Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-04-19

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in levity to gain breathing time.
"How luxuriously you live Strongl
One queensware plate, chipped; one
cup and saucer. no handle on emp;
hone knife. light be u utcnsil or u
weapon; steel iork. two pronged; two
German silver tablespoons. Superfuous
elegance! Nothing spoonable is visible.
Salt in empty sardine box; sugar ditto.
Viands urc corn bread, tried bacon,
cashaw cooked in molasses, baked sweet
potatoes: cookery-dubious; napery-
none y
strcng's f..ce darkened visibly under
this airy impertinence. He stood gnaw
ing the ends of his long mustache in
impotent wrath. Slowly Liza turned
toward him and lifted her lovely eyes
to his face. There was no mirth in
them now; instead. u biting scorn,
flashing Indignation, u resolute daring.
She was there to save not to scoff. She
must not finch.
"Do you like it, Strong?' she asked
in cool, high voice.
"Do / like whatg"
She waved her hands comprehen-
sively.
"This-all Of this; this shocking
unceiled cabin. with its smoke black
rafters overhead; this worn, sunken
bare floor; that noxious pond out yon-
der with its blood chilling air; this
horrible isolation; this dreadful lone
illness day and night, night and day.
Oh. it is horrible, Strong, hOrribleP'
1T is not 50 bad when one is in uni.
son with it. Z"
But you are not in unison with it.
You cannot be. read revolt in every
line Of your face. You are 40 young and
strong and free. Think Of il, Strong,
free; free to go ont tomorrow, II you
will, and take your place among the
men who are doing and daring and
achieving; free 10 measure your brain
with their brains, your brawn against
theirs. Ii means so much, just to be
man. Strong"
He laughed almost viciously, and
was about to say something in keeping
with the mirthless sound, but she put
out an imperious little hand and went
on with increasing vehemence:
II know. know what You are going
to say. II is uphill work for a man to
make Roadway here unless he Is born
in the slave owners purple. But why
stay here? II is such great, big, roomy
world-a place in it for all sorts. Strong
places where 70 credentials but spot
less name and strong will are needed. y
And have neither. The gloom in
his face darlened into hopelessness.
Neither? Do you intend that the
stigma of our fathers vocation shall
wrap you. too, in pail! With me it
must. For me there is nothing but ac-
ceptance, but tell you, Strong, wom-
an as / am. IL IL were not for the ten
der, loving hearts at home that would
throb with pain if forsook them,
would go away from here tomorrow. ]
would say TO You, Come, and let US
make home together, where the lines
are not so sharply drawn, nor the path
TO honorable distinction so steep and
narrow Strong Strong! Strong How
can you stand still and see the great
race of life run and you not in it: Why
stand We here idle, inert. supine:'
She stopped in maiden confusion. His
eyes were mocking her.
II was right in telling Seth tn keep
you away from me. Icould see how un-
pleasantly full you were Of crude en-
thusiasms Then, more justly :"Child,
do you suppose you are presenting any
new ideas for my consideration this
morning: Do you suppose that when
was working like Turk at Singleton
To keep abreast with the fellows who
had an earlier start Of me did not
dream the regulation dreams about do
ing and daring and achieving? Do you
suppose kave seen all my fair castles
topple to the ground without one pang:
Rather. with such pangs as the very
devils in nell might PITY!
There was DO supineness about him
now. He was standing erect, his broad
chest heaving with the intensity Of his
emotion, his sad eyes glowing feverish-
". Liza could see his hand tremble a
he passed his handkerchief slowly across
his forehead. She went nearer 10 him
and laid her clasped hands on his bos-
ON. There was an inexpressible tender
ness in her sweet face and in her clear
young voice when she spoke:
What has changed the face Of the
world so completely for you, brother
ftrong? You used not to be u cynic,
Eeth says"
"LiesI'
"A-woman?"
"No A man."
cone man! One solitary man? One
single lie?'
Zone solitary man. Butt loved
him. A single lie-but-a potent one. "
And you could not stamp it out?"
STAMP out lie! 1t is like prairie
fire. You stamp it out in one place and
while you are painting over its harmless
dead ashes it leaps venomously into
fresh activity just across the pathway
You have to travel. Perhaps if had
seen the spark when it first fell-but--
one never does until il is too late-tu~
late for everything but resignation.
Liza stamped her foot passionately.
lyon talk like an old crone Of so!
And 50 you are going to sit down in
this loathsome spot, this brain paralyz-
Ing solitude and throw away all your
God given talents and your four years
of hard study? Are you going through
life whimpering because one man has
played you falseP'
"Not quite such an idiot! I am try.
ing to make a lawyer Of myself. have
taken this place ON three years lease
from Seth and hope, with the woodward
and the crop combined, to make enough
% carry myself through q course OF lec-
lures.
~ thought they were going to make
q doctor Of your"
"That was the plan when the Strongs
were running the Martin family"
There was revealing bitterness in
his tones. Liza pressed her hands more
tightly against his breast.
II know now that man, that lie!
Adrien Strong was the one and the
other. Is it not so?"
He was spared the necessity for an
swering. With q scream Of terror she
suddenly clasped her hands over heI