Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-03-11

o. what you have TO live for, and Just
make up your mind you won't give up"
is there so much?"
Isn't there always ?-while there is
good to be done and evil to be pre-
vented? You found one thing yester-
day"
Yes, if l can only live long enough to
set it right"
She caught at the hopelessness in his
voice, and answered it out of a heart
full of pity. You oughtn't to look at
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 a swift undertow of in
ference in her question that carried
him quickly out into the sea of inn
pulse. do you really mean that? Do
you think | should be justified in taking
the help need wherever l 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"
And you think there is hope for me;
/ don't mean for a mere existence
that alone isn't worth fighting for-but
that | could win some of the better
things if l should grid myself for the
battle?"
Surely you could. What is there
that you couldn't win, with health and
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 that a man before her needed
help, she answered out of the depths
Of a compassion which was as profound
and comprehensiye as it was imper-
sonal. She saw, as only a woman can
see, the besetments that were drag
ging Philip down into the quagmire
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 III
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
at the moment of parting, when Philips
abruptness had forestalled it. 1t was
70, TO- dc
ringing in his ears, 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 and
despairing, that Philip should be swept
far beyond the bounds of his allegiance
to Helen; and since he. was a man, it
was equally inevitable that he should
be unable to associate 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 a new ambition beginning to
quicken his pulses.
Il can win-or, if not, | can at least
die in harness. If | try, will you help
Inc in the heat of the battle as you have
helped me just now? Think well before
you answer; it's a graver responsibility
to save life than to take it"
Elsie saw that She had raised the
spirit Of resistance, and her intuition
warned her that she also troubled the
depths Of an unknown and unfathomed
pool. but she responded without hesita-
ton.
Didn't I promise, yester9a7, HAT I
would help YOU? We viii ali . that
cheerfully and gladly"
NO, but that is not what I meant.
You know what ! mean, Elsie. Look
at me. VIII you be to me all the way
through what you are just now, the
one 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 nm
der the ho9fs of the horses? ?"
There was no installing him now,
and in twinllling Elsie the priestess
became Elsie the supplemented 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 embar-
raised silence Mrs. Duncan called her
to the kitchen. When she was gone,
Philip was left to compound as best he
might with the throng Of merciless ne
cusers rising up in the name Of justice
and honor to demand satisfaction.
Through all the desperate assault he
Clung obstinately to the thought that
be was fighting for lis life.
DO what YOU will and say what you
will, he said TO himself. when The battle
with his aroused conscience ragged the
fercest, my life is my own. and mean
10 live II ! can So far / have been
nothing better than d child ii leading
strings. bnt from this day I shall live
7Ehat Is LETT Of my life in my own way;
and if tbs Girl had to he raised up to
help me. W}y SO much the worse for
those whose opportunities were great
err
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