Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-11

at is possible"
at is absurd. l don't understand"
you cannot" He said it with a
sadness that realized the futiiity OF
explanations.
"And of course Luclla will go with
you! She Is such a lover OF the PEG
plev
"Luellaw
"You have forgotten her?''
mo" And yet he had-at least he
had absorbed all his thought for the
time about his home relations and had
not reckoned on facing this question
of the relation which would exist be.
tween himself and the woman who
had promised to be his wife when he
Rufus Gordon. What would she say
now to John Gordon. rsformer?
lie sat down and put his hands over
his face, while Mary watched him Gu
riously, very much as the father had
done.
"Iuclla is very proud. Still, she
might enjoy living in the Sums and
studying problems. She is full of con.
tradictions."
THAT is true" John Gordon whis-
pered to himself as he lifted up hi.
face.
"Luela thinks q good deal Of you,
John"
That is true, too" he whispered to
himself again.
Still, when you think how Luella
has been brought up you cant be sur.
prised if she shoud refuse to do some
things, especially IL they mean loss Of
social standing. Love must be reason
able"
And unreasonable" said John Cor
don, with a faint smile. Love bear.
eth all things"
Mary Gordon stared at her brother.
"Of course anything is possible. But
I.uella"-
She smiled to herself and thsn stared
at he brother, and then carelessly
turned about and began to sing:
"Oh. the sadness that grows with the
ycsrsl"
John Gordon turned toward the other
room, but before he had gone out Mary
rose and cane quickly NJ to him.
"1rhis is not goodby. john"
Eyes" He turned and looked at her
earnestly.
"Of course" - she hositated - "of
course the reason 4 don't show mere
feeling is because I cannot believe you
are really coiA.. TO leave us for good.
You will try the reforming business q
little while, and after You have learned
that you cannot do anything you will
come back and let father work out his
plan for you. which, must say. is far
more sensible than what you propose.
So | dor't intend to say goodby. John,
and | hope Luella will be as good TO
you AS am"
She instantly went back to the piano.
sat down and began TO sirG and pla :
eayly. John Gordon looked at her for
moment, then went into the other
room and found his father still writi. g
there. He went m to the dosk ard
waited until his father laid down his
pen.
"Well?" he said rs he lifted his head
and locked up at his son. You have
something more to say"
There was not a hint in the tone or
manner to suggest to John Gordon any
affection or feeling. He was not sur
prsed. He had not expected anything.
Rut he put out hrs hand toward MS
ia ,her almost like one who is sinking
and secs soro floating object swept ont
of reach Gu Il reCeding wave.
You understand, father, that I do
mothers share OF the Waller estate is
due ma next year. will take care OF
myself until them
Rufus Gordon did not speak, and
John Gordon continued:
"hll this-mv action is and always
will he strange to you, father. The re-
ligous experience through which
passed while abroad makes sny other
course impossible for me- AS I said to
you before, the life we have been liv-
ing in this city seems rev 10 be a
monstrous lif. for civilized people 10
live. The term hristisn has no mean
ing at all unless it means service. sac
rifice, sharing in some real sense with
the worlds needs. The civilization
which mcars simply getting all it can
out OF the world instead Of putting all
it can into il is n civilization that can
not be called Christian. My soul is I'M
able to rest, my life cannot so on with
such contradictions torturing it. That
is the reason. father. that our ways 6i-
vide. Would to God that we could see
and walk together
The cry WAS Wrung from him by a
sharp and sudden pain that took ac-
count of the fact of blood kinship. 1t
was the cry of human fellowship, the
exclamation - 4 personality that had
always -. . - Eat stress en- the value
of conpsAlG-sl' But there was no
cry from the inln who sat coldly look
ing at him. Rufus Gordon was a father,
hut he was also that pcr-onifcation
of the net product OF our un-Christian
methods-he was cryStalizsd selfish
ness-nore the less selfish because civ
ilized. all the more selssh because 1t
WAS more effective in civilized form.
Ignorant self is not so destructive as
educated self
rs there anything nore?' Rufus
Gordon asked the question as a bust
ness proposition to close an interview
that was taking valuable time needed
for more important transactions.