Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-05-13
CHAPTER II.

Happy as Helen had declared hersel
to be. she rose in the morning with ;
certain depression and anxiety. Flo
all changes to the thoughtful hear
must have an air Of melancholy. Wha
we have to leave behind is part Of our
selves. We are dying in a measure t
the life we are quitting and must d.
so ere we can fully enter on the III,
we are going to. And, although sh'
did not tell herself these things. sh,
felt them. Roy had spoken OF thei
own home Her heart was turning to
ward it. and the home she was t
leave had already lost something Of it:
charm. AS she went about her usua
duties she was dreaming Of the cottag,
Roy was to prepare for her and Of the
life they were to live In 1t. and hel
present life was the poorer for thi:
projection Of her best self into the fu
ture.
Still affairs went on with their ac
customed peace and regularity. anC
Robert Brodick was not at once sensi
tive to. his loss. He was far more sen
sitive to the annoyance which the brag
and pride OF his future son-in-law
caused him Roy had won the hand
soonest and richest girl in the neigh
borhOod. and he was not able to bear
his success mOdestly. A man so enam
ored. so transported with love. no on,
had ever seen before. and the fisher
wives shook their heads over his noisy
happiness and said such hot love was
soon cold.
1t certainly soon became subject Il
moods which troubled Helen's nature
to its very depths, for as the youn:
man grew accustomed to his good for
tune he began to find faults in it. Til,
elder was q standing grievance. II'
felt his presence generally to be {
wrong to Helen and himself. 1t was
true that the father was only sitting or
his own hearthstOne. but Roy wished
him far away He said he had "nae 3
consideration for other folk," and as
the nights grew cold and dark the Of
fense was aggravated. Then he vowed
there was no pleasing the auld man"
that is, he could not make Brodici
laugh at his funny stories and mimic
ries. In the first place, laughter was
not natural to Brodick; he took life
too seriously to make sport out OF IL
In 81, hn h.lI f.n,
tempt for mimicry and punning " hich
all but the most elemental natures feel
There was not any obvious quarrel but
no disagreement Is so intolerable as
that divided from union by only semi.
tone 1t Is far more intense dislike
than one which explains itself in a wig
orous dispute or contradiction.
To be constantly between these two
opposite natures and feeling the fret OF
both was not good discipline for
Helen. She was nervous and fearful
when her father and lover were 10
gether. She longed for her own home;
but. though Roy talked continually
about the Joy they were TO have In 1t.
be made no efforts toward its realiza
ton. He was waiting for Robert Bro
dick TO do this. and Robert Brod!ck hau
a conviction that ii would never be re-
quired. Sooner or later. he was sure,
Helen's clear honest nature would d.
vine the falspness Of the man she had
chosen. and then he knew ii would be
impossible for her to marry him.
But for three months Roy kept his
position intact. Helen believed in him
with all her soul and loved him with
all the Intense affection OF self re-
strained. truthful woman. No one could
doubt her affection; II had the charm
of absolute sincerity and Of truthful
ness without flaw. But such an at
mosphere was naturally too uresome
an endeavor for man mingled or eN-
actly diverse elements. and gradually
Helen was aware Of some change. too
slight for analysis. too elusive to com.
plain Of; but
All. the little more. and how much II is
And the little less. and what worlds away!
1t was Just "the little less" and II
made Helen's heart quake as she look
ed into the future. For If man is not
noble and unseltish when he is In love
he never will be so either in this world
or the next. and Helen could not dis
guise. could not explain away many
q little incident which no noble or un
selfish man would have been connect.
ed with. These events each made n
distinct impression on her. but she told
herself that no one was perfect and
that Roy had been motherless all his
life and had never been taught TO de
fine with imperious clearness the line
between right and wrong. When she
was his wife and had the lad always
in her care. she was sure he could be
made to see things with her eyes.
Alas, women in love tell so many lies
to themselves,
The dim doubt. however. grew sud
denly. and In one fateful hour. TO n Ger.
tainty she could not deny or tolerate
1t was a stormy night nearing the new
year. The elder had gone to a kirk
session, and Helen had given to the
CHEEKY home place wonderful air OF
cozy beauty. The fire danced and
blazed on the snow white hearth, on
the deal furniture. scrubbed with meal
till it was like ivory; on the gayly
patched cushions and crockery. on the
house plants in the window and the
rrintS n nd hnIlnds unon the walls Row