Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1902-04-10
The sound of gay voices came in

family from the distant campus.
He looked at her and smiled.
81 wonder if they recall any part
of The Higher Sacrifice they heard
this morning." she asked as she re-
turned his smile.
Not now, l think. The lecture was
not for the campus grounds. They
may remember it after awhile. Some
years hence, perhaps"
But doesn'. 1t seem that anything
affecting life so deeply must be re-
Eembered all the timer"
mo; l think not. You. for instance.
are the dearest part of my life. and
| I'm afraid l don't remember you al
| ways. In my laboratory. for example.
| in my work before those eager young
| men and women, l forget you, Elinor.
| My demonstrations are never mixed
with thoughts of this couch with its
| cool pillows and you
But you. do not really forget me.
| You may not remember me in that
| way, perhaps, but you are conscious
| of me all the time, just as l am of you
when my class and l go creeping inch
by inch through the Inferno. shrink
| ing and Quivering before the sights
| that confront us there. Ones con-
seriousness doesn't need to imply
couches nor pillows nor any objective
things at all. need it?"
He laughed happily. The voices on
the campus grew gayer.
There" he said. They're filled
with the consciousness of The Higher
Sacrifice
She smiled a little. 81 think he
made it beautiful" she said.
| HE made it too beautiful. Sacri-
fice-real sacrifice isn't like that. 1t
is harsh and horribly commonplace.
though it is not common. l don't
think it especially productive of the
qualities of character he described.
1t makes character neither sweet nor
| great. On the contrary, it makes hard
lines. both mentally and physically.
1t ages and embitters. Look at Miss
Loswell. She has sacrificed. 1 don't
know of any one more unloved or I'M
lovely. She always makes me feel an
undercurrent of sarcasm or pessimism
or something equally disagreeable in
the smallest things she says and does"
"Winfred."
well, dear, 1 thought you wanted
my opinion"
Yes, of course"
well, it isn't much longer.
wasn't much impressed by the lecture
at ALL"
you don't believe in sacrifice?"
Eyes, 1 do, but 1 don't believe it's
either attractive or beatiic, and 1
don't think it should be presented in
that light to those who know so little
of life. Sacrifice is difficult and for
bidding"
ITO me it is beatific," she said.
He patted her arm tenderly. PLAY
for me, dear" he said. Sing to me-"
She rose and went over to the piano.
He settled back into the cushions.
She played. She sang. 1t grew
dark She had sung all the songs he
loved best.
How good you are. Elinor," he said.
Come here"
She went and sat down beside him,
where he had made room for her with
out raising his head from the pillows.
She smoothed back his hair with her
hand. She kissed him.
"Oh. Winfred," she whispered. MY
love. how love you
He drew her closer to him and closed
his eyes contentedly.
The voices died away on the cam
pus. The moon came up.
He slept. She did not stir for fear
of waking him. She sat looking out
into the quiet night. thinking of the
lecture they had heard that morning
and of the divine sublimity of the high.
er sacrifice.
They had been spending their vaca-
ton together with her mother at her
cottage in the mountains. Her cou-
sin Lucie was with them.
And the time was near when they all
must return to the buster world.
On one of the last days, Winfred
and Lucie went off to the cliffs togeth-
err He begged Elinor to go with them.
but she had some reason for remain
ing. Neither could ever remember
what reason she gave, but then human
affairs do not turn upon reason. After
they had gone. Elinor's mother spoke
to her about her lover and her friend,
but Elinor only smiled. She knew
that it would come and she had pre-
pared to smile.
When they returned later in the
evening Lucie's face was flushed and
there was light in her eyes that
Elinor knew. 1t was the light her own
had held when Winfred kissed her for
| the first time.
She went up to them and took Lu-
!. 4 WITH Ii