Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-12-13
felt the implied repr6ach In his sum.

"You have no right to force such q
question upon me-"
81 have a right to know the whole
truth"
"You would not understand
II would understand everything If
you loved me enough to 60 with me
without question"
"Love does not mean being unrea
sonable."
Eyes, Luella, it does, at least this
far-that love will trust where it can,
not always give reasons"
She was silent again.
He took step nearer.
"Luella, one question only: If l de-
eide that l must go to live In Hope
House, will you go with me? Or
will you refuse on account Of the phys,
ical and social loss"
She looked at him steadily at first,
although her color deepened and her
lips trembled.
"You have no right to ask such a
question"
81 have-the right Of a man who
loves you"
"Then l will say not so. not for the
reason you think, butt
1T is not necessary to explain" John
Gordon answered sadly. "Luella, it is
plain to me that you do not love me-"
"You have no right to make any such
testw she exclaimed passionately.
She stood up and faced him proudly,
and he simply looked into her eyes q
moment and then turned and walked
out of the room. This time he did not
look back. AS he closed the door, Luel-
La Marsh fell upon her knees by the
side Of the table. exclaiming:
"God pity me! God have mercyP
John Gordon went out Of the house
calmly enough, although his heart was
torn with passionate conflict. AS the
current of the city swept him OH, there
surged up in his soul hot anger that
he had ever loved this woman who
could not have the test Of faith In the
man who loved her. But it was at this
crisis that his real religious experience
rescued him from wreck. Had 1t not
been for that this story had never been
told. But as he went his way that day
his anger fell, and in its place there
grew up tender memory that left NO
room for harsh judgment.
But for the present he was over
whelmed by the result. He had put
Luella Marsh into the altar place of
proud mans affection. Every day
since the time she had pledged her
heart to his he had thanked God for
what had been given him. Her appar,
ent response to his ambitions. especial.
ly noticeable In her correspondence
during his absence, had exhilarated
him. To find now that she would not
trust her life TO- him because he had
chosen q career of hardship and loss
of physical things struck him the Sc.
verest blow he had ever experienced
The failure on the part of his father
and sister to understand or sylnpathize
became Insignificant compared with
this event. AS he walked along he be-
gan to torture himself with questions
Had he made q mistake In taking her
answer as final? Had he, US she said
no right to make such test? Was II
asking too much Of any woman to ask
her to leave home Of luxury to which
she had been accustomed from birth
and 60 at once into surroundings that
were repulsive to her? And then she
had confessed that she did not love the
people as he did, but-was that an un
pardonable sin? Yet he had felt when
she said it as If an impossible gulf
had suddenly been dug between them.
Had he acted as a man should act who
has so much at stake as In this case?
The torture Of these questions was so
keen that after walking several blocks
he turned to go back.
IL must see her again." he kept say,
ing. II cannot let it end here"
He went up the steps and rang the
bell. The servant who came to the
door eyed him curiously.
Miss Marsh has gone out" she said,
and John Gordon at first did not be-
lieye her until he remembered that the
carriage was standing at the curb
when he left Luella and that she had
said something about going out to the
park before tea.
He slowly went down the steps, and
when he was IN the sidewalk he
paused.
Perhaps in all his life he had never
felt so lonely as at that moment. The
consciousness that his father and SIS
ter and now the woman who had
promised to be his wife had repudiated
his life smote him with q sense Of per-
sonal abandonment that was keen and
searching.
For q moment he felt so completely
alone that he let go Of every motive for
action. The city and the ovcrwhelm'
ing thought of Its misery and sin and
scltishness enraged him. LET us eat
drink and be merry, for tomorrow we
die" he cried out. and nothing at that
moment would have saved John Cor
don except the fact that what he had
mentioned to his father and sister and
Luella as his religious experience was
the greatest fact so far In his career
AS he stood still there ut the foot OF the
steps gradually his spirit grew calm
er. The consciousness Of God In bis
life grew stronger The purpose OF his
ambition cleared. And after little
while he started OH. knowing that his
life work would not be changed In Its
main intent by anything that had SC
far happened. Only us he went on he
also knew that he could not and would
not be the same man and do the same
things In some parts Of his earthly VI
sion as If Luella Marsh had decided to