Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-25

complained Some day. perhaps. you win
know that en- worthy Of your faith-God
grant that the knowledge brings you no
fresh IN misery, There. forgive me. ! hay:
II you will say goodbye I'll 60"
Goodbye. my hero" She raised her
face. down which were trickling many
tears. and he'd out her hand. brokenly, al
one searches in the dark, for the room was
swimming about her. and just family abe
could see this mans strong face coming to
her out Of the gloom IKE the face Of god.
Tiff fate Wills II that my innocence be
known seme time. may come back? WIN
you wait. believing In me for Hitler
"Allis-" 1t was the first time he had
ever called her Allis. 1t broke down the
last faint. girlish restraint.
He drew her to him by the hand he still
clasped, and put his strong arms about
her. What mattersd It now that he had
been falsely accused-what mattered II TO
either OF them that he must accept the
grim penalty Of his endeavorY With Them
In the soft gloom was nothing but love,
and faith and innocence: and within the
strong arms sense OF absolute security. as
though the false, accusing world had been
baffied. beaten down. and the victory theirs
love.
He raised the girls face and kissed It.
Let God witness that l press your pure
lips in innocence" he said. and In this
pledge love you forever and ever"
Amen" came from Ais involuntarily.
It sounded to them both like the benedIo-
ton Of a high priest
He repeat ted mechanically, amen" To
speak again would have been sacrilege.
He put her from him gently, turned away,
and walked quickly from the house.
The girl sat for long time a gray
shadow In the gathering darkness. He was
gone from her. II seemed as though she
had scarcely spoken the encoura cement
she wished to give him. 1t had been a
meeting almost without words; but she felt
strangely satisfied. The accusing revelation
that had come from Crane in the afternoon
had been crushing blow. It was a mis-
take. of course: it wasn't true-somehow II
wasn't true. but stu 1t had stunned Now
In the cleaning she sat with an angel of
peace: big, steadfast, honest eyes full of
thankfulness looked lovingly at her. from
where he had stood: they were Mortmer's
eyes If she could sit there forever with
the echo of his deep cathedral amen to
their love lingering In her ears she would
ask no further gift Of the gods
The big frame of Mortimer fulI-striding
In its swing toward the village. physically
dismembered itself from his mentality; his
mind fitted back TO the room OF gray shad-
ows. How little he had said Had thers
been aught spoken at all? The strong arms
still tingled with tender warmth where the
Impress OF an angel had set them thrilling
ecstaticaily Yes, what mattered 1t what
had been said; there had been little promise
OF the future: no promise to send word OF
any sort of his we'll being, but let the future
look to itself In the present he was king
VI ioNe hllSuon tudt was greater than
all the world
Field after field fitted by. studded here
and there by square gray specters of ghost. !
like houses, that blinked at him with red
dragon eyes. Subconsciously he knew the (,
eyes were searching out the secret that
made him, In all his misery OF misfortune
SO happy And he would answer to the
eyes, dragon or human, without fear and
without shame-because he was innocent of
worthiness-that It was love, the greatest
thing In all the world, the love and faith
sublime OF good, true woman. Woman
he had said?-an angel.
A broken fence rail that had been care
lessly tossed across the road by an ire
sponsible teamster took him by the foot
and brought him to earth. 1t was a long
fall, for he had been In the seventh remove
of heaven; and as he picked himself up
and swung on his way again. reunited to
his physical perfection, the rail laughed
till Its splintered sides cracked like a box
of matches. and said. "Only young man
In love, and dtched him!' The rail knew
this because Mortimer had been talking
aloud to the listening night.
Go be continued.)