The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1897-12-16

Don't you think it was cruel not to
tell her?"
"No. Why should / add months of
suspense to a sorrow that will be long
enough and bitter enough ut the best?"
"She won't look at IL that way and
IL the sorrow comes II will I've all the
harder TO bear for not having known.
And that's at least one good reason why
you shouldn't give up; you know you
said you hadn't any yesterday"
"Did I? Perhaps | should have made
an exception; but | was thinking of
other things just then"
Whereupon the "other things" sum
moned by name, came back to demand n
reconsideration. Philip resisted, inter
posing the inertia of illness between
himself and the nagging of the self-ex-
aiming impulse. 1t was much pleas
nnter to lie back among the pillows
watching Elsie''s skillful fingers ply
the industrious needle-pleasanter and
more restful. After n time he said:
"You are all very good and kind to me
here"
Elsie looked up quickly. 81 shouldn't
think you'd say that-after l made you
sick dragging you all over the noun
tain"
at isn't your fault that I haven't any
more vitality than n tra%nsplanted chin
panzee: and. besides, the tramp was my
own proposal"
"But ! do blame myself. You didn't
know how far il was over TO the Pocket,
and | did"
That's nothing; il l wasn't so nearly
done for a little walking wouldn't put
me down"
you mustn't get discouraged. Think
OF what you rave to live for, and just
make up your mind you won't give up
as there so much?"
isn't there always?-while there Is
good to be lone and evil to be pre-
vented? You found one thing yester-
day"
"Yes, il / can only live long enough TO
set it right"
She caught at the h~opelessness in his
! voice, and answered it out of a heart
full of pity. You oughtn't 20 look al
it in hat way. Why can't you turn Mr.
Kilgrow's trouble, and everything else.
into so many stepping stones to carry
you across to where you can feel the
solid ground under your feet again?"
There was a swift undertow of in.
ference in her question that carried
him quickly out into the sea of i'm.
pulse. do you really mean that? Dc
you think | should be justified in taking
the help / need wherever | find it?"
"Why not? Isn't it right and neces.
sary that you should? Father says il
we will look around us we'll always FIND
something to make bridges out of, nc
matter how deep or how wide the
stream is"
"And you think there is hope for me;
/ don't mean for a mere existence
hat alone isn't worth fighting for-bui
that 1 could win some of the better
things if / should grid myself for tn,
battlc?"
Surely you could. What is ther,
that you couldn't win, with health an6
strength and the will to win it?-noth
ing that is worth having"
The fervor of her own appeal carried
Elsie out of herself, and, remember
ing only hat a man before her needed
help, she answered out of the depths
of n compassion which was as profount
and comprehensive as it was imper
sonal. She saw, as only n woman cal
see, the besetments that were drag
ging Philip down into the quagmir,
of despair; and the passionate desir,
to rescue, speaking in her voice anc
eyes, CAV Thorndyke his first glimps,
of hat seXless shrine hidden deep il
the heart of all womanhood, upon who's,
altar burns the light of pity and compass
sion for all the world-a light which il
not divine only because it is human.
To the woman who first reveals her
self to any man in her true charactel
of ministering angel is given the power
10 bind and loose, and the opportunity
which Elsie had unconsciously graspet
had never been offered To Helen save
at the moment'of parting, when Philips
abruptness had fo~restalled it. 1t wa,
inevitable, therefore, with Elsie's word.
ringing in his airs and with the con
seriousness that he had been permitted
to see the light of that sanctuary which
is closed to all but the suffering I'M
despairing, that Philip should be SWEEP
far beyond the bounds of his allegiance
to Helen; III since he was "a man, II
was equally inevitable that he SHOULD
be unable to associate the offer of he'll
from the personality of the woman whC
rendered it. Raising himself among
the pillows, he answered her with tho
fire Of a new ambition beginning Il
quicken his pulses. =
81 can win-or, if not, l can at leas
die in harness. If l try, will you hell
me in the heat of the battle as you have
helped me just now? Think well befor,
you answer; it's a graver responsibility
To save life than to take it,"
Didn't / promise, yesterday, that
would help you? We will all do tina
cheerfully and gladly"
mo, but that is not what ! mean
You know what l mean, Elsie. Loci
at me. VIII you be to me all the way
through what you r just now, tn
enc person in the world who knows
my weakness and my need of inspira
tion-who will hold up before me thu
crown of reward when ! am down un
der the hoofs of the horses?"
There was no installing him now
and in a twinkling Elsie the priestes'
became Elsie the supplemented maid
en-, blushing painfully under the ruth