Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-18

current of the city swept him on, there
surgcd 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 it not
been for that this story had never been
told. But rs he went his way that day
his anger fell, and in its place there
| grew up Il tender memory that left no
room for harsh judgment.
But for the present he was over
whclmcd by the result. He had put
! Lucia Marsh into the altar place of II
| proud mans affection. Every day
since the time she had pledged her
/ heart to his lie had thanked God for
what had been given him. Ter appar-
ent response to his ambitions, especial
ly noticeable in her correspondence
during his absence. had cxhilaratcd
him. To find now that she would not
trust her life to him because he had
chosen career of hardship and loss
of physical things struck him the SO.
yercst blow he had ever experienced.
The failure on the part of his father
and sister to understand or sympatlize
became insignificant compared witt
this event As he walked along he be
gan to torture himself with questions
Had he made n mistake in taking her
answer as final? Had he. as she said.
no right to make such n test? Was it
asking too much of any woman to ask
her to leave a home of luxury to which
she bad been accustomed from birth
and go Mt once into surroundings that
were rcpulSive to her? And then she
had confessed that she did not love the
people as lie 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 u man should act who
has so much at stake as in this case?
The torture of these questions was 50
keen that after walking several blocks
he turned to 20 back.
Il must see her again. he kept say
Ing. Il cannot let it end here"
lie 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.
licve her until he remembered that the
carriage was standing mt the curb
when he left Lucia and that she had
said something about going out TO the
park before tea.
He slowly went down the steps. and
when he was on the sidewalk he
rauscd.
Perhaps in all his life he had never
felt so lonely as ut that moment The
consciousness that his father and Sis
ter and now the woman who had
promised to be his wife had repudiated
his Efc snOtc him with sense of per-
sonal abandonment that was keen and
searching
For a moment he felt so completely
alone that he lot 90 Of every motive for
action. The city and the oVprwh In
ing thought of its misery and sin and
sClhShncSs ezra "ed him. Let us eat
drink and be merry for tomorrow we
die. he cried out, and nothing at that
'i'''44' IT ""ui" H''N Sd''u John poT-
con except the fact mat what he had
mentioned to his father and sister and
Lucia as his religious experience WIS
the greatest fact So far in his career.
rs he stood still there at the foot of the
steps gradually his spirit grew calm
e.. Inc consciousness OF God in his
life grew stronger The purpose of his
ambition cleared. And after LILLE
while he started on, knowing that his
life work would not b" changed in its
nam intent BY anything that had 50
far happened. Only as 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 rs if Lucia Marsh had decided to
walk with him in the way. 1t was also
quite clear TO him that without being
able to give good reason for II he
was not closing the chuplor with Lucl.
Ia yet. He certainly entertained the
IDEA OF her Still coming into his life.
1t was not from his interview with
her that he drew any such hope. Hut
he knew that he did not VET consiCor
her action ms final. or possibly if WAS
his own action that was NOT final.
He stopped at IA corner. ana fine SIGHT
Of street name ON car coinr Inv de. |
cidod his next movement.
II II 90 and take foo .t Hama II,,-o