The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-10-28
THE LIMIT.



ard and good for nothing" for so long that
he believed it himself. His friends had ar.
gued with him until, at last, they had aban.
doned further effort and decided to let him
irift on as he would. They were disguised
with him, and even he admitted they had
cause to be. And yet, they still found some.
thing fine in his nature-perhaps it was his
frank manner of confessing his faults or
his humanity in the face of criticism, or,
perhaps, his sincere, If futile, desires to re-
form and, as his friends would urge, make
something of himself-or, perhaps, with
some, it was the only way he had of smil-
ing under fire. His friends told him he was
weak and not vicously bad, and he himself
believed he was weak and was very doubt
full about the latter.
Finally there came one who had faith in
him, abundant enough he began to think,
for both of them. He remembered their
hrst meeting, in her own parlor; she stand
ing at the side of the fireplace, with it's glow
Illuminating her face. He remembered that
she did not impress him as being so very
pretty then-neat, sweet, and attractive,
certainly-with pleasant and sympathetic
voice and ''good-fellow" kind of manner
He drifted back again, he did not under
stand why, and soon, to his own surprise,
found himself on quite an intimate footing,
contented to sit silently studying her fea-
lures and their ever growing beauty. As
result, he grew ashamed of himself and
made determined resolutions to reform,
which were as frequently broken as made,
and as promptly made again. He soon be-
gan to think that she understood him as no
one else had ever done. She found so many
good traits in his character, delightful sur
prises to him, that he finally dc cided to be-
come the man that she believed him to be.
He decided to start with clean slate-and
30 told her one evening, as they were sit
ting before the cheerful fire, of his life,
and spared nothing in the painting Confess
sion was sweet, and, of all else, he had never
been a hypocrite, and he wanted to show
her what good she had done him. Not
word she uttered during his recital. She
simply had sat quiet, with her hands fold
ed on her lap, gazing steadily into the fire.
He wondered, now and then, as his story
progressed, of what she was thinking,
whether his recital shocked her, if she was
,rying to read in the live Goals the dreary
uture opened up to her, why the cat an
loyed him brushing his leg
When he had finished, he, too, sat quiet.
vaguely wondering if he had been wise in
.elling, but then he did not want to be a
iypocrite. Listening to the heavy clock
ticks, he seemed to hear them set them
selves to the words: you have lost her"
he wondered why he only now felt how very
dear she was to him and how useless life
seemed without her. What was the use of
it all, anyway, of his good resolutions, of his
strenuous efforts, of his abstinence? No
matter now what he did or became, he had
just shattered her good opinion of him and
how could a woman love man after that?
is there any more%
Her mild question startled him out of
his revery. He was but dimly aware of the
stiffness Of the house, of her quiet, con
strained tones as she remarked how late
it was, as she babe him good night, of her
saying that she wanted to think it all over.
As he walked slowly homeward, he re-
viewed again all he had told her Yes, he
had certainly been frank, brutally frank,
and made clean breast of it, After all,
had it been necessary? Well, he would
leave it until tomorrow, The nights sleep
would clear his thoughts
The next day he received her answer and
he thought that if he loved her before he
certainly adored her then. Her faith in
him remained mistaken, and che loved him
more than ever. How bright the world
looked! How joyous his heart
sang
They had been secretly engaged for al
most a year, whole year of unalloyed hap
piness, for they knew there would be pa
rental objections. His friends had noticed
the change in his habits, but ceased to won.
Ter, and accepted his reformation as com
Dlete. He felt that he had worked hard.
but 1T had been pleasure to work, thinking
of her. Her faith in him was
irm! His progress was slow, but they were
He was steadily gaining head
way and, this evening, he and she attended
The play together. The evening passed
quickly, as all such evenings had, and he
gladly accepted her invitation to come in a
and warm himself before going
home. The moment had heightened silent
", as usual, when she said:
Il realize I've made mistake. I've been
wanting to tell you for some time, but did
lot have the courage. I'm so sorry-but
hink it best to break our engagement, don't
you! You know you don't like hypocrites."
He found himself trying to remember
what the play they had just seen had been
ind dimly wondering why he couldn't.
"Why don't you say what you are think
ng? Why don't you abuse me, as de-
serve" she added
He stood looking at her dumbly, numbly.
Il suppose" she continued, you will 60
Jack to your dreadful drinking--to your
I'D life?"
Il don't know" he muttered. Good
hight Mirror.
slightly on oa Pronunciation.