended to be a good husband.
He was both proud and fond of his
wife, but certainly regretted that he
could not give her all the Injuries that
she could appreciate, not even the grand
piano that her musical talent deserved.
But ne went to work with a will to
make her happy and Hoped in q few
years to be able to add all other 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 an uncle Of Leander's who was
near to death and gave the residue Of a
large estate in this -extravagant present.
Leander himself was genuinely sorry
that such an undesirable gift had been
made, but he argued that his wife was
q sensible woman and would turn them
into something more suitable to their
condition in life-a piano, for instance,
which was a necessity rather than a
luxury. What wa his surprise when his
bride said:
II never was so pleased in my life.
Diamonds represent to me the c~rystalli-
cation Of everything beautiful in art and
nature. Inever dreamed that 1 should
possess such magnifcence.
"But these have no associations, " said
her husband. "They are not heirlooms. "
"They viii be. All diamonds were
new at some time. And are they not as
ISOLATED with tho dear old man who
gave them?"
The dear old man had been a terror in
NnB AaAhAAg tAh AAA NAAF given AAA1 Via
monds to Leander's wife because he
hated that nephew a little less than the
others, whom DO 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 them,
dear?" he suggested.
"Why not?' she asked.
at would injure our prospects and
not DO consistent with our position"
"They were a gift TO me. Surely ]
have the right to do as / please with my
own"
''The right, yes. Bpt I thought my
wife had more discretion. I did not
know you cared for gowgaws, Mabel. "
SO the first cloud came ON the horizon
Of their love, but Leander was goot
tempered and Mabel sat led, and j
disappeared. The truth was that Lean
der had expected u handsome sum o.
money from this very uncle, who was
bachelor and very old. But age had no
mellowed an ugly disposition to thwar
his relatives, and after raising the younl
mans hopes he took a malicious pleasurl
IN disappointing them.
The young couple began life in
pretty furnished cottage on the moderl
plan Of a chatting dish aud hand painte.
china, and il worked like a charm. Ma
bel presided over tho dainty cuisine, tn
buffers pantry, the parlor, and reall,
did wonders. Leander fell in love wit
her over and over again. But for tn
diamonds they would have been rs hap
py as larks.
Did they hear a sound at night
was a burglar after those precious gems
They were afraid 20 leave the hous
alone lest thieves break in and steal
aud n or the other Of the two wa
compelled to DO the hiding place Of III
Jewels when they went ont together
Nobel did not care to adorn herself wit
diamonds when she went TO market O
10 church, but she could not listen 20
sermon in peace n the gems were nc
about her. And somehow IL did ammo
her to carry conceaied wealth like
briRand or a ~smur9ler.
But whom Le9ndc- had a chance
buy shares In the Little Catawba Lum