The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-10-08
WHOSE HEART
| AFFLICTION ALTERS.
BY Henry c. murphy.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

q HE knew that the moment had been
y the sweetest of a life into which
the sunshine of happiness had seldom
entered.
But she also knew, and the thought
came to her now with bitter pang
that the blessedness of soul should have
died a-borning and the moment should
have been the most unhappy of all that
life.
She sat in the softly-falling twilight
and gazed listlessly out over the mar
row sward of green that separated the
house from the. street. She paid no
heed to the passing throng hurrying
homeward after day of toll. Some of
them gazed in at her, curiously, perhaps,
at first, but later more respectfully, for
the yearning beauty of her great brown
eyes mutely called for sympathy and
seemed to droop when it was not eX-
tended.
Masses of black, lowering clouds
crowded the zenith, and, though the
sun still held imperial revel and shot
out dazzling messengers of rudy yell
low, the earth shook from time to time
with the portentous crash of heavy
thunder.
Still she needed nothing, but con-
tinued to sit, thinking, thinking heavily
and YEARLY of the time that she longed
for now with passionate hope that
might never be realized.
She had done wrong, her conscience
FOL ho,. 1ac 1o1 1rr1,
her latticed fingers at the thought that
even in the midst of perfect happiness
the consciousness of doing wrong had
occurred to her. But her heart had
said. she remembered, that she was.
right. That comforted her, and the
eyes that had grown misty frightened
with the thought
In the battle between conscience and
heart the: conqueror seldom wins the
day without first suffering dreadful
loss. This bit of philosophy, she queer
ly remembered, applied to her. The
heart within her breast had won the
first engagement, and conscience lay
bleeding in sorrow at defeat. But the
woman was strong and the odds were
heavy, and in the final rally conscience
was triumphant.
She had babe him go, and the lips
that uttered the words were firm, al
though her heart was nigh onto burst
ing. She was strong to the last, and
she would not even let him touch her
hand. She remembered that he had
asked her to take it for the last time,
but she had turned and. walked away
without even looking back.
Her mind travelled over the long
twelvemonth that had separated them.
She had asked him never to see her
again, and he had obeyed. It had cost
her dear to say the words that ban
ished him, but the world had said that
the blow had been more terrible for
him. Weak she would not call him,
though others did, and yet events clear
~ showed that he had wrecked himself
some said for love of her.
Even her husband had said it. and
he had laughed at the man who could
grovel at a woman's feet. Now the
eyes took on dangerous light, and she
clenched her fingers nervously. while
her bosom heaved TREMENDOUSLY and her
breath came in gasps.
The rain had begun to fall. Heavy
drops crashed upon the window ledge
and fell upon her hair and face. The
artillery of the heavens played. now
with unceasing vigor and ominous
flashes lit up the troubled sky.
Recalled to herself by the wind and
rain, she arose and, closing the win
dow and drawing the curtains, turned
up the light. She then resumed her
chair, and without interruption the
chain of thought was taken up where
she had left off. AS in sleep our last act
or idea is apt to recur in dreamland, so
her mind went back to her husbands
bitter words.
That morning he had told her the
gods had punished him for marrying be.
low his station by putting gossip on the
tongues OF those who saw her as she
was. And she, who had only been
thoughtless and done that which her
heart prompted, had replied in anger
lie had left her with curse on his iips
while she sat still and silent. thinkino
that life was wrong and happiness all q
mockery.