The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-02-22
AND now 2"

only.
"Why did you leave the army?"
81 struck my superior officer. They
heard my defense and-let me resign"
"And the other--what became OF
him?"
"He cheated at cards, was publicly
insulte6-and cashiered."
"Why did you strike him?"
"Is this asking "a question:"
"Oh, forgive mel Good night"
at is very short" he said repent
antly. "There was woman in the
case; the card incident was but a pre-
text" A low cry escaped the girl.
Then she said, half rising:
"You loved her?"
"Yes." He heard her sink slowly
back upon her pillow. 81 thought so,
at least-until now. ! was mistaken
in her; my pride was wounded" He
arose and paced the room.
"Tell me of her. please?"
she lived not far from Washington
with a relative, her parents both
dead. She had some means of her
own and frequently came into the
city, where she had friends. We met,
and / believed in her; but this officer
came between us. She thought him
rich, and | was deserted for him. She
belonged to that class of women who
esteem wealth the foremost object of
life, women who go deliberately to
men they do not, cannot love, or even
respect, and say in effect: Here, we
have beauty, youth, freshness, for sale.
Take us, dress us, give us jewels and
fine clothes to wear, carriages to ride
in; give us chance 10 command the
homage of men, and all that we have
is yours Watch for them upon your
streets; all men know them at sight.
God, but they pay at last! Look in
when the excitement has passed and
see upon their faces the frozen de-
spair; see in the heaviness of their
step the weight of dead youth, and
In their eyes eternal hopelessness.
Child, child, be not deceived; love is
the only gold that pays woman.
Shun them, these wretched advertise
|
into the holiness of your life until love
has sanctified the sacrifice" He ceased
abruptly, and the next instant was
kneeling by her side. Forgive mel"
he cried. "Have l not told you /
hold you blameless?" Suddenly he
felt her arms about his neck, drawing
his face to hers. Her hair enyeloped
and almost smothered him in a sudden
storm. Holding him thus, she broke
into such an agony of grief and tears
| as to render him speeches. and help
less. She held him in such frantic
| free himself was defeated. When her
strength was exhausted she sank
back among the pillows, breathless
{ He bent above her unnerved.
! "How lonely, how barren must have
2 been your life, that little kindness
!. --another's sorrows-should touch you
t so deeply!"
] Lonely! Speak of the persecution
e the brutality, the infamy-!"
: "Hush," he whispered. "No more
: to me. Come, you must sleep" Rising
! abruptly, he left her side. When j
was that she fell asleep he could no
E discover, but presently he seemed t.
r hear her deep, regular breathing, ant
was thankful.
And SO the moments passed. TIL,
! girl started up once or twice ant
4 spoke his name; but always at SCUM
n of his calm, reassuring voice sanl
o back again upon her pillow. From
v time to time he vent and stood abov
her-a spell upon him new an
: strange, a spell that filled him wit,
uneasiness and vague alarm. He wa
no longer lonely. In some mysteriou
: way burden seemed to Se slippin
+ away from him, and in its place cam
a sense of companionship sweet an
!: comforting. Most men discount mai
ried life in their dreams, and few eve
realize the fullness of those dreams
but with him it had been differen
This strange experience preceded til
a dreams. Without days warning h
had been plunged into the privacy {
), young and modest woman's life, ha
become the guardian of her honor an
o in measure of her future; and in
!. mysterious way the divine sweetnes
!, of her soul had issued forth and el
veloped him. In the chiaroscuro {
:, the still room he could just determir
: the outlines of her bed and upon i
= wilderness the outlines of her slend,
:, figure. He was glad that she slep+
= in that quiet falling asleep was fl
!. him the finest tribute ever paid to h
= manhood. A glad, quick pulse leaps
from his heart as he realized tn
= truth, and the words of the girl
" mother, so artlessly repeated, can
: back to him.
Then in the desert of his life
= stranger came before his tent al
asked for shelter. He babe him ente
+ Why should not this scene be fix,
- and reel and lasting? Would it
possible? Would the girl some d;
accept it as such, yielding still Il
y trust and tenderness she had broug
le to the counterfeit? Was she trustil
Brodnar? Or was she trusting hin
&c The trust was in him. He felt it
81 stinctively; and her little white hal