The Holly chieftain., 1897-12-17

suspense to sorrow that Will be long
enough and bitter enough ut the best %
"Shc won't look at it that way: and
IL the SORROW comes it will be oil the
harder to bear for not having known.
And that's at lenst one good reason why
you shouldn't give up; you know you
said you hadn't any yesterday"
-Did 1? 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
reconsideration. Philip resisted, inter-
posing the inertia Of illness between
himself and the nagging of the sclf-ex-
amining impulse. 1t WINS much pleas
inter 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. "I shouldn't
think you'd say that-after made you
sick dragging you all over the noun
tain"
"It isn't your fault that haven't any
more vitality than transplanted Chin
panzee; and. besides, the tramp was my
own proposal"
But do blame myself. You didn't
know now far it was over to the Pocket,
and did"
That's nothing; II wasn't so nearly
done for little walking wouldn't put
me down."
You mustn't get discouraged. Think
o. what you have to live for, and just
mike up your mind you won't give up"
rs there 80 much?"
isn't there always?-while there is
gocd to be done 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 Mt the hopelessness in his
voice, and answered it out of a heart
full of pity. You oughtn't to look ut
it in that 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 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? Do
you think should be justified in taling
the help need wherever find it?"
"Why not? Isn't it right and neces-
sary that you should? Father says if
we will look around us we'll always find
something TO make bridges out Of, no
matter how deep or how wide the
stream Is"
sand you think there is hope for me:
don't mean for q mere existence
that alone isn't worth fighting for-but
that could win some of the better
things il should gind myself for the
battlc?"
Surely you could. What is there
that you couldn't win, with health and
strength and the will to win it?-notl,-
ing that is worth having"
The fervor of her own appeal carried
Elsie out OF herself, and, remember
ing only that lnan before her needed
help, she answered out of the depths
Of a compassion which was as profound
and comprehensive as it was imper-
sonnl. She saw, us only woman can
see, the besetments that were drag
ging Philip down into the quugmire
of despair; and the passionate desire
to rescue, speaking in her voice and
eyes, gave Thorndyke his first glimpse
of that sexless shrine hidden deep i'll
the heart of all womanhood, upon whose
altar burns the light of pity and compass
| sion for all the world-a light which is
not divine only because it is human.
To the woman who first reveals her.
self to any man in her true character
of ministering angel is given the power
to bind and loose, and the opportunity
which Elsie had unconsciously grasped
had never been offered to Helen save
ut the moment of parting, when Philips
nbruptness had forcstalled it 1t was
inevitable, therefore, with Elsie's words
ringing in his ears, and with the con-
scionsncss that he had been permitted
to see the light of that sanctuary which
is closed to all but the suffering antl
despairing, that Philip should be swept
far beyond the bounds OF his allegiance
to Helen; and since he was man, it
was equally inevitable that he should
be unable to dissocinte the offer of help
from the personality. of the woman who
rendered it. Raising himself among
the pillows. he answered her with the
fire of q new ambition beginning to
j quicken his pulses.
II can win--or, if not, can at least
die in harness. If 1 try. will you help
me in the heat of the battle us you have
helped me just now? Think well before
you answer; it's graver responsibility
TO save life than to take it."
Didn't promise, yesterday, that ]
would help you? We will nll do that
chcerfully and gladly"
mo. but that is not what l meant.
You know what / mean, Elsie. Look
Mt me. Will you be to me all the way
through what you are just now, the
enc person in the world who knows
my weakness and my need Of inspira-
tion-who will hold up before me the
crown of reward when am down un-
der the hoofs of the liorses?"
There was no installing him now,
and in twinkling Elsie the pricstess
became Elsie the simple-hearted maid
EN-, blushing painfully under the ruth
less questioning of his eyes. What she
might have said in reply Philip was not
to know, for in the moment of cmbar-
rassed silence Mrs. Duncan called her
to the kitchen. When she wns gone.
Philip was left to compound as best he