Mower County transcript., 1903-02-04

in the same order taat she had opened
them and stood watching his face
hungrily as he read them.
CHAPTER XII.
:ES2 2%3 III # " lOMENT}OF DOUBT. tEs575s, s72@
Malcom read the four letters through
one after the other without agword Of
comment. Only Dorothy, watching
him, noted the expressions on his face.
When he finished the letter from the
Boston magazine, he looked up.
:"W :"WellY' said Dorothy slowly, as If
Malcolm had asked q question.
"It's great offer," said Malcom. He
was evidently very much moved by 1t.
And he rose and walked up and down.
Finally he stopped near the door.
II shall have to go out doors and
! walk OF the excitement" he said, look
ing at Dorothy, with faint smile. She
was familiar with that habit. Malcolm
had often done that when tired Of the
cramped quarters of his little study in
the parsonage.
he walked to the table, took up his
hat and went to the door. He opened
it and then turned back to Dorothy,
who sat with her elbow on the table
and her chin in her hand thinking.
"Win you go with me, dear?' NAL
com asked quietly.
She rose without word and, put
ting on her hat and cloak, went out
with him. They walked out of the
| yard; and then, after moment of hesi-
tation, they turned and went down the
narrow board sidewalk toward the
main street of the town.
1t was almost IL o'clock. Nearly
all the stores were closed, but every
saloon was wide open. As they went
by one Of the largest on the first busi-
ness corner two or three men near the
door recognized Kirk and touched
their hats, saying very respectfully as
they did so, Good evening, Mr.. Kirk"
"Good evening, gentlemen" replied
Malcom, touching his hat. He passed
on with Dorothy, but with all the in
ner conflict going on she had time to
think Of the little incident and say to
herself proudly, Even the loafers and
drinkers respect my husband" /
And it was true, because they knew
in their hearts that Malcom Kirk low
ed them, wretched, useless creatures
as many of them were, down at the
very bottom of the human scale, down
where nothing but love could reach
them.
AS they went past one of the dance
houses they could hear the jingle of
spurs on boots, the wild laughter of
the women and the clink Of glasses at
the bar.
Dorothy shuddered and drew up clos
er to Malcom. To both Of them it is
probable that there was borne in upon
them the lost abandoned life that al
ways goes with the liquor trade, the
desperate, lawless character Of young
men and women who represented so
large part Of the social life Of the
town. What a. relief it would be to
get away from it all, back to the cul-
ture and refinement of books and COM
panionable people and the life Of free
dom from moral struggle for the life
| Of others that awaited them in that
New England home that might be
| theirs for the taking!
They had walked through the street
and were out on the prairie road before
| either of them said word.
Then Malcom said, while he pressed
Dorothy's arm close to his own:
What do you think had better doY'
She was not prepared to have him
ask question, and she was not ready
with an answer.
"What would you do in my placer"
he asked after waiting for her to an
swer his first question.
"Don't ask me, Malcom," cried Doro-
thy almost tearfully.
He bent his head and in the starlight
! saw her face moved with unusual ex-
| citement.
1T is true," he began to talk to him.
self. ut is true, as he says, the press is
as powerful as the pulpit in these
days. l could certainly do as much
good that way as any. feel as If I
could use my. pen for the good of hu-
! manity." I
"Yes, yes!" Dorothy cried eagerly.
She spoke as if Malcom's words had
! been great relief to her. Then she
went on almost passionately: -,
| What can you do here, Malcom? :?
You can slave yourself to death out
here with this little church and never
accomplish much. You cannot do the
church work and the writing too. You
will break down under it. How can
you ever build again, with the hard
times and SO many families moving
away and winter coming on? And
your salary, little as it is, so cruelty de-
layed, 1t is humiliation to keep on
this narrow, pinched life, with no COM
panionship to speak Of, no money to:
buy new books, with, a dead lift on a
poor struggling church that will wear
your life out before you have reached
your prime. don't mind for myself.
Malcom, You know. It was for bet
ter, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
but 1t seems to me your life will he