The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-12-12

"That is true. too" he whispered TO
himself again.
"Still, when you think how Luella
has been brought up you can't be sur
prised If she should refuse to do some
things, especially If 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
Luella"-
She smiled to herself and then stared
ut her brother, and then carelessly
turned about and began to sing:
''oh, the sadness that grows with the
yearsr
John Gordon turned toward the other
room, but before he had gone out Mary
rose and came quickly up to him.
"This is not goodby, JohnT
Eyes" He turned and looked at her
earnestly.
~Of course" she hesitated = "of
course the reason l don't show more
feeling is because | cannot believe you
are really going to leave US for good.
You win try the reforming business
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 don't intend to say goodby, John,
and hope Luella will be as good to
you as I am"
She instantly went back to the piano,
sat down and began to sing and play
gayly. John Gordon looked at her for
a moment, then went into the other
room and found his father still writing
there. He went up to the desk and
waited until his father laid down his
pen.
"Wellr' he said as he lifted his head
and looked up at his son. You have
something more to say?'
There was not hint in the tone or
manner to suggest to John Gordon any
affection or feeling. He was not sur
prised. He had not expected anything.
But he put out his hand toward his
| father almost like one who is sinking
and sees some floating object swept out
Of reach on receding wave.
you understand, father, that I do
not ask anything Of you. Grand
mothers share of the Waller estate is
due me next year. l will take care Of
myself until then"
Rufus Gordon did not speak, and
John Gordon continued:
"All this-my action is and always
| will be strange to you, father. The re-
ngious experience through which l
passed while abroad makes any other
course impossible for me. As / said to
you before, the life we have been ly-
| ing in this city seems now to be q
| monstrous life for civilized people to
| i've The term Christian has no mean
ing at all unless it means service, sac
rifice, sharing in some real sense with
the worlds needs. The civilization
which means simply getting all it can
out Of the world instead Of putting all
| it can into it is civilization that can
not be called Christian. Ny soul Is I'M
able to rest, my life cannot go on with
such contradictions torturing it. That
| ia the reason, father, that our ways d.
vide. Would to God that we could see
and walk togetherw
| 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 Of personality that had
| always placed great stress on the value
| Of companionship. But there was no
cry from the man who sat coldly look
ing at him. Rufus Gordon was father,
| but he was also that personif1cation
| Of the net product Of our un-Christian
| methods-he was cryStallfZed selfish
| ness-none the less selfish because civ
| fixed, all the more selfish because it
was more effective in civilized form.
Ignorant self Is not so destructive as
educated self.
Els there anything moreT Rufus
Gordon asked the question as bust
ness proposition to close an interview
that was taking valuable time needed
Tor more important transactions.
Nothing more except that I hope
you will-you will not bear any hard
feelings toward me. Oh, fatherr John
Gordon suddenly exclaimed, taking a
step toward the impassive figure. "You
said you loved me. Cannot you believe
In me and the life have chosenT
For a moment over the hard face
there swept tremor. 1t was gone in
l oY,6 ne, n
slowly:
| "You have chosen. When you change
your mind, you may come and see me
about It"
II shall never change my mind"
'That is all, then"
and Mary is still the same. Some
time. when you have felt what I have
you viii believe as do"
Rufus Gordon made no answer, and
John Gordon slowly turned to leave
the room.
II viii arrange to have my things
taken over to Barton's. I am going to
stay with him until / arrange for my
| permanent quarters"
| AA1 IcIL the rOOm ana went upsCdmc
where he busted himself with packing
the few possessions he had brought
home with him from abroad During
It all his highly imaginative and even
poetical nature took account Of the
prosaic and matter Of fact way in
which he was taking leave Of the
house where he was born and Of the
home in which he had been reared.
There had been no melodramatic dis
Inheritance of him by his father, al
though he knew him well enough to
| know that the life he had chosen. di-