Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-10-19


gentleman he hated lying on general
principles. He was firmly convinced
of the wickedness of doing evil that
good may come. And yet
1t was all so clear before him. II
this woman did not still love the
the other man-she would not so fear
and dread being thrown aside by her
unloving, unloved husband. And, if so
thrown aside, to whom else could she
turn? That she was speaking the
truth in regard to her husbands
harshness and her own penn1less con-
dition the clergyman knew well. He
knew more about solid John Brewster
than most people, and for hard man
and exceeding close with his money
all men knew him. That he would re-
fuse to believe the meeting between his
wife and the lover from whom he had
parted her, by unfair means, solitary
and as innocent as accidental was also
tolerably certain
Then, certainly, the problem lay be-
tween this woman's soul and his own
the priestly soul which had never yet
been stained by lying.
Heavy steps sounded along the pass
ageway leading from the street. The
woman, springing to a chair on the
other side of the table, looked at the
priest beseechingly and bent hurriedIy
over some papers. A moment later
and solid John Brewster himself strobe
into the room.
At sight of his wife the hard face
changed, the expression faitered. The
priest, rising to confront him, saw in
his eyes both doubt and hesitation.
Il see my wife is with you,' the
man said, sullenly. May 1 inquire
if she has been with you all day?'
For a moment the priest struggled
against a most human impulse, the
mad, natural, all but uncomfortable
inclination to knock down this in
timidator of a woman and trampIe
upon him. Then he remembered that
he was a priest, and that there seemed
but one way of helping the intimida-
tors victim. He turned his eyes to-
ward her down-ben. head, momenta-
rily, and again the Problem of the Lie
lifted it's double-headed torment and
regarded him. He saw, as if in vision
the Recording Angel who was so real
a parsonage to him take down, with
sorrowful sternness, the white scroll of
his unstained veracity and degrade it,
degrade it to the dust His eyes filled
Win tears, SuOQen1y, as tnOugh ne had
witnessed another's downfall But,
over and against this vision, was set
the soul of this woman-and her peril.
For him. repentance and remorse in
plenty. Nay, was he not already re-
penting the very thought of the sin
in contemplation. For her-in case
her fears were realized-no place OF
repentance, though she sought it care
| fully, with tears.
And, right or wrong, the unselfsh
| impulse triumphed.
No, SIR he heard himself saying.
| distinctly. after so brief an interval
that even the angry husband noticed
no hesitation, she has not. I did not
see her until after -Incheon. But this
afternoon she accompanied me on a
!, round of charity calls, and, since our
return, she has been busify engaged in
making out her report to the Charity
| Calls Committee of the Woman's- Aux
| Hilary She will be ready to accom-
pany you home so soon as this is nm
ished."
/ Fer this lie Father Charles Billings
presently-and .ong-repented. and he
viii never cease to be anxious con-
| cerring its moral effect upon Mrs.
| Brewsser-now slowly acquiring the
habit Of negative happiness by utter