The true northerner., 1899-11-15


bowed as he went by Rollin was
watching Rachel closely.
II wish l were Jasper Chase Maybe
I'd stand some show then. he said
moodily.
Rachel colored in spite of herself
She did not say anything and quickened
her pace little. Rollin seemed deter
mined to say something, and Rachel
seemed helpless to prevent him After
all, she thought, he might as well know
the truth one time as another.
"You know well enough, Rachel
how feel toward you Ism there any
hope2 / could make you happy. I've
loved you a good many years
"Why, how old do you think am"
broke in Rachel, with nervous laugh.
She was shaken out of her usual poise
of manner.
"You know what l mean, went on
Rollin doggedly land you have no
right to laugh at me just because 1
want you TO marry me-
"I'm not, but it is useless for you to
speak-Rollin, said Rachel after lit
tie hesitation and then using his name
in such a frank, simple way that he
could attach no meaning to it beyond
the familiarity of the family acquaint-
ance. 1T is impossible. She was still
a little agitated by the fact of receiving
a proposal of marriage on the avenue,
but the noise on the street and side
walk made the conversation as private
as if they were in the house
"Would you-that is-do you think
if you gave me time l would"-
"Nop' said Rachel She spoke firm
ly. Perhaps. she thought afterward, al
though she did not mean TO. she spoke
harshly
They walked on for some time with
out word. They were nearing Rachel's
home, and she was anxious to end the
scene.
AS they turned off the avenue into
one oe the quiet streets Rollin spoke
suddenly and with more manliness than
he had yet shown There was a distinct
note of dignity in his voice that was
new TO Rachel.
Miss W .nslow, ask you to be my
wife. Is there any hope for me that you
will ever consent ?"
"None in the least. Rachel spoke
decidedly
"WiIl you tell me why2" He asked
the question as if he had a right to a
truthful answer
Il do not feel toward you as a wom-
an ought to feel toward the man she
ought to marry -
"In other words, you do not love
me p
81 do not, and ! cannot.
''Why2" That was another question,
and Rachel was a little surprised that
he fhould ask it
Because Sne hesitated for fear
she might say too much in an attempt
TO speak the exact truth.
Tell me just why You cant hurt
me more than you have done already y
"Well, ] don't and can't love you
because you have no purpose in life.
What do you ever do TO make the world
better2 You spend your time in club
life, in amusements, in travel, in lux
ury. What is there in such life to at
tract n woman p
mot much | guess, said Rollin,
with a little laugh still | don't
know that | am any worse than the
rest of the men around me. I'm not so
bad as some Glad TO know your rea-
son.
He suddenly stopped, took off his hat
bowed gravely and turned back. Rachel
went on home and hurried into her
room, disturbed in many ways by the
event which had so unexpectedly thrust
itself into her experience.
When she had time to think it all
over, she found herself condemned by
the very judgment she had passed on
Rollin Page What purpose had she in
life2 She had been abroad and studied
music with one of the famous teachers
of Europe. She had come home to Ray
mond and had been singing in the First
church choir now for year. She was
well paid. Up TO that Sunday two weeks
ago she had been quite satisfied with
herself and her position. She had shared
her mothers ambition and anticipated
growing triumphs in the musical world.
What possible career was before her ex-
cept the regular career of every singer
She asked the question again and, in
the light of her recent reply to Rollin,
asked again if she had any very great
purpose in life herself2 What would
Jesus do2 There was a fortune in her
voice. She knew it, not necessarily as
a matter of personal pride or profess
sional egotism, but simply as a fact,
and she was obliged to acknowledge
that until two weeks ago she had pur-
posed TO use her voice to make money
and win admiration and applause. Was
that much higher purpose, after all,
than Rollin Page lived for2
She sat in her room long time and
finally went down stairs resolved to
have a frank talk with her mother
about the concert company's offer and
her new plan, which was gradually
shaping in her mind She had already
had one talk with her mother and knew
that she expected Rachel to accept the
offer and enter on a successful career as
a public singer